Gwich'in Ethnobotany

Gwich’in
Ethnobotany
Plants used by the Gwich’in for Food,
Medicine, Shelter and Tools
by Alestine Andre and Alan Fehr

Covers the Gwich&in Settlement Region in the
Northwest Territories and Yukon Territory
Ç Gwich&in Social and Cultural Institute and Aurora Research Institute, 2002.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval
system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical,
photocopying, recording, or otherwise (except brief passages for purposes of review)
without the prior permission of the copyright holders.
Published and distributed by Gwich&in Social and Cultural Institute and Aurora
Research Institute
S E C O N D E D I T I O N , 2 0 0 2
CONTACT INFORMATION
Gwich&in Social and Cultural Institute Aurora Research Institute
Box 46 Box 1450
Tsiigehtchic, Northwest Territories Inuvik, Northwest Territories
X0E 0B0 X0E 0T0
Phone> (867) 953-3613 Phone> (867) 777-3298
Fax> (867) 953-3820 Fax> (867) 777-4264
PHOTO CREDITS
Front cover
Cranberry - Dave Jones
Back cover
Raspberry - Myrna Pearman, Sphagnum - Dave Jones, Dwarf Birch - GSCI,
Ochre - Alan Fehr, Fungus - GSCI, Pussywillow - GSCI, Centre Photo - Alan Fehr.
Inside
Alestine Andre, Leslie Main Johnson, Alan Fehr (Parks Canada), Gwich&in Social and
Cultural Institute (GSCI), Resources Wildlife and Economic Development (RWED),
Laura and Steve Gasaway, Christian Bucher, Dave Jones, Jacquie Bastick (Parks
Canada), James McCormick (Parks Canada), Derek Johnson and Myrna Pearman.
Canadian Cataloguing in Publication Data

ISBN> 1-896337-09-0
CITATION
Andre, Alestine and Fehr, Alan. 2002. Gwich&in Ethnobotany, Plants used by the
Gwich&in for Food, Medicine, Shelter and Tools. Gwich&in Social and Cultural Institute
and Aurora Research Institute. Inuvik, Northwest Territories. 68 pages.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction 3
Geographic Setting 4
Methods 6
About This Book and Kit 8
General Comments About Collecting and Use 10
A Request for Feedback 11
Acknowledgements 12
Summary of Plant Uses and Names 14
Trees 17
Berries 29
Shrubs 47
Other Plants 53
Mosses and Lichens 59
Fungus 63
Literature Cited 64
Appendix 1: 66
Rocks and Minerals Used for Medicine and Dye
GWICH’IN ETHNOBOTANY: PLANTS USED BY THE GWICH’IN FOR FOOD, MEDICINE, SHELTER AND TOOLS 1
^^People were always healthy and
there was hardly any kind of illness or
diseases because of the way they
lived in the country.&&

—Sarah Peters (COPE, b)
2 GWICH’IN ETHNOBOTANY: PLANTS USED BY THE GWICH’IN FOR FOOD, MEDICINE, SHELTER AND TOOLS
INTRODUCTION
Human beings have always they use them. During the summer
depended on plants for their of 1997, staff from the InRC and
survival. In virtually every GSCI worked with Gwich&in
environment on the planet, we Elders to document their
have used plants for food and knowledge about the traditional
medicine, and to make tools and use of plants, including leaves,
build shelters. Over thousands of bark, roots and berries. Elders
years, the Gwich&in people living from Aklavik, Fort McPherson,
in the subarctic region of North Inuvik and Tsiigehtchic were
America became highly skilled at interviewed, both in the
making use of the trees, shrubs communities and on the land.
and berries that the taiga and Youth from each community also
tundra provided. As skills were participated in the project.
developed and improved, this
The result of this research is this
knowledge was passed along from
book and an associated kit, which
generation to generation.
are designed to be used by
As the Gwich&in now live in educators, naturalists and the
permanent communities, their public.
dependence on local plants has
diminished. Many of the skills
that they needed to survive on the
land now survive only in the
memories of their Elders. As they Important Notice:
pass away, this knowledge is This is not a plant
gradually dying with them. identification guide. If you
Recognizing that urgent action are uncertain of a plant’s
was needed, in 1996 the Inuvik identity or uses DO NOT
Research Centre (InRC) of the USE. Consult a local plant
Aurora Research Institute, and the expert for more information.
Gwich&in Social and Cultural
Institute began documenting the
plants the Gwich&in use and how
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING
The Gwich&in Settlement Region this region. The Mackenzie Delta

(GSR) was established under the is the largest delta in Canada and
terms of the Gwich&in consists of a maze of lakes and
Comprehensive Land Claim channels, vegetated by white
Agreement, which was signed in spruce and a variety of shrubs on
1992 by the Government of the uplands, and willows along
Canada and the Gwich&in Tribal the banks.
Council. The GSR is located in
The taiga cordillera, or mountain
the northwest corner of Canada&s
region, includes the southern end
Northwest Territories, covering
of the Richardson Mountains and
the southern half of the
the northern end of the Mackenzie
Mackenzie Delta and extending
Mountains. Black and white
south along the Mackenzie River,
spruce forests also grow in this
southwest along the Arctic Red
region, although they are
and Peel Rivers, and west into the
generally confined to lower
Yukon (Figure 1> Map of GSR).
elevations and river valley
The communities of Aklavik, Fort
bottoms. At higher elevations,
McPherson, Inuvik, and
arctic-alpine tundra grows.
Tsiigehtchic are located within the
Typical tundra species include
GSR.
dwarf willow, cranberry,
The climate of the settlement blueberry, blackberry and
region is semi-arid and cold. numerous lichens and mosses.
Permafrost occurs throughout.
Black bear, beaver, muskrat,
The GSR includes two natural
woodland caribou, moose, lynx,
regions> the taiga plain and taiga
snowshoe hare, marten and mink
cordillera. The taiga plain is a vast
live in the forest region. Dall
expanse of open black spruce
sheep are found only in the
forest on moist sites, white spruce
mountains and barren-ground
forest on the drier sites, and
caribou inhabit the tundra.
numerous lakes and ponds. Trees
Grizzly bears, wolves, red foxes,
such as balsam poplar, tamarack
and wolverines are at home in the
and paper birch, are also found in
forest and tundra habitats.
138° 137° 128°
136° 130° 129° 69°
69° 135° 134° 133° 132° 131°
BEAU FO RT
S EA
INUVIALUIT
ie s
Yu ko n Te rr ito r y SETTLEMENT
Nor thwes t Terr itor
REGION
MACKENZIE
DELTA
Inuvik
Aklavik
Campbell
Airport Lake
68° Lake 68°
Red
Caribou
Mountain
Creek
Black
Mountain
Thunder
River SAHTU
Fort Tsiigehtchic
McPherson SETTLEMENT
Y
H WA
HIG REGION
R
oc
k
67° 67°
R iv
P
er
MA
EE
CK
L
EN
Z
ARCTIC CIRCL
IE
E
R
IV
ER
Eagle
Plains
Fort
AR Good
CT
IC Hope
66° R RE 66°
TE D
PS RI
M
E VE RI
D
VE
R
ver
Ri r
e
Riv
Bo
nn
Wi n d
et
t
Har
S
na
ke
Pl
65° 65°
um
e
R
iv
er
Ri
ver
64 ° 64 °
138 ° 128 °
137° 129 °
136 ° 135° 131 ° 130 °
134° 133° 132°
Tow n THE GWICH'IN

Settlement
SETTLEMENT REGION
Te r r i t o r i a l B o u n d a r y
Settlement Boundary Yukon and Northwest Territories, Canada

D e m p s t e r H i g h way
Wa t e r Fe a t u r e
Scale: 1:3 Million
Gwich'in Settlement Area
Lambert Conformal Conic Projection
METHODS
Elders were selected to passing on information about

participate in this project based their preparation and uses. In
on their expertise and interest in the fall of 1997 Elders, youth
the traditional use of plants. and staff took a field trip down
Usually Elders were interviewed the Dempster Highway to Rock
during field trips on the land. River.
Youth and staff accompanied
Separate trips were made to
Elders on hikes through areas
collect and photograph plants at
they recommended, occasionally
different stages of growth. At
stopping to look at plants, pick
the Inuvik Research Centre
berries or discuss a plant&s use
laboratory, the plants we
and name. Photographs were
collected were pressed until dry,
taken and some plants collected
and then mounted with white
for use later in the Gwich&in
glue on herbarium paper. Some
Plant Kit. Because some Elders
plants were laminated for use in
had difficulty walking in the
the Gwich&in Plant Kit. Where
bush, we spent time with some
possible, berries were dried and
of them in homes and offices
mounted with the whole plant<
examining freshly picked or
however, they often dropped
dried plants and discussing their
off, or were not present when
names, uses and habitat.
the plants were collected. To
Information was also collected
ensure all plants in the kit had
from Elders in 1997 during the
samples for people to see,
Gwich&in Science Camp,
berries were picked, dried and
organized by the GSCI. Ruth
then bagged and placed in a
Welsh, a Gwich&in Elder now
plastic organizer for display.
living in the Yukon, also
Ground cone, lichen, moss and
attended the camp. She has a
fungi were dried and placed in
special interest in ethnobotany
either glass jars or in the
and worked with the staff and
organizer.
students identifying plants and
On November 23 to 25, 1998, database of traditional
the authors and nine Elders, environmental knowledge. The
representing all four following archives in the
communities, met to review, database were searched>
discuss, and correct the draft Hudson&s Bay Company,
book, plant specimens, and kit. Committee for the Original
This workshop was video-taped Peoples Entitlement (COPE),
and the tape archived at GSCI. Gwich&in Environmental
Knowledge Project (GEKP) and
This book contains all the
Land Use Planning. Many of
information gathered from the
the individuals whose quotes
Elders during the project. The
and information we used are
plant species presented are
now deceased. The information
those identified by Elders at the
they provided has proved to be
locations they visited. We have
invaluable.
also included information about
plant use by Gwich&in people
that is stored on the Gwich&in
Renewable Resource Board&s
ABOUT THIS BOOK AND KIT
The Gwich&in Plant Kit was Gwichya Gwich&in dialect,

developed for use by educators spoken in Tsiigehtchic, and the
in the Gwich&in Settlement Teet¬&it Gwich&in dialect used in
Region. The Inuvik Research the Mackenzie Delta
Centre, the Gwich&in Social and communities of Aklavik, Fort
Cultural Institute, Parks Canada McPherson and Inuvik. In cases
and the five schools in the GSR where only one dialect has a
all have kits that are available name for a particular plant, we
for educational purposes. The give that name and indicate
kit includes a copy of this book, which dialect by a ^^T&& for
27 pressed, labelled and Teet¬&it or ^^G&& for Gwichya. No
laminated plants, an organizer reference is made to the dialects
with assorted samples of dried where they share the same name
berries and fungi, and two jars for a particular plant. It should
of lichens and mosses. The be noted that some plants have
book can be used without the more than one Gwich&in name,
rest of the kit. including some that may not be
included in this book. Not all
The plants presented in this
English names could be listed
book are grouped into trees,
for each plant< we have included
shrubs (lower growing, usually
only the names commonly used
many stemmed, woody plants),
in this region.
berry plants, a collection of
miscellaneous vascular plants, Often in the book, we use the
mosses and lichens, and fungi. expression ^în the old days&&.
Information on rock and While a bit ambiguous, we are
mineral use was collected referring to a period prior to the
incidental to the plant data 1960s, when dog teams were
collection and is summarized in still the norm and most people
the appendix. The English, lived, at least seasonally, on the
Latin and Gwich&in plant names land.
are provided. We use both the
Although we provide a general For a more academic and
description for most plants, this thorough treatment of plant
book is not intended to replace identification, obtain one of the
plant identification guides. If following books>
you are unfamiliar with these
1. Flora of the Yukon Territory.
plants and need more
1996. William J. Cody.
information in order to identify
National Research Council of
them, ask an expert or obtain
Canada, Ottawa.
one of the following plant
books> 2. Vascular Plants of Continental
Northwest Territories,
1. Plants of the Western Boreal
Canada. 1980. Alf Erling
Forest and Aspen Parkland.
Porsild and William J. Cody.
1995. Derek Johnson, Linda
National Museums of Canada,
Kershaw, Andy MacKinnon,
Ottawa.
Jim Pojar. Lone Pine
Publishing, Edmonton,
Alberta.
2. Wildflowers of the Yukon,
Alaska, and Northwestern
Canada. 1988. John G.
Trelawny. Sono Nis Press,
Victoria, British Columbia.
3. Discovering Wild Plants>
Alaska, Western Canada, and
the Northwest. 1989. Janice
J. Schofield. Alaska
Northwest Books, Portland,
Oregon.
GENERAL COMMENTS ABOUT
COLLECTING AND USE
Plants are a renewable resource To make medicines, one should

that will regenerate year after year use clear creek water, snow or ice,
if taken care of properly. Consider not tap water. Elders say all
the effects of collecting plants and evergreens, including spruce,
remember the following> juniper and tamarack, promote
healing, and that the steam from
1. Try not to pick out an area—
boiling these plants helps relieve
take only what you need.
nasal congestion and colds.
2. Do not destroy the whole plant Boiling time should generally not
if you do not need it all. exceed five to 10 minutes.
Excessive boiling could result in
3. Try to collect away from main
extremely strong medicines and
roads and towns. Plants are
teas which could be bitter or
cleaner away from these
harmful. Elizabeth Greenland
places.
advises to dispose of plants and
4. When collecting inner or outer traditional medicines on the land
bark, do not strip the bark from when finished with them.
around the entire tree trunk.
Finally, we ask that when
Girdling the tree, as it is called,
collecting plants out on the land,
will kill the tree.
you respect the beliefs and values
Gwich&in Elders say that people of Gwich&in Elders.
must respect the plants they are
collecting. People should leave an
offering when collecting any part
of a tamarack, juniper or ochre (a In olden days, when you’re
rock). Suitable offerings include going to use any plant,
tobacco, matches, tea, rifle or you have to pay Mother
shotgun shells, money, sugar or a Earth for it. They say that’s
prayer. Mary Kendi of Fort when it works for you.
McPherson says to pray while you —Laura Pascal, (COPE).
collect and prepare your medicine.
A REQUEST FOR FEEDBACK
We urge readers to pass on Please contact the Gwich&in Social

concerns, corrections or any and Cultural Institute in
information they might have Tsiigehtchic with your
about plant use in the Gwich&in information.
Settlement Region. Stories,
recipes, collecting locations, Gwich’in Social and Cultural Institute
plants not listed—all would be Box 46
Tsiigehtchic, Northwest Territories
appreciated.
X0E 0B0
Phone: (867) 953-3613
Fax: (867) 953-3820
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Many people helped complete this from the Inuvik Research Centre
project. The Ehdiitat Gwich&in (InRC), participated in field trips
from Aklavik included Elders to Aklavik, Inuvik and
Annie Benoit, Mary Kendi, Tsiigehtchic, and assisted in
Louisa Kalinek, Bella Greenland, pressing and mounting the plant
Martha Stewart, Rosie Jane specimens. In 1998 InRC summer
Stewart, Richard Ross, Annie B. students Augusto Carriedo and
Gordon as well as students Sharla Rebecca Filion assisted with plant
Greenland, Sigmour Furlong, and collection, pressing, and
Eric Kendi. The Nihtat Gwich&in mounting. Augusto Carriedo
from Inuvik were Elders Mabel laminated most of the plants and
English, Elizabeth Greenland, and assisted with label preparation.
Catherine Mitchell, as well as Several other InRC staff also
students Dorothy Wright and assisted> Valoree Walker, Les
Mary Beth Baxter. Gwichya Kutny, Suzanne den Ouden, Tanya
Gwich&in participants from Dorey, Alex Collins and Alex
Tsiigehtchic were Elders Caroline Borowiecka. Ruby Lennie and
Andre, Hyacinthe Andre, and Leslie Main-Johnson assisted with
Annie Norbert, as well as students the plant photography in 1998.
Billy Veryl Clark, Nich&it tsal Marie-Anick Elie from the
Norbert, Billy Moore, Charlene Gwich&in Renewable Resource
Blake, Daniel Blake, Earl Board helped with the collection
McLeod, and Bobby Jean Natsie. of photographs.
The Teet¬&it Gwich&in from Fort
The Elders& workshop held in
McPherson included Elders Mary
November 1998 to review the
Kendi and Louisa Robert, as well
draft products included Mary
as students Karen Vaneltsi,
Kendi, Alfred Semple, and
Charles Vaneltsi, Charlie Robert
Catherine Semple from Aklavik<
Greenland, and Candace Smith.
William Teya, Louisa Robert and
In 1997 William Hurst and Mary Kendi from Fort
summer students Angeline Haynes McPherson< Mabel English and
and Frederick ^^Ziggy&& Maring, all Elizabeth Greenland from Inuvik<
and Noel Andre and Antoine Katz constructed and Alma
(Tony) Andre from Tsiigehtchic. Cardinal painted the boxes for the
Itai Katz video-taped the Gwich&in Plant Kit. Chris
workshop. Other people who Douglas, Hillarie Zimmermann,
assisted us in various ways Robin Clark and Scott Black
included Ruth Welsh, Grace assisted with the editing and
Blake, Barb Cameron, Ingrid design of the book.
Kritsch, and Lucy Wilson. Gadi
SPONSORS OF THIS PROJECT>

Aurora Research Institute Inuvik District Education
Authority
Canadian Polar Commission
NWT Department of Resources,
Fort McPherson District Education Wildlife and Economic
Authority Development
Gwich&in Renewable Resource NWT Department of Education,
Board Culture and Employment
Gwich&in Social and Cultural Parks Canada (Western Arctic
Institute Field Unit)
PHOTOGRAPH CREDITS>
We would like to thank all the photographers who provided the images for
this book. (See inside cover for listing.)
SUMMARY OF
PLANT USES AND NAMES
English names in brackets are provided for readers familiar with different
common names. We have also provided additional English names in the
text. Gwich&in names are indicated with a ^^G&& if they are in the Gwichya
dialect or ^^T&& if they are in the Teet¬&it dialect. If there is no ^^T&& or ^^G&& this
means that the word is the same in both dialects.
English Names Gwich’in Names Latin Names Uses Page No.

alpine arnica at&an tsoo Arnica alpina medicine 53
bear root treh (G) Hedysarum alpinum food and 53
trih (T) medicine
birch aat&oo Betula papyrifera food, medicine, 25
tools and bait
bird&s eye dzhii nde'e& (G) Arctostaphylos rubra food 29
(bearberry) shih jak (T)
black currant deetree ja'k Ribes hudsonianum food 39
blackberry dineech&u'h (G) Empetrum nigrum food and medicine 30
(crowberry) dineech&uh (T)
blueberry ja'k zheii (G) Vaccinium uliginosum food and medicine 40
jak naalyuu or jak zheii (T)
cranberry nat¬&at Vaccinium vitis-idaea food, medicine 40
and dye
dwarf birch ¬uu t&an (T) Betula glandulosa flooring 47
fireweed no Gwich&in name Epilobium angustifolium food and medicine 55
fungus, birch edinìichii various medicine, tobacco,
and willow insect repellent, 63
moth ball, fire starter
goosefood kheh dye'& (G) Equisetum arvense medicine, food 55
(horsetail) kheh dì& (T) and pot cleaner
juniper (crowberry) deetre'e ja'k (G) Juniperus communis medicine 47
ts&ìivii ch&ok (T)
mooseberry dìnjik ja'k (G) Sheperdia canadensis food and medicine 45
(soapberry) dinjik ja'k (T)
moss nin& Sphagnum species diapers and cleaner 60
(sphagnum moss)
muskeg tea lidii maskeg¶maskig (G) Ledum palustre food and medicine 48
(Labrador tea) masgit (T)
northern ground du&iinahshe'e (G) Boschniakia rossica medicine and pipe 54
cone doo&iinahshìh (T)
onions, wild t¬&oo drik Allium schoenoprasum food 56
poplar t&oo Populus balsamifera medicine, fuel and 24
bait
raspberry ts&eenakal Rubus acaulis food 42
Rubus strigosus
red currant eneeyu'& (G) Ribes triste food and medicine 42
nee&uu (T)
red willow (alder) k&oh Alnus crispa medicine, fuel 49
and dye
rhubarb, wild ts&iigyu'çuç& (G) Polygonum alaskanum food 56
ts&ii gyu'u& (T)
rose hips nichìèh (G) Rosa acicularis food and medicine 43
nichih (T)
spruce ts&iivii Picea mariana and food, medicine, 17
Picea glauca shelter, fuel and tools
stoneberry da'n daih (G) Arctostaphylos uva-ursi food 44
(kinnikinnick) dandaih (T)
tamarack ts&iiteenju'h (G) Larix laricina medicine and fuel 23
tsiiheenjoh (T)
white moss uhdeezhu'& (G) Cladina species food and cleaner 59
(reindeer lichen) uudeezhu& (T)
willow k&aii& (G) Salix species fuel, medicine, food, 50
k&a'ii& (T) tools and shelter
wormwood gyu'u tsanh (T) Artemisia tilesii medicine and 57
insect repellent
yarrow at&a'n daga'çièiè (G) Achillea millefolium medicine 57
at&a'n daga'ii (T)
yellowberry naka'l (G) Rubus chamaemorus food 46
(cloudberry) nakal (T)
SUMMARY OF PLANT USES AND NAMES...CONTINUED
Rocks and Minerals

flint vihtr&ii (G) n¶a fire starter 67
vihtr&ih (T)
ochre tsaih n¶a dye 67
sulphur gwinahkho;o (T) n¶a medicine 66
GSCI
TREES
Alan Fehr, Louisa Robert and Alestine Andre
Ts&iivii G/T Common names: black and white spruce

Latin names: Picea mariana and
Spruce E Picea glauca
(see photo on page 37) Uses: food, medicine, shelter,
fuel and tools
Black and white spruce trees are maintain good health. Of all the
found throughout the Gwich&in parts of the spruce tree, some
Settlement Region. Except for Elders believe the cones make the
high alpine areas they inhabit any best medicine (Andre 1995).
areas with suitable habitat. White Cones are picked year round from
spruce is commonly found on the tops of young trees. Usually
well-drained soils, while black five to 15 cones are gently boiled
spruce favours wetter areas. In for 10 to 15 minutes in a pot of
general, the Gwich&in treat the two water. The longer they boil, the
types of spruce as one type when stronger the medicine becomes.
preparing medicines. Spruce gum Branches are sometimes put into
is not found in large quantities on the pot with the spruce cones.
black spruce, but small black Some people prefer straining the
spruce can be chopped up into liquid before drinking it. Spruce
small pieces to make medicine, tea relieves coughing and sore
using the same method as throats and chests. Those who are
described under ^^cones&& or sick with colds can take it three or
^^young spruce tips.&&
Take cones and branches and boil,
Dineezil¶Edineezil (G) cool it and drink one cup in the
Dineedzil (T) morning, afternoon and night.
Cones
–Annie Norbert describes Julienne
Spruce cones are used to make a Andre’s medicine
tea that relieves colds and helps
T R E E S
four times a day for about five to cuts, helps healing and
days. Some Gwich&in drink reduces the chance of infection.
between one-quarter cup and It is also used for mouth
one cup of spruce tea every day infections such as cankers, by
to stay healthy. You can drink applying it directly to the sore.
this medicine when it is hot or When made into a tea, sticky
after it is cooled, though it gum can be sipped to soothe sore
should never be gulped. Many throats. Sticky gum can also be
people keep the medicine in a used as glue to waterproof a
jar in the fridge for later use. canoe.
Sticky gum can be applied just as
it is, or it can be made into a
Dze'h ant& a't (G) salve, by melting the sap at low
Dzih ant& at (T) heat and mixing it with lard or
Sticky Gum grease (Vaseline, vegetable oil or
Sticky gum is the clear, sticky animal fat will do). Melting
sap that can be found year round sticky or spruce gum tends to
on spruce trees and in green spoil the pot so it is best to use
firewood. This is new sap that just one pot to prepare the
has recently run from the wood medicine.
of the tree. The gum can be
Mary Kendi, from Fort
removed from a tree using a
McPherson, says to spread sticky
knife, stick or your fingers, and
gum on warm canvas and then
stored in a container. When you
stick it on the chest. The dressing
are finished, baby oil, lard or
is kept on until it drops off by
butter will help get the remaining
itself. This remedy helps relieve
gum off your hands.
the symptoms of chest colds and
Sticky gum is used to soothe tuberculosis (TB).
irritated skin and, when applied
Making Salve with Sticky Gum

Collect pitch (sticky gum) that’s really sticky and clear, even if it’s only a couple
of tablespoons. Take it and warm it in water until it’s melted, and then put an
equal or slightly smaller amount of Vaseline or other fat into it. Don’t use cold fat
though, it should always be room temperature. Use a clean stick and stir it
slowly. Make sure the water is always fairly hot and that everything is liquid.
Take it off the heat and then pour it into a container.
–Ruth Welsh
T R E E S
GSCI
Dze'h kwan& (G)
Dzih drinh& (T)
Spruce Gum
This is the hard, older kind of
tree sap or pitch, with a red or
rose colour. As the quote below
suggests, spruce gum forms in
breaks in the bark, such as the
tooth marks left by a porcupine.
Spruce gum is picked year
round from the trees with a
knife, stick or fingers. It can
then be chewed like a piece of
gum. Both the gum and the
juice it produces can be
swallowed as you chew. Spruce
gum was Spruce Gum
commonly given
to children as a Porcupines
make spruce Ts&eevii ghat (G)
treat when out in Ts&iivii uudeeghaii (T)
the bush cutting gum.
–William Teya
Tree Roots
wood or picking
berries. In the old days, people used roots
for string, rope and to sew the
Spruce gum can also be boiled, rims of baskets, and skin and
strained and cooled to make a birch bark boats. Roots from any
tea. Like spruce cone tea, this evergreen tree or willow were
tea is used to relieve colds and used< however, tamarack roots
maintain good health. It tends were considered the strongest.
to be very concentrated though, Alfred Semple described how his
so only small amounts are grandmother (Caroline Ts&ii gii< d.
sipped. Softer spruce gum, like 1946) collected spruce roots from
sticky gum, can be put on cuts river banks after spring ice
or sores. It is also used to draw breakup. If the roots had a straight
out slivers by applying a grain they were split and used to
mixture of pitch and salve on make fish nets. When not in use
the wound. After the sliver the fish nets were stored in water
comes out, or is removed, clear so that they did not dry up.
pitch is applied to aid healing. According to Laura Pascal
The dressing and the pitch (COPE), the roots can also be
should be changed regularly. pounded and boiled to make a
liquid medicine.
T R E E S
GSCI
Ts&eevii ch&yìdh (G)
Ineech&uu (T)
Inner Spruce Bark
The inner bark from evergreens,
like spruce, and willows, can be
used to produce a number of
medicines. Bark is stripped off the
tree, and the white pulpy layer on
the inside of the bark is peeled or
scraped. This part of the bark can
be chewed to relieve colds or
maintain good health. It can also
be placed directly on a wound and
covered with a bandage. Some
people dry strips of the inner bark
that can be reconstituted when Mary Kendi of Aklavik cutting fish in front of a spruce
bark smokehouse
needed. Nap Norbert recounts that
when his sister, Rose, cut her
finger with an axe, his step-father, Ts&eevii zhao le'& (G)
Louis Cardinal, put the inner part Ts&eeviizhuu li& (T)
of the bark on the wound. Nap Young Spruce Tips
said that the injury healed well Chewing the tips of a young
and left no scar (Andre 1995). spruce tree helps relieve itchy
throats and is good for any kind of
flu or cold. The tips, cones, and
Aatr&ii branches can also be mixed and
Outer Spruce Bark boiled. Spruce tips can be
The outer bark is useful for collected year round and boiled
making smokehouses for drying with cones and branches. Mary
fish. Large pieces of bark are Kendi, of Aklavik, likes to boil the
peeled from trees in the spring tips in the house to keep sickness
when the sap is running and used away.
as shingles and siding for
smokehouses. Smokehouses made
with bark are preferred because a Didich&açièiè (G)
constant inside temperature is Didich&eii (T)
more easily maintained, compared Dried Branches
to structures sided with plastic The dried branches or twigs (gray
tarps. Splints for broken limbs or in colour) found at the base of
braces can also be made from the spruce trees, beneath the boughs,
outer bark. are excellent for starting fires.
T R E E S
Even after rain they remain dry. Many of these tools are also
Branches covered with the hairy constructed with birch wood.
or stringy-looking lichen (old Mary Kendi, of Aklavik, related
man&s beard) should be used first how lumber was cut to make the
if available. When travelling on frame of a skin boat. She also said
the land, many people keep some candle sticks can be made from
twigs and lichen in their pockets wood such as willow, spruce and
to start a fire if needed. birch.
Trappers used spruce trees for a
Building A Fire number of purposes. Young green
It could save your life if you had to trees, stripped of their bark, were
make a fire quick when it’s 60 used to make tsee tr&ill, or beaver
below. When you are traveling in pelt stretchers. If a trapper did not
the bush and you need to make a have a spruce pole suitable for a
fire, break off a bunch of dry twigs tsee tr&ill, he could stretch the pelt
from the tree, light a match to it by nailing it to a large tree.
and place it under your wood to Ordinarily, snowshoes are made
start a fire. (Andre 1995) of birch wood< however, in spring,
–Nap Norbert spruce is favoured because it
absorbs less water and remains
light through this wet season.
Troo zheii (G) Alfred Semple recommends using
Troo gaii (T) young spruce trees from river
Dry Wood banks, because they are strong
and flexible, having grown in a
Ts&iivii leh> green wood (G) windy location. He makes a
Ts&iivii lih> green wood (T) ^^disposable&& pair of snowshoes by
Dachan> any kind of wood, shaping the wooden frames and
including driftwood, birch, using shoelaces or string for the
willow, spruce lacing. Tony Andre noted that
Doo> driftwood willow can also be used for the
Spruce wood is used for fuel and frames.
for building or making the
following items> Snow snake poles, used in a
winter throwing game called zhoh
© log houses, chii zak, were made with straight
© smokehouses, spruce poles.
© caches,
© stages, Long spruce poles (about five
© axe and ice chisel handles, metres or 16 feet long) with the
© snow shovels (zhoh ch&ik), and bark removed can be used to set
© sleds. fish nets under the ice.
T R E E S
In the old days, people put When out at camp, the ah& should
coals in rotten wood to start it be changed every weekend in both
burning. Then they added moss winter and summer.
with rotten wood over top of it,
In addition to being an excellent
and placed this in a dry bag. In
insulator, spruce boughs are
this way they kept the coals
thought to have medicinal value.
alive. Each family had a fire
Many Gwich&in believe that the
starter kit. The flint was kept in
aroma of the boughs inside a tent
the bag too.
keeps people healthy. Small,
young trees are considered to be
particularly therapeutic. Spruce
Ah& branches can also be boiled to
Spruce Boughs produce a steam that relieves cold
Thoo& ah> spruce boughs used symptoms and maintains good
for flooring health.
Spruce boughs are used for
flooring in tents. Starting at the Caribou fur skins were used as a
back of the tent, boughs are mattress which covered the whole
inside where the bedding is. It is
positioned so that the needles
placed on top of well laid spruce
point toward the ground. For the
tree branches. With all this there
next row, place the stems of the is no cold under, everything was
branches underneath the made from caribou fur skin and it
previous layer. This makes for a was very warm.
warm floor, especially in
–Mary Husky (COPE).
combination with caribou skins.
Building a Fish Trap

The fish trap was something else our ancestors (prior to the turn of the century) used
a great deal and perhaps it was the best and easiest method used in catching fish.
The following is needed in order to build a fish trap: an eddy, long wooden poles with
bark left on, long wooden poles with bark cleaned off. The first thing to do was to
choose a good eddy. Directly downstream from this eddy is where the trap was built.
The poles with bark are driven into the river bottom with an opening in between.
Poles were then put in horizontally, like a fence. The next thing to do was to build a
long basket. This was made from the clean wooden poles and set in the opening
with the small end closed. Then you waited. The fish would come along and swim
straight into the trap in great numbers. The fish were then scooped into the canoe
with a large willow dipper with a long handle. A lot of fish were caught this way.
–Elijah Andrew (COPE, a)
T R E E S
Ts&iiteenju'h G Common names: larch

Tsiiheenjoh T Latin names: Larix laricina
Uses: medicine and fuel
Tamarack E
(see photo on page 37)
Thoo cha'n> woody part of by cutting tamarack branches into

branch (G) 15 centimetre (six inch) lengths,
Thoo& chan> woody part of and boiling gently for five to 10
branch (T) minutes, adding water as it
Thoo& cha'a> branch (T) evaporates. One can also add
Thoo& a'a> needles (T) spruce gum to the tamarack
Troo> wood stems and boil to make a stronger
medicine. Mary Kendi of Fort
The tamarack tree grows in wet
McPherson makes her special
boggy areas and is found
medicine by adding cut up pieces
sporadically throughout the
of birch fungus to the tamarack
Gwich&in Settlement Region.
stems and boiling.
Many trees grow along the
Dempster Highway between Tea made from tamarack cones is
Inuvik and Tsiigehtchic. Unlike good for soothing colds and
other coniferous trees, tamarack alleviating headaches. Only four
needles turn yellowish-orange in or five cones are needed.
autumn and then drop off.
Dry tamarack wood produces a
Tamarack needles occur in small
lot of heat when burned.
clusters along the branch,
Tamarack roots are very strong,
whereas spruce needles occur
and can be coiled and stored for
singly.
later use. According to Laura
The branches and cones can be
collected year round. People When you cut tamarack, you want
should leave an offering when it to be really good and strong and
collecting any part of a tamarack work for you. You have to put
tree. Caroline Andre of something in place of it. In olden
Tsiigehtchic said, ^^This is real days, when you’re going to use
good medicine. They say you any plant, you have to pay
have to pay for it, leave sugar or Mother Earth for it. They say
tea behind.&& that’s when it works for you but if
you don’t pay for it, it just won’t
Tamarack tea is good for upset
work.
stomachs, colds, fatigue, or for
general good health. It is made –Laura Pascal (COPE)
T R E E S
GSCI
Pascal (COPE), the inner bark can be
prepared as a poultice for wounds.
Tamarack Tea and Poultice

You cut (branches) up into small pieces or pound it
up. Then you put it in a pot and boil it up. After it’s
done you cool it down. Then you strain it through a
white cloth. You drink the juice three times a day.
It’s good for colds and when you’re tired. You drink
it for an upset stomach too, or to eat good. They
used to use it a lot in the olden days for medicine.
To make a poultice you take all the bark off the
outside branch. Rub the white pulp together then
put that on a wound, a cut or a big scrape.
—Laura Pascal (COPE)
Tamarack tree in summer
T&oo G/T Common names: balsam poplar

Latin names: Populus balsamifera
Poplar E
Uses: medicine, fuel and bait
Poplars are deciduous trees that drying fish in a smokehouse

often grow alongside willows on because it burns longer than other
river banks and lake shores. The types of wood. Wood that is partly
buds, which are very sticky, are dry and partly green will burn for
collected in the spring before they a long time. Poplar is also good
open and then boiled. Drinking for smoking moose hide as part of
the tea relieves cold symptoms. the tanning process. Victor
The resin which collects on the Stewart (GEKP) said that poplar,
side of a pot can be used for cuts. like birch and willows, can be
It can also be used as glue, either used for baiting beaver traps.
on its own, or mixed with spruce William Teya explained that
gum. The sticky buds can be poplar is not a good material for
applied to a sore to aid healing. building log houses, as it does not
hold heat well. Poplar wood is soft
Poplar driftwood found along the
Mackenzie River is good for
T R E E S
and easily carved into toys or ashes into dog food. This helped
implements, such as snow shovels. control worms and kept dogs& fur
in good condition.
Long ago, people burned the bark
of poplars and then mixed the
Making Soap
In the spring, when she was young and living on the land with her family, the men
would make a skin boat for going into Fort McPherson. While they were
constructing the boat, the women would collect half dry poplar wood, burn it and
collect the ashes. These ashes they boiled in a pot until the water evaporated. Then
they mixed caribou fat in with the ashes to make soap. Once well mixed, they
poured the mixture into a birch dish and let it cool. After cooling they cut the soap
into small blocks and gave one to each family to wash clothes and clean up before
heading to town.
—Mary Kendi, Aklavik
Aat&oo G/T Common names: paper birch

Latin names: Betula papyrifera
Birch E
Uses: food, medicine, tools
(see photo on page 31) and bait
These trees, with their beautiful ∑ drum frames,

white bark, grow throughout the ∑ chairs and furniture,
GSR in moist soils, often mixed ∑ toboggans,
with black spruce. They grow ∑ snow shovels and scoops,
larger and taller in the southern and
∑ handles for knives, axes,
parts of the area, and are not
awls, slingshots, dog whips
common in the Mackenzie Delta. and sleds.
There are many uses for the bark
and wood, making it an important Dog whip handles were often
tree for the Gwich&in. dyed with red ochre and
decorated with fancy carvings.
Birch is a hardwood valued for its Birch toboggans are valued for
strength and resistance to being strong and slippery. The
cracking. It is a favoured material hunting canoes of the Gwich&in
for making snowshoes. In the were built with birch frames and
past, the Gwich&in also used birch covered with canvas. Mary
to make the following> Francis (COPE, a) indicated that
∑ net needles, spoons and forks were also made
∑ paddles, with birch wood.
T R E E S
Sections of birch wood were used K&ii chuç& (G)

for bait when setting beaver traps K&ii chuu (T)
under the ice of a lake. Rotting Syrup
birch wood was considered good Birch, like willows, are full of sap
for smoking skins. for one or two weeks in mid-June.
To make a medicine for stomach To collect the sap, a notch is cut in
ailments, such as heartburn and the bark in the shape of an upside
ulcers, young birch trees can be down V. Peel back the bark to
chopped down, cut into small make a hook. A bucket is hung
pieces and boiled in a large pot. from the hook to catch the
The stems, twigs and leaves are dripping sap. Instead of a V-notch
all used. The boiled juice, which some people cut a vertical slit in
looks like tea, should be strained the bark and hang a pail beneath
before pouring it into jars. Elders it. The syrup, which is used as a
advise making only enough topping for pancakes and other
medicine for one week, as it will foods, is made by boiling down
spoil. They recommend drinking the sap until it thickens. A lot of
one-half cup in the morning sap must be collected to make a
before breakfast and another one small amount of syrup.
at night before going to bed.
Sticky gum may also be chewed
Birch Tea
and swallowed with this medicine
(Andre 1995). Find a young birch tree, chop it
up, place it in a pot of water and
GSCI
boil into tea. Mabel English

suggests drinking one-half cup of
tea before every meal to
alleviate stomach ailments.
K&ii
Birch Bark
CONTAINERS> In the spring,
baskets, plates, bowls, and other
containers can be made from soft,
freshly peeled birch bark. Bark
may also be dried for storage and
then wet down when it is to be
used. A basket is made by first
Birch bark and driftwood folding fresh, green bark into the
T R E E S
shape you desire. Then a root is MEDICINE> The inner bark of

laid along the rim. Finally, a birch trees is used to make a tea
second root is sewn around the for stomach ailments. It is
rim of the basket to make it stiff collected by peeling birch bark
and hold the shape of the basket. away from the tree trunk and
Large roots can be split into collecting the white pulp
smaller sizes, and all roots are underneath. The pulp is then
kept in water to keep them moist boiled to prepare the tea.
and flexible. Roots are dyed with
berries or ochre, although these On Birch and Beavers
days lipstick is sometimes used.
I was sitting on the lake and I
An awl is used to make holes for
took some bark off a birch tree.
sewing the rim. A lid for the If I light it, the beaver smells it.
basket can also be made with a It is going to swim to me. So
piece of bark. In the old days, birch and poplar are the main
these containers were used for trees that beaver really like.
water, soup, and storing berries, Even when we trap them, we
dryfish and other foods. Berries put a piece of birch on the trap.
stored in baskets were I nail it there and if the beaver
sometimes buried in moss for smells that, it has to come to
winter use. The late Mary that trap. So the best beaver
Vittrekwa made birch baskets. food that I know of is birch.
CANOES> The Gwich&in used to –Victor Stewart (GEKP)
make canoes from smooth birch
bark with no knots. Roots were
used to sew the pieces together Roots
and spruce gum to make it
water-tight. Charcoal was added Alfred Semple&s great
to the spruce gum to give it grandmother used to make a tea
colour. Tony Andre&s father had a from birch roots for washing the
birch bark canoe that lasted 15 eyes of people afflicted by snow
years. blindness. To prepare the tea,
roots were dug up and cleaned
FIRE STARTER> Birch bark is with a knife. They were then
an excellent fire starter and is washed, cut into pieces and
carried by many people boiled. Alfred says that a
travelling on the land for this similar tea for snow blindness
purpose. It can either be peeled can be made using the buds of
from a tree, or collected from the tree.
among the driftwood along the
river shore. Roots can be used for sewing
baskets.
T R E E S
This is how I make a drum:

I go into the bush and find a good piece of willow or birch.
A long piece is good to work with. I take it home, clean the
bark off, and with a sharp knife, I cut away most of the
wood. I cut until there’s only a thin slab that is nice and
smooth. I work at it until I can bend it easily into a circle.
This is then fastened together with a strong piece of twine.
Babiche is better to use.
Now that I have a circle, I find a thin piece of caribou hide
(not tanned), cleaned of hair and anything lumpy. I stretch
this over the frame. I find that the thinner the skin is, the
better the drum I make. The skin is tacked on with small
tacks. I do not know how it was done before we had tacks
to use. Probably it was fastened onto the frame with
babiche, too. Now I need something to hold the drum with,
so I take babiche again and string it onto the bottom side of
the drum. I also put three across the top. This produces a
beautiful sound when it is played.
Another important part of the drum is the stick with which
you hit it. This should be a small bent piece. Again, this is to
make a good sound. If not, you do not produce good music.
Now when this drum is played, it should produce a nice, rich
sound. While playing it, if you know it starts to sound off,
you simply splash some water onto the skin and rub it until
you get it nicely dampened. This is all it needs to start it
sounding better again.
—Elijah Andrew (COPE, b)
ALAN FEHR
BERRIES
Annie Benoit and William Hurst at Mary

Kendi’s camp near Aklavik
Berry Picking in the Delta

The women used to pick berries. Down they used to go by boat. Sometimes they
would stay two or three days. We used to have a lot of fun (and I never picked
anything). Us girls used to make the boys mad, then they would spill our berries.
One time we were nearly left behind because Mary Kendi (Aklavik) and I and
some other girls were so bad. We had to cross three lakes. Everybody took off and
left us. When we got down to the lake there was only one canoe—just one
woman sitting in it waiting for us to come. We were so happy to see her there. We
were good until we got home.
—Sarah Ann Gardlund (COPE)
Dzhii nde'e& G Common names: birdeye, bearberry

Latin names: Arctostaphylos rubra
Shih jak T
Uses: food
Bird&s Eye E
The edible berries of this low- Aklavik, believes that this is why
growing (less than 10 centimetres Red Mountain turns ^^red.&&
or four inches tall) plant are
Ruth Welsh and Mary Kendi say
similar to red currants. The red,
if you do not have any water these
shiny berries are juicy but sour.
berries and cranberries will
These plants grow in a variety of
quench your thirst. Alfred Semple
habitats, preferring moist areas.
recommends adding bird&s eye
The leaves of the plant turn red in
berries to meatballs (pemmican).
the fall, and Mary Kendi, of
B E R R I E S
Dineech&u'h G Common names: crowberry

Latin names: Empetrum nigrum
Dineech&uh T
Uses: food and medicine
Blackberry E
Blackberry is a low-growing Old Joe Natsie’s Medicine

(less than 15 centimetres or six
inches tall) evergreen with This medicine was considered as
runners that spread throughout good as spruce gum tea for
the moist, mossy areas in which stomach aches and bad colds. This
it grows. Clusters of tea was made by collecting and
boiling blackberry roots, berries and
blackberries sit atop the stem
stems.
and green, needle-like leaves
grow along the stem. —Annie Norbert, Tsiigehtchic (COPE)
The berries are edible and make

RWED
good jam. They are ready to be

picked in August and September
and are tasty when eaten alone
or when mixed and eaten with
other berries. Blackberries can
be mixed with cranberries, for
example, and added to it&suh, a
dessert prepared from pounded
dryfish. Blackberry leaves and berries
Blackberries and Fish

Take the fish broth from boiled whitefish, add a pail of blackberries, enough sugar
to sweeten it up, and a dipper of fish blood, hearts and liver. Cook this mixture.
Then you take it down (off the stove). It is just like jam.
—Effie Francis (COPE)
At&an tsoo T Treh G
Alpine Arnica E Trih T
(see descriptions on page 53) Bear Root E
(see descriptions on page 53)
CHRISTIAN BUCHER
CHRISTIAN BUCHER
Aat&oo G/T Dzhii nde'e& G

Birch E Shih jak T
(see descriptions on page 25) Bird&s Eye E
GSCI

DAVE JONES
GSCI
DAVE JONES
Deetree ja'k G/T Dineech&u'h G
Black Currant E Dineech&uh T
(see descriptions on page 39) Blackberry E
J. DEREK JOHNSON
RWED
Ja'k zheii G Nat¬&at G/T

Jak naalyuu or Jak zheii T Cranberry E
Blueberry E (see descriptions on page 40)
(see descriptions on page 40) DAVE JONES
GSCI
DAVE JONES
Òuu t&an T Fireweed E
Dwarf Birch E Note> there is no Gwich&in name for
this plant
GSCI
RWED
Edinìichii G/T Kheh dye'& G

Birch and Willow Fungus E Kheh dì& T
(see descriptions on page 63) Goosefood E
GSCI
JACQUIE BASTICK
Deetre'e ja'k G Dìnjik ja'k G
Ts&ìivii ch&ok T Dinjik ja'k T
Juniper E Mooseberry E
(see descriptions on page 47) (see descriptions on page 45)
DAVE JONES
GSCI
Nin& G/T Lidii maskeg¶Maskig G

Moss E Masgit T
(see descriptions on page 60) Muskeg Tea E
DAVE JONES
GSCI
Du&iinahshe'e G T¬&oo drik G/T
Doo&iinahshih or ts&eedichi T Wild Onions E
Northern Ground Cone E (see descriptions on page 56)
J. DEREK JOHNSON
LESLIE MAIN JOHNSON
T&oo G/T Ts&eenakal G/T

Poplar E Raspberry E
(see descriptions on page 24) (see descriptions on page 42) MYRNA PEARMAN
JAMES MCCORMICK
CHRISTIAN BUCHER
JAMES MCCORMICK
Eneeyu'& G K&oh G/T
Nee&uu T Red Willow E
Red Currant E (see descriptions on page 49)
MYRNA PEARMAN
GSCI
Ts&iigyu'çuç& G Nichìèh G
Ts&iigyu'u& T Nichih T
Wild Rhubarb E Rose Hips E
(see descriptions on page 56) (see descriptions on page 43) RWED
GSCI
GSCI
Ts&iivii G/T Da'n daih G
Spruce E Dandaih T
(see descriptions on page 17) Stoneberry E
(see descriptions on page 44) JACQUIE BASTICK
GSCI
CHRISTIAN BUCHER
Ts&iiteenju'h G Uhdeezhu'& G
Tsiiheenjoh T Uudeezhu& T
Tamarack E White Moss E
(see descriptions on page 23) GSCI (see descriptions on page 59)
JACQUIE BASTICK
DAVE JONES
K&aii G Gyu'u tsanh T
K&a'ii T Wormwood E
Willow E (see descriptions on page 57)
JACQUIE BASTICK
GSCI
JAMES MCCORMICK
Naka'l G
Nakal T
Yellowberry E
DAVE JONES
At&a'n daga'çièiè G
At&a'n daga'ii T
Yarrow E
JAMES MCCORMICK
Tsaih G/T
Ochre E
ALAN FEHR
B E R R I E S
Deetree ja'k G/T Latin names: Ribes hudsonianum

Uses: food
Black Currant E
Black currant shrubs stand less berries. In winter, one can

than one metre (three feet) tall, collect the stems and make tea.
and usually grow in moist areas
J. DEREK JOHNSON
with willows and roses. They are
widespread but not common in
the Gwich&in Settlement Region.
Some bushes were found at Old
Aklavik across the Peel Channel
from the present town site, Mary
Kendi&s camp above Aklavik,
and Knut Lang&s camp. They are
also found in the Husky River
area.
The black berries are strong
tasting and usually are picked
for food in late summer. They
make good jam. A tea can also
be made using dried leaves and Black currant
Berries and Beads

. . .they had special clothes for the summer. Some of them had different names but
I can’t say it in English very good,…these fancied up clothes were worn for
summer and men and children wore these. Sometimes if a family had good
workers, they had a good life. They made clothes like buckskin jackets with all
kinds of different beads on them. The kinds of beads I’m talking about were
different from the beads now. They were made out of ivory bone and they coloured
the beads with different kinds of berries. These beads were pretty big and you could
see on the shoulders of the jacket the bead work, and on the back of the jacket.
Sometimes they would make a pair of overalls out of really good white tanned
caribou skin. They also beaded the shoes. They also made fancy garters out of good
tanned moose skin or caribou skin and out of fancy bead work or great porcupine
quills. These were all different colours and they used that for garters either for men
or women. These were made for special summer occasions, like sports day.
—Sarah Peters (COPE, a)
B E R R I E S
Ja'k zheii G Latin names: Vaccinium uliginosum

Jak naalyuu or T
Jak zheii
Blueberry E
Jak naaluu or in¬uh (T) or commonly in willow flats or open

an¬uh (G)> unripe blueberries forested areas around lakes. The
Dinde'zri&> ripe blueberries (G) berries are tasty and can be eaten
Dinde'zrii> ripe blueberries (T) with sugar or used in jam, pies,
muffins, and it&suh (a dessert
Blueberry bushes are low-
made from pounded dry fish). The
growing shrubs, less than one-half
stems and leaves can be boiled to
metre (1 1¶2 feet) high. They are
make a tea for cold symptoms.
found throughout the GSR, most
Nat¬&at G/T Latin names: Vaccinium vitis-idaea

Uses: food, medicine and dye
Cranberry E
Cranberries are evergreen, low- pies and muffins. Cranberry jam,

growing (up to 20 centimetres or jelly or syrup can be made by
eight inches tall) shrubs. The pink boiling the berries in sugar. A
flowers develop into bright red, pudding or sauce can be made by
seedless berries by late August. adding a paste made of flour or
The edible berries are juicier and custard to boiled berries.
more tasty than stoneberries,
DAVE JONES
which they resemble. Ripe

cranberries are best stored in a
box rather than in plastic and can
be enjoyed year round. Berries
picked before they are ripe will
ripen in storage.
Cranberries can be eaten raw,
with sugar, or added to breads, Cranberry leaves and berries
B E R R I E S
Cranberries can also be enjoyed Picking Berries in Winter

by mixing them with cooked and
mashed loche liver. It&suh, a She was old enough to work
dessert prepared from pounded so whenever her father and
dryfish, can be made with she stayed with a family, she
would do a lot of work. She
cranberries, a bit of sugar and
was willing to work; bring
fish oil.
wood, melt snow for water.
Cranberry juice is good for And while she was filling pails
kidney problems. Two to three with snow, she would see
cups of cranberry juice, made by cranberries on the ground and
simmering berries for up to 30 she would dig and eat frozen
minutes, can help with colds and berries. She would be away a
digestion and improve appetite. long time. When she came
Clara Norman, of Tsiigehtchic, back, they asked her, “What is
used to boil the leaves and drink wrong, why were you away so
the juice for coughs. Alfred long?” She said she found
berries on the ground and she
Semple also recommends this
was digging all over so she
remedy.
could eat the berries.
Cranberry juice is good for —Lucy Rat (COPE)
dyeing porcupine quills.
Loche liver and Cranberries

When you jiggle or set hooks for loche, you get quite a bit of loche. You pack the
whole pile of it up to the tent. Then you take all the liver and eggs out. You put all
the liver in a big pan. Then you mash the whole liver up. You take all the skin and
veins out of it until it is smooth. Only then you put it on to cook. If there is a lot of
liver and eggs, you are cooking it all day or all evening. You cook it slowly, then you
take it down. You put all the cooked liver to one side of the pan so all the grease
drains out. Put the grease into a pot. You could put cranberries in with the eggs too.
Also add sugar to it. Nowadays they put sugar and a little flour into it. You put the
cooked liver into a good pan to freeze. In the old days, after they washed the loche
stomach bag, they put the liver into it. They would put the grease into a separate bag
too. The liver does not spoil and tastes fresh over the winter. You can eat it while it’s
frozen.
B E R R I E S
Ts&eenakal G/T Common and Dwarf Raspberry

Latin names: (Rubus acaulis)
Raspberry E Tall Raspberry
(Rubus strigosus)
Uses: food
Dwarf raspberries grow less than Teya says they often grow around
15 centimetres (six inches) tall old camps where the bush has
and have pink, edible flowers. The been cleared. Several locations in
red fruit is also edible and very the GSR are known to have tall
sweet tasting. Because the plants raspberries> around the Northern
are widespread and bear few Store and below Isaac Kunnizzie&s
berries the fruit is usually eaten as place in Fort McPherson< along
it is picked. They tend to grow roadsides in Tsiigehtchic, at Elijah
around lakes in shaded, wooded Andrew&s camp on Nayook
areas. Channel between Aklavik and
Fort McPherson, and at Three
Tall raspberries grow in open
Cabin Creek on the Dempster
wooded areas, and are most
Highway. Alfred Semple has
common in the Tsiigehtchic and
never seen them near his camp on
Fort McPherson areas. These
the Husky Channel below Black
shrubs seldom grow more than
Mountain.
1.5 metres (five feet) tall. William
Eneeyu'& G Latin names: Ribes triste

Nee&uu T
Red Currant E
This shrub has edible red berries. The berries are picked in late
It is usually less than one metre summer, and either eaten raw or
(three feet) tall and it grows in made into jam. A tea made from
moist, shaded areas throughout the whole plant (leaves and
the GSR. Red currant is often stems) is used for stomach
found in people&s wood lots, ailments.
burned areas, and tree fall areas.
B E R R I E S
Nichìèh G Common names: wild rose, prickly rose,

itchy bums
Nichih T Latin names: Rosa acicularis
Rose Hips E Uses: food and medicine
RWED
Kho'h chan¶Kho'h dachan (G)
Kho'h chan (T)
(Stems)
Kho' kak at& an chik (T)> rose
plant
Kho'h (G)> thorns Rosehips
Rose bushes grow throughout the into jam, jelly, or syrup. In early
area in open woodlands, on dry summer, green rose hips can be
ground. After the showy pink picked, boiled and strained to
flowers bloom in June and July, make a thickening agent, like
the fruit develop into red berries Certo. Green rose hip juice can
called rose hips. either be used immediately or
stored in jars for later use.
Rose hips are best picked and
eaten when they are ripe in Rose hips are an excellent source
August and September. of vitamin C and make a good
Remember to spit out the seeds cold remedy. Fresh rose hips can
before swallowing or you will be eaten for relief from summer
quickly learn why rose hips are colds. For a winter supply, they
called ^îtchy bums!&& Rose hips can be dried, frozen, or boiled and
can also be fried and eaten. strained to make a juice that can
be stored in jars.
Boiled rose hips can be mashed
and strained through a cheese Annie Norbert was told by Louis
cloth to remove the seeds. The Cardinal that rose hips are good
strained juice can then be made for the heart.
Storing Berries
They kept berries in birch baskets. When they picked berries they wanted to keep
them. They got birch and made it into a basket by sewing it with skinny willow bark
from along the shore. After it was finished they put berries in it and made a lid and
sewed it on. After that they dug a hole in the ground under moss where there was
permafrost. They covered it and in the fall time, when it froze, they dug it up.
—Mary Francis (COPE, d)
B E R R I E S
Nichih t&a'n Ruth Welsh puts petals in a jar of

Petals cold water, and sets it in the sun
In early July the pink petals can be for five to seven days, turning the
boiled until the water is pink and jar upside down every so often.
stored in a jar with a lid. The Christie Thompson, of Fort
medicine can be stored and used for McPherson, pours boiling water
up to a month< however, over time, over petals and rinses her eyes
the water evaporates and the later with the cooled water. The
medicine becomes stronger. When fluid is also good as a skin
the liquid is strained, it can be used softener (e.g. face wash). Rose
as eye drops or an eye wash to petals can also be eaten alone,
remove dirt and infection. In the old used to make tea, or pressed in
days, Laura Pascal (COPE) used books to make decorations.
boiled petals for heat rash and cuts.
Da'n daih G Common names: bearberry, kinnikinnick

Latin names: Arctostaphylos uva-ursi
Dandaih T
Uses: food
Stoneberry E
Stoneberry grows low to the appearance to cranberries, though

ground (10 to 20 centimetres, or stoneberry leaves are not as shiny.
four to eight inches tall) in dry, The dull pinkish-red or orange-red
forested areas. Stoneberry shrubs fruit has seeds inside and a dry,
are evergreens similar in mealy taste. Places where it is
It’suh
(pounded dry fish and berries)
After you make dry fish you take all the good eating dry fish out of the pile. Then
you pound all the dry fish. You make lots of pounded up dry fish. It is just like
pemmican with meat. Make a big birch bark dish and put all the pounded up dry
fish into it. Then you pour fish oil into it, put stoneberries or cranberries in it, and
mix it up good. If you’re going to use it for winter, sew a bark lid on it using tree
roots. Then you put it away where it’s cool so it won’t get stale. This is how you
make use of dry fish too.
B E R R I E S
known to grow include the dryfish and added this berry to it

hillside behind Tsiigehtchic, on afterwards. It can also be mashed
the hills near Caribou Creek, and up and mixed with loche liver or
in the mountains at the head of the fish eggs. Caroline Andre said,
Peel River. ^Ôld ladies were bad for it a long
time ago.&& Mary Francis (COPE,
The berries can be mixed with
b) said they used to use
pounded dry fish to make it&suh.
stoneberries in pemmican.
Mary Kendi of Fort McPherson
Alfred Semple adds the berries
said her grandmother pounded
to meatballs (pemmican). The
sweet spring petals can be eaten
also.
Dìnjik ja'k G Common names: soapberry, buffaloberry

Latin names: Shepherdia canadensis
Dinjik ja'k T
Mooseberry E
Mooseberry is a shrub of medium The stems and roots can be boiled,

height (one to two metres or three producing a tea that relieves
to seven feet tall) that grows in stomach aches and diarrhea.
dry, wooded areas. The leaves are Annie B. Robert (COPE) said
green on the upper side and mooseberry roots and juniper
orange underneath. The red berries can be washed and boiled
berries are edible and can be used to produce a laxative. She
to make medicines for a variety of recommended drinking one cup of
ailments. The berries can be eaten this mixture before eating. Annie
raw for colds or sore throats, B. also said that the boiled berries
though they have a soapy taste. can be eaten like any other cooked
Mooseberry tea can be made by berry, and that it helps to increase
putting berries in a pot, boiling one&s appetite. The tea from boiled
and mixing them until they turn branches can be used to wash a
foamy. The foam is then skimmed person&s legs for soreness, or to
off the top. Laura Pascal (COPE) rub on mosquito bites and
said that this tea can be used for infections.
sore throats and colds.
B E R R I E S
Naka'l G Common names: cloudberry, knuckles,

salmonberry
Nakal T Latin names: Rubus chamaemorus
Yellowberry E Uses: food
Yellowberries are low plants (less In the old days people stored
than 20 centimetres or eight yellowberries in birch bark
inches tall) that grow in open baskets under the moss, where the
woodlands, on muskeg among permafrost kept them from
spruce and alders, on the tundra spoiling and, in winter, from
north of Inuvik, and in the freezing too hard.
mountains. The white flowers
DAVE JONES
come out in June and the berries,

which resemble orange
raspberries, are ready to pick in
late July when they are soft and
plump. Along with blueberries
and cranberries, yellowberries are
a favourite in the area. People
usually eat them right away, or
save them for a special occasion Yellowberry leaves and fruit
or to give away as a gift.
ALAN FEHR
SHRUBS
Eric Kendi and Mary Kendi of Aklavik

holding muskeg tea
Òuu t&an T Latin names: Betula glandulosa

Uses: flooring
Dwarf Birch E
GSCI
Dwarf birch is a medium height

(about one metre, or three feet
tall) shrub that is used for flooring
in tents. When it is placed among
ah& (spruce boughs) the birch
keeps the boughs fresh longer.
Dwarf birch is widespread in the
GSR, and is commonly found
growing among cranberries and
alders (red willow) on muskeg.
Dwarf Birch
Deetre'e ja'k G Common names: crowberry

Latin names: Juniperus communis
Ts&ìivii ch&ok T
Uses: medicine
Juniper E
Juniper is an evergreen shrub with purplish to dark blue, depending

stiff, sharp needle-like leaves. The on their age. Juniper grows low
berries, called crowberries locally, (usually one-half metre or 1 1¶2
range in colour from white to feet tall) to the ground in dry,
S H R U B S
open areas. As it grows the these berries. Juniper berry tea

spruce-like branches spread out, can be made by washing and
and may take root some distance boiling the berries (in
from the original plant. In the combination with the branches
Gwich&in Settlement Region and roots, if desired). Caroline
juniper is found on exposed, open Cardinal used to boil juniper
hillsides and in dry open forests. berries as a medicine for chest
It is known to grow in the pains, bad colds, coughs and
mountains, near Campbell Lake, congestion. The steam produced
at Caribou Creek, and around by this mixture is also effective
Tsiigehtchic. against these symptoms. Annie B.
Robert (COPE), on the other
The blue coloured berries can be
hand, drank juniper berry tea as a
picked and used year round. As
laxative. Use of the tea as a
with tamarack and ochre, the
bathing solution has also been
Gwich&in leave an offering, such
documented (Andre and Kritsch
as matches or tea, when collecting
1992).
Lidii maskeg¶Maskig G Common names: Labrador tea

Latin names: Ledum palustre
Masgit T
Muskeg Tea E
Muskeg tea, as the name a relaxant and high in vitamin

suggests, grows on muskeg and C. Many Elders, including Ida
is found throughout the area. It Stewart, add a regular tea bag
is generally less than 30 for flavour. Some Elders
centimetres (one foot) tall, with recommend drinking one cup of
evergreen leaves that are green this tea per day for good health.
on top and fuzzy orange People say that Olive Blake
underneath. never catches colds because she
drinks two to three cups every
The leaves and stems can be
day. Other people include the
picked year round and boiled
root of the plant to make a more
into a tea. In the spring, the
concentrated medicinal drink.
white flowers can also be
Inhaling the steam from this tea
collected and used to make tea.
can help clear congested nasal
Muskeg tea is considered good
passages.
for children and is known to be
S H R U B S
The tea can be made, cooled and A taller, big-leaved form of

jarred for later use. Elders muskeg tea (Ledum
advise against keeping muskeg groenlandicum) is also common
tea for more than a few days. throughout the area< however, it
Boiling or steeping the tea for has a stronger taste and is not
more than 10 minutes is not generally used. Elizabeth
recommended because of the Greenland explained, ^^The big
chemical compound it contains one is strong good medicine, but
(Walker 1984). the small one is better.&&
K&oh G/T Common names: alder, mountain alder,

green alder
Red Willow E Latin names: Alnus crispa
(see photo on page 36) Uses: medicine, fuel and dye
Red willow is highly valued for Bark is used to prepare a drink to

the medicine and dye it yields. relieve a variety of illnesses or as
The medicine is considered as a dye for hides. A solution for skin
valuable as spruce gum tea. It is a conditions is made by peeling the
common shrub of medium height bark off the stem and boiling it
(one to three metres, or three to 10 slowly until the liquid turns
feet tall) that is found on muskeg orange. Two minutes of boiling
with cranberries and muskeg tea, will produce a weak solution, and
and in other moist areas. It is easy five minutes a strong one. Once
to recognize because of the two cooled, the liquid, and the film
different types of cones on the that forms on the surface, is
branches. The long, slender type rubbed on skin to heal sores,
(male flowers) dangles three to scabs, eczema, insect bites,
five centimetres (one or two sunburns and rashes. Drinking the
inches) from the branch, and the liquid, or rubbing it directly on
hard, round cones (female the affected area, will soothe stiff
flowers) are found in clusters. The and aching joints. It will also
female flowers are often described relieve stomach aches. Some
as ^^little pine cones.&& Gwich&in eat the bark rather than
boiling it. Annie Benoit of
Bark Aklavik says that scraping off the
The bark can be collected year dark outer covering of the bark is
round from any size of red willow. an option before eating or boiling
it.
S H R U B S
A boiled bark solution is also used white cloth. Some people drink
to dye hides, skins, snowshoe about one cup of juice three times
frames and fish nets. Animal hides daily for colds, or apply it to
were soaked in the cooled solution sores. It can also be used for
for about a day to dye them red. bathing to soothe eczema and
Dyed caribou hides were used as rashes (see ^^bark&&).
trim for mitts. To soften,
wolverine and beaver skins, a Roots and Wood
pulp mixture made from the inner
bark was prepared and rolled up The roots of red willow can be
in the skin. dug up, mashed and eaten to help
with stomach aches. Effie Francis
(COPE) preferred alder wood for
Buds
drying fish> ^În olden days when
A person can chew and swallow you make dry fish you used one
the juice of the round green cones kind of wood to burn under dry
or buds for colds and spit the buds fish. They used to use only alder
out afterward. Buds, like bark, can wood that is dry. Nowadays they
be boiled slowly in warm water, just use any kind of wood they
and then strained through a clean see.&&
K&aii G Common names: pussy willow

Latin names: Salix species
K&a'ii T
Uses: fuel, medicine, food,
Willow E tools and shelter
Willows are common throughout K&il

the GSR, especially in wet areas Dry willow
surrounding lakes and along The small, dry twigs found among
rivers and channels. In many areas branches on the willow tree are
they are extremely dense and can good for starting fires.
grow up to seven metres (20 feet)
high. Willow flats (k&ii chah) for
example, along the Mackenzie K&aii dzhuh
River near Tsiigehtchic, are good Young Shoots
habitat for rabbits and ptarmigan. In the spring, the Gwich&in peel
Moose also eat young willow bark from the new shoots and lick
buds in this area. the sweet juice, chew the stem or
S H R U B S
Making a Fish Net with Willow (1)

To weave a net made of willow, the following are a number of items one must have:
fresh willow, a sharp ended instrument, (e.g. ice pick), about three men, and fish
oil. The first thing to do was to pick fresh spring willows, then clean the bark off and
split the willow into small strands using the ice pick. As soon as you had enough,
one or two of the men started to knit the net. As soon as it was long enough,
approximately four feet or longer, it was ready to set. When not in use, the net was
kept in fish oil. This prevented the net from cracking and breaking. Fish oil keeps it
nice and moist. This type of net was very good for fish. Fish seem to like it.
—Elijah Andrew (COPE, a)
eat the tips. Whistles (k&aii uzhu'u to 10 whitefish. The willows are
in Gwichya or k&a'ii yuuzhuh in strong enough that the fish can
Teet¬&it) can be made from the then be hung up. In the summer,
new but harder willow stem. The branches are also collected and
bark from young shoots can be used to place fish on next to the
peeled into strips, wrapped around fish table. Similarly, a thick bed of
a cut like a bandage and tied in willow branches can serve as a
place with a cloth. The white place to keep meat clean when
inner bark from young shoots can butchering a moose or a caribou.
be made into a poultice and used
Beaver pelt stretchers are made
as a pain-killer on wounds.
with willows, and in summer, the
spring for high set rabbit snares
K&aii ah (T) can be made by bending over a
Branches thick willow. In winter the
Willow branches are good among ^^spring&& willow is replaced with a
ah& (spruce boughs) in a tent. The pole. Larger willows can be used
brush does not dry up as quickly for tent poles. Mary Francis
and it smells nice too. Willows can (COPE, c) and Roddy Peters
also be used as temporary flooring (COPE) both indicated that fish
until spruce boughs can be traps used to be made with willow
gathered. Mary Kendi of Fort poles that were stuck into the
McPherson said that her bottom of a river or creek. Mary
grandmother used to knit willows also said that willow was used to
into rugs for around the stove. make smoke for drying meat, and,
Willows also make a good mat for in the days before metal cutlery,
outside the tent door. for making spoons and forks.
Young willows (k&ii loh) are strong Annie B. Robert described a game
and can be used to tie together five using rings made from willow
S H R U B S
Making a Fish Net with Willow (2)

Fishing is done in creeks or small rivers. Nets and spears are used in catching fish. To
make a net, first of all, a large amount of willow bark is gathered. The bark is
carefully removed from the willow, then they are cut in thin long strips and placed in
hot boiling water. After it has been in the water for some time, it is removed and
twisted. The bark is twisted around and around and then brought together with
another piece of bark. This then becomes a strong little piece of rope. After producing
enough small ropes, the ropes are fastened together and knitted into a net.
—Paul Bonnetplume (COPE)
branches. The ring was thrown ALAN FEHR
into the river, and then children

ran along the bank trying to catch
the ring with a stick.
When Elijah Andrew (COPE, b)
made his drums, he would use
willow branches for the frames.
K&a'ii t&a'n (G)

At&an (T)
Leaves
Any kind of green willow leaves
can be crushed or chewed and
applied to bee stings and other Daniel Fehr standing beside a willow shrub
insect bites, burns, rashes, aches,
cuts, and toothaches. Some K&aii gha'ii& (G)
people prefer to use leaves that K&aii chan (T)
are white on the underside. Roots
Willow roots were used for
K&a'ii neech&yìdh (G) mending and constructing
K&aii neech&yuu (T) snowshoes, smokehouses, canoes
Bark and nets.
Paul Bonnetplume (COPE)
and Elijah Andrew (COPE, a) Pussy willows
both described how willow Annie Norbert said, ^^Mrs. Norris
bark was used to make fish used to eat the pussy buds just like
nets. that.&&
ALAN FEHR
OTHER PLANTS
Mary Kendi of Ft. McPherson and Alestine

Andre
At&an tsoo T Latin names: Arnica alpina

Uses: medicine
Alpine Arnica E
The Elders call this plant flowers are used to make tea, and
^^dandelion&& because of the large the Elders say that it is good for
yellow dandelion-like flower that some stomach ailments (Andre
sits atop the stem. It grows in dry, 1995).
sandy or gravelly areas. The
Treh G Common names: liquorice root, roots,

Indian carrots, Eskimo
Trih T potato
Bear Root E Latin names: Hedysarum alpinum
Bear root is a common plant Tsiigehtchic< and on river banks

found throughout the area near along the Mackenzie River and
creeks and river banks. Places in the Mackenzie Delta. The
where bear root is known to grow flowers are pinkish-purple and
include Jamieson Creek near are quite conspicuous. The roots
Aklavik< along stretches of the of the plant can be collected by
Peel River, including Knut Lang digging along the river banks
camp< at Joan Nazon&s camp on where it is growing.
the Mackenzie River across from
O T H E R P L A N T S
Although they can be dug up at skin is peeled away with a knife,

any time when the ground is like a potato. The roots may be
thawed, the roots are usually eaten raw, or some Gwich&in
collected in June after the river ice prefer to eat bear root with duck
breaks up, or from mid-August to or fish oil. If the root is hard, it is
September, before freeze-up. They normally boiled. One can then
are not suitable for eating between drink the juice. Elders say that
these times because they harden bear root can increase a sick
and are too dry to eat. The roots person&s appetite, or can be eaten
can be stored for the winter, with raw to relieve diarrhoea.
the skin on, as they keep well
DAVE JONES
frozen. Annie Norbert&s mother
used to dig the roots up in
September. She would put mud in
a box, place the roots inside, and
cover them with more mud before
storing.
The roots of this plant are juicy
and sweet tasting in the spring and
fall. Laura Pascal (COPE)
described them as being ^^roots
just like carrots.&& Prior to eating
or cooking bear root, the outer A site showing where grizzly bears have dug for
bear root
Du&iinahshe'e G Common names: Indian pipe, broomrape

Latin names: Boschniakia rossica
Doo&iinahshih T
Uses: medicine and pipe
or ts&eedichi
Northern Ground Cone E
The Gwich&in name for this plant and reaches about 20

translates as ^ûncle&s plant&& centimetres (six to eight inches)
(Andre 1995). It grows in moist in height. Unlike most other
shaded areas with red willow, plants, ground cone does not
willows and spruce. When make food from the sun&s rays.
mature, ground cone is brown, Instead, it parasitizes, or lives
rugged-looking, and slender in off the roots of, spruce and red
shape. It has a woody appearance willow plants.
The white core at the base of the using it to make pipes when they
plant is ground into a powder or were children. Young plants were
chewed as a medicine. Alfred cut and the dry portion that grows
Semple&s great grandmother used above the ground discarded. The
to mix the powder with grease and wet, bulb-like portion was dried
apply it to skin rashes. New plants and had a hole cut into it to serve
have a white part in the middle of as a pipe bowl. After drying, it
the root, referred to as ^^potatoes.&& was filled with tobacco or dried
This part can also be boiled and willow leaves. Sometimes the
eaten to increase appetite or ground cone roots were dried,
relieve stomach aches. pounded and mixed with the
tobacco.
Ground cone is sometimes called
^^pipe&& as many Elders remember
Fireweed E Latin names: Epilobium angustifolium

Note> there is no Gwich&in name Uses: food and medicine
for this plant
Fireweed is commonly found in is made from the leaves and

new forest fire burns and in applied to burns, bee stings, aches
disturbed areas. This flower has and swelling caused by arthritis.
striking pink and purple flowers The pink flowers are edible and
and stands up to one metre (three can be mixed in with jello and
feet) tall. salads. The new shoots can be
cooked like asparagus, chopped
The whole plant can be boiled as
and eaten as greens, or mixed in
a medicine and the liquid rubbed
with salads.
on the skin for rashes. A poultice
Kheh dye'& G Common names: horsetail

Latin names: Equisetum arvense
Kheh dì& T
Uses: medicine, food and pot
Goosefood E cleaner
Goosefood grows close to the and on sandbars throughout the

ground along the shores of rivers area. This green plant is a source
ALAN FEHR
of food for geese, and possibly
muskrats as well.
The root tubercles, or dazho zhii
(translated from Teet¬&it means
^^mouse food&&) can be eaten raw,
and the leaves and stems can be
steamed for nasal congestion,
colds and stomach ailments. The
coarse green stems can be
gathered and used to scrub pots
and clean dishes.
Daniel Fehr holding Goosefood
T¬&oo drik G/T Latin names: Allium schoenoprasum

Uses: food
Wild Onions E
Wild onions grow in moist grassy Laura Pascal (COPE) and Sarah
areas. Like cultivated onion, wild Peters (COPE, b) both talked
onion leaves are narrow, tapering about using onions for food.
and grow erect from the base of
Onion Lake (upstream from
the flower-stalk. In spring the
Inuvik, near Airport Lake) gets its
flower stalk is generally longer
name from a large stand of onions
than the leaves and is topped with
that grows on one of its islands.
a pink or purple flower. The
leaves and bulb are both edible.
Ts&iigyu'çuç& G Common names: rhubarb

Latin names: Polygonum alaskanum
Ts&iigyu'u& T
Uses: food
Wild Rhubarb E
Wild rhubarb grows in open areas, mid-June when it is about 20 to 25

disturbed areas and along river centimetres tall (eight to 10
banks. The plant is ready to eat in inches).
The picking time for this plant plant, and peeling off the outer
lasts only about two weeks. When skin. It is very crunchy and juicy.
the plant is young it can be eaten Once the plant has gone to seed or
raw, after first removing the has many white flowers, the plant
leaves and seedy tops from the is too dry to eat.
Wild Rhubarb Pudding

To cook the wild rhubarb into a pudding, cut the whole plant including the tops into
small pieces and put into a pot of water. Bring this to a slow boil. Whitefish or cony
fish pipes (part of the stomach) and eggs can then be mixed in. On the side, mix
together a paste of flour and water to make a thick gravy, and add to the rhubarb.
Add sugar to sweeten the pudding to the desired level. Extra pieces of raw rhubarb
can be stored frozen in plastic bags for later use.
Gyu'u tsanh T Latin names: Artemisia tilesii

Uses: medicine and insect
Wormwood E repellent
Wormwood grows on dry open is boiled, inhaling the steam will

land, especially in disturbed areas clear nasal passages. According to
around bush camps, near towns Mary Kendi of Aklavik and Tony
and along roads. Andre, wormwood can be put on
a fire to make a strong smelling
Wormwood tea can be made for
smudge that repels mosquitoes.
colds and sore throats. If the plant
At&a'n daga'çièiè G Latin names: Achillea millefolium

Uses: medicine
At&a'n daga'ii T
Yarrow E
Yarrow, with the distinctive The boiled liquid from this plant
white-flowered tops and finely has many medicinal uses. The
divided leaves, is easy to spot in whole plant including the white
dry, open, and often disturbed, flowers can be boiled to make a
spaces. tea that provides relief from
coughs or ulcers. Mary Francis can also be crushed into a paste

used to use this medicine. and put on wounds to control
bleeding.
A drink that prevents nosebleeds
is made by boiling the white
GSCI
flowers in water for a few
minutes. Drinking one-quarter
cup of this liquid every day is
reported to reduce nosebleeds.
William Teya said Peter
Thompson crushed the white
flowers and placed them in his
nostrils to stop nosebleeds. The
liquid from the boiled flower
tops can also be used to soothe
infected skin and sunburns, or
dry up skin rashes, including
eczema.
A paste made from crushed
flower tops can be applied to
insect bites. Leaves and flowers Yarrow
GSCI
MOSSES AND LICHENS
Alan Fehr and Mary Kendi of Fort McPherson
Uhdeezhu'& G Common names: lichen, caribou food,

reindeer moss, reindeer
Uudeezhu& T lichen
White Moss E Latin names: Cladina spp.
Uses: food and cleaner
This lichen grows in large mats and drinking the juice (tea) is
in spruce forests, where it is good for stomach and chest
often eaten by caribou. pains. It is especially valuable if
According to Alfred Semple, people are low on food or dog
Lazarus Sittichinli said it takes food. Annie Norbert said that
a long time to grow. He also men used to drink this tea
told Alfred that if you eat before going to the mountains
animals that eat willow, like because it helped them keep
moose, you will get hungry their wind for walking and
more quickly than eating climbing. Lichen can be dried
animals that eat lichen, like and ground and mixed in soups
caribou. William Teya said, as as an extender. The lichen itself
children, they were taught to can be eaten after being boiled
respect the lichen. Children twice and strained. Tony
were not supposed to play on it Andre&s mother, Julienne, would
and if you took some you were boil lichen for an hour and then
to pay for it. fry it. Eating the fried lichen
was like eating cornflakes, he
White moss can be boiled to
said.
make a tea. Mary Kendi of Fort
McPherson, and Elizabeth It&rik is the stomach (rumen)
Greenland, agreed that boiling contents from a caribou. The
M O S S E S & L I C H E N S
it&rik, which is mostly lichen, and fat. It&rik can also be boiled
can be placed on meat to and eaten as soup, or added to
tenderize it and enhance the boiling caribou meat. It&rik
taste. The best it&rik is enhances a person&s appetite.
obtained from a caribou shot
Lichen can also be mixed with
early in the morning before it
dog food or grass from muskrat
has begun to eat. It&rik from
pushups to rid dogs of
the stomach of a young
tapeworms.
caribou can be hung to age for
a few days to a week, and then Finally, when out on the land,
mixed with fat, marrow, lichen is good for scrubbing
berries or sugar to make a pots and pans.
paste. This paste can be eaten
alone or fried with marrow
Nin& G/T Common names: sphagnum moss

Latin names: Sphagnum spp.
Moss E
Uses: diapers and cleaner
Moss, which is yellow, green or dry and to get rid of bugs. (The
brown in colour, is commonly bugs crawl out or drop from the
found in wet muskeg areas and drying moss.) The dry moss was
was used for several purposes in stuffed and sewn into sugar bags
the old days. Women used to for use as diapers. Strips of cloth
hang it in branches of willows to were used to tie the diapers on.
Moss Houses in the Old Days

My brother John and I went along when the men went to the lakes to hunt.
All the wives would be left at the lake and they would make a fire. The
wives, all related to each other, said when they were left behind that they
would build a house. They made it out of moss. That night they made a fire
on a large piece of land. Even then it was cold. After the house was made,
we all went into a nice, hot place. They all laughed at the men who left them
behind without a house.
—Julienne Andre (COPE)
GSCI
Wet moss was used for washing
dishes, cleaning hands and wiping
off fish and fish tables. It was also
put into a dish of water and
treated as a house plant. Moss
was often used to chink log house
walls and roofs, and to bank the
sides of tents against the wind. To
chink a house, moss was pushed
in the cracks and then covered
with a coat of soft mud and
allowed to dry or freeze. Moss
was also hung in trees and shrubs
to blaze or mark trails.
According to Julienne Andre and
Bella Alexie, before the Gwich&in
people settled into communities,
they lived from time to time in
moss houses, or neek&an. They
Charlene Blake of Tsiigehtchic holding sphagnum
were built as needed, anywhere moss and white moss.
that moss was abundant. To make
the houses, blocks of moss were
cut in the fall, just after it started
single-person dwelling required
to freeze. In the spring, the blocks
only 12 poles.
were stored away until the next
fall when the good ones would be A fireplace was made in the
reused. The blocks measured middle of the moss house. Gravel
about one metre long, 30 stones were piled up about a foot
centimetres wide and 20 high. The fire was built on top of
centimetres thick (three feet long, this platform. As the ground
one foot wide, and eight inches thawed from the fire, more stones
thick). The blocks were packed were placed on top of the
between peeled poles that came platform. When a fireplace was
together at the top. The number of carefully built, the smoke lingered
poles required depended on the about two metres (six feet) above
size of the neek&an. For a big peoples& heads. If a person was
house (three families) 20 poles careless, the smoke lingered
were needed and it would take the lower. Tony says his mother,
families a week to build it. For a Julienne Andre, was really good at
medium house (two married making this fireplace. Over the
couples), 15 poles were needed. A winter the blocks of moss that
made up the wall thawed out Moss for Fuel

part way from the heat.
Half of this time we did not know where
According to Tony Andre, we were going except that we were going
Paul Niditchie had two or back by canoe. Some of the places we
three of these moss houses went to there was no wood or willow,
along his trapline. He stayed only dry moss. So we had to burn dry
two to three nights at each as moss to cook a meal for ourselves...
he moved along his trapline. —Pascal Baptiste (COPE)
ALAN FEHR
FUNGUS
Louisa Robert, Charlie Robert Greenland

and Alestine Andre at Rock River
Edinìichii G/T
Uses: medicine, tobacco, insect
Birch and Willow E repellent, moth ball, fire
starter
Fungus
Birch fungus is a general term powder, which was then mixed

for a type of bracket fungus that with tea and tobacco to make
grows on birch trees. Similar snuff (Andre and Kritsch 1992).
fungi grow on willow and red Pieces of birch or willow
willow (alder) shrubs. fungus were burned on a plate
to repel mosquitoes.
Birch fungus was cut up and
boiled and used for stomach A small piece of willow fungus
ailments. Ashes were rubbed can be used as a moth ball in a
gently on skin sores and closet or drawer. Once dried
pimples. The fungus was also and pounded, birch fungus
cut up and crushed into small makes a good fire starter that
pieces, and then mixed with can be ignited with a flint and
cigarette or chewing tobacco to steel.
make it last longer. Fungus
could also be burned on a fire
until it turned into a white
LITERATURE CITED
Alexie, Bella. 1976. Early 1900s Andrew, Elijah. No date (a). A

as I remember it. Committee long time ago. Committee for
for the Original Peoples the Original Peoples
Entitlement files. NWT Entitlement files. NWT
Archives. Yellowknife, NWT. Archives. Yellowknife, NWT.
Andre, Alestine and Ingrid Andrew, Elijah. No date (b). How
Kritsch. 1992. The traditional to make a drum. Committee
use of the Travaillant Lake for the Original Peoples
Area using trails and place Entitlement files. NWT
names of the Gwichya Archives. Yellowknife, NWT.
Gwich&in from Arctic Red
Baptiste, Pascal. No date. Travels
River, Northwest Territories.
with Eskimos. Committee for
Report prepared under
the Original Peoples
contract for NOGAP
Entitlement files. NWT
Archaeology Project,
Archives. Yellowknife, NWT.
Canadian Museum of
Civilization by Gwich&in Bonnetplume, Paul.1974. Hunting
Social and Cultural Institute. and fishing in the fall.
67 pp. plus maps. Committee for the Original
Peoples Entitlement files.
Andre, Alestine. 1995. Gwich&in
NWT Archives. Yellowknife,
Territorial Park Plant Report.
NWT.
Prepared by the Gwich&in
Social and Cultural Institute Francis, Effie. No date. Pounded
for Gwich&in Geographics. up dry fish. Committee for
Inuvik, NWT. 11 pp. the Original Peoples
Entitlement files. NWT
Andre, Julienne. No date. Life
story of Julienne Andre.
Committee for the Original Francis, Mary. No date (a). A man
Peoples Entitlement files. leaving his wife to die.
NWT Archives. Yellowknife, Committee for the Original
NWT. Peoples Entitlement files.
NWT Archives. Yellowknife,
NWT.
L I T E R A T U R E C I T E D
Francis, Mary. No date (b). Peters, Roddy. No date. Bushman

Drymeat. Committee for the stories. Committee for the
Original Peoples Entitlement Original Peoples Entitlement
files. NWT Archives. files. NWT Archives.
Yellowknife, NWT. Yellowknife, NWT.
Francis, Mary. No date (c). Fish. Peters, Sarah. 1973a. Life in the
Committee for the Original old days. Committee for the
Peoples Entitlement files. Original Peoples Entitlement
NWT Archives. Yellowknife, files. NWT Archives.
NWT. Yellowknife, NWT.
Francis, Mary. No date (d). Food. Peters, Sarah. No date (b). The
Committee for the Original way the people used to live.
Peoples Entitlement files. Committee for the Original
NWT Archives. Yellowknife, Peoples Entitlement files.
NWT. NWT Archives. Yellowknife,
NWT.
Gardlund, Sarah Ann. No date.
Life story. Committee for the Rat, Lucy. No date. Life story.
Original Peoples Entitlement Committee for the Original
files. NWT Archives. Peoples Entitlement files.
Yellowknife, NWT. NWT Archives. Yellowknife,
NWT.
Husky, Mary. 1973. Life of long
ago. Committee for the Robert, Annie B. No date. Games
Original Peoples Entitlement and medicine. Committee for
files. NWT Archives. the Original Peoples
Yellowknife, NWT. Entitlement files. NWT
Kritsch, I., S. Jerome, and E.
Mitchell. In prep. Teet¬&it Stewart, Victor. 1996. Beaver. Tape
Gwich&in Heritage Places and B 100696IVICTSTEWFM.
Sites in the Peel River Gwich&in Environmental
Watershed. Gwich&in Social Knowledge Project. Gwich&in
and Cultural Institute. Renewable Resources Board.
Tsiigehtchic, NWT. Inuvik, NWT.
Pascal, Laura. No date. Medicine Walker, Marilyn. 1984. Harvesting
from plants. Committee for the Northern Wild. Outcrop
the Original Peoples Publishers Ltd. Yellowknife,
Entitlement files. NWT NWT. 224 pp.
ALAN FEHR
APPENDIX 1
R O CKS A N D M I N E R A L S U S E D
FO R M E D I C I N E A N D DY E
Charlie Robert Greenland collecting ochre
Gwinahkho;o T Uses: medicine
Sulphur E
Sulphur is a mineral found among River. It is also found at Caribou

other rocks. It is green when wet River, Stoney Creek, in the
and yellow or white when dry. Richardson Mountains northwest
Sulphur can be collected by of Fort McPherson, and Rock
scraping it off of rocks and putting River. It is also found at Road
the powder in a container. Some River (Kritsch, Jerome, and
people call sulphur ^^lime.&& It can Mitchell, in prep.) Alfred
provide relief to people suffering Semple&s father collected sulphur
from toothaches, by applying a from cracks in rocks on a bluff
pinch of powder directly to the along the Hart River. His father
sore tooth. Gwinahko;o is found made a drink with it and used it to
on the side of a hill by De'eddhoo treat heartburn and to help
Go'onlii (Scraper Hill) up the Peel digestion.
Sulphur Medicine
When you move around Rock River, you could find sulphur on the rocks. You just hit
a little and it falls off. It’s good for a lot of things, it’s strong. After you collect them,
you put it on a piece of cloth, then you pound it up. When you finish that, you take
all the little stones out of it. Then you put a little water in it, make it into a paste
then put it on a wound or cut. It’s (also) good for bad stomach, I mean, upset
stomach. You put one-half teaspoon in lukewarm water, you drink that.
—Laura Pascal (COPE)
A P P E N D I X 1
Vihtr&ii G Uses: fire starter

Vihtr&ih T
Flint E
Before the age of matches and in the GSR, including the

lighters, flint was used to start mouth of Thunder River (red
fires by striking a metal object shale) and on Joe Callis& River
against the flint to produce a between Thunder River and
spark. Natural supplies of flint Little Chicago (Andre and
are found in a variety of places Kritsch 1992).
Tsaih G/T
Uses: dye
Ochre E
According to the Elders, reddish powder. It is commonly

Gwich&in collect ochre used to ^^paint&& the following>
from Rock River, up the © snowshoes,
Arctic Red River and in © toboggan handlebars,
the mountains. An © the dried raw caribou hide
offering is left when ochre covering the head of a
is collected. Suitable toboggan,
offerings include tobacco,
shells, tea, wooden
ALAN FEHR
matches and even items

like spoons and knives
(Andre and Kritsch 1992).
People believe if an
offering is not left, a big
wind storm will blow. If
the ochre is lumpy it is
ground up into a fine,
Collecting ochre
A P P E N D I X 1
© snow shovels, © clothing and hides (e.g.

© dog harness traces, wolverine).
© dog whips, Some people burned rotten
© caribou skin ropes, driftwood to make tsaih. The red
© canoes, ashes were used to colour similar
© porcupine quills, items (Andre and Kritsch 1992).
© white cotton fishnets, and
Ochre and Caribou Clothing

People living in the country lived mostly on caribou and all other wild meats.
They would make their outfit out of caribou skin more than anything else.
They made tents out of the caribou skin and they were really good tents.
After they finished making the tents, they would have gone through about 20
caribou skins, all tanned. Where the sewing was, each strip would have red
paint which was made out of red stones. They made real fancy tents out of
caribou skins. They also got a special kind of willow for the tent. During the
winter or summer or whenever they moved, they had dogs to pull the bunch
of sticks away to put the tent up. They put the tents up and everyone knew
that there were no stoves in those days.
—Sarah Peters (COPE, a)
Gwich’in Social
and Cultural Institute
The Gwich’in Social and Cultural Institute is a
non-profit society whose mandate is to document,
preserve and promote the practice of Gwich’in culture,
language, traditional knowledge and values.
Aurora Research
Institute
The Aurora Research Institute has a mandate to
improve the quality of life in the western region
of the Northwest Territories by applying scientific,
technological and indigenous knowledge
to solve northern problems.
Parks Parcs
Canada Canada
Parks Canada is a federal government agency whose
mandate is to protect and present places which
are significant examples of Canada's cultural
and natural heritage.

Gwich'in Ethnobotany

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Gwich'in Ethnobotany

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Gwich’in

by Alestine Andre and Alan Fehr

Canadian Cataloguing in Publication Data

About This Book and Kit 8

General Comments About Collecting and Use 10

A Request for Feedback 11

Summary of Plant Uses and Names 14

Mosses and Lichens 59

lived in the country.&&

The Gwich&in Settlement Region this region. The Mackenzie Delta

Tow n THE GWICH'IN

Settlement Boundary Yukon and Northwest Territories, Canada

Elders were selected to passing on information about

The Gwich&in Plant Kit was Gwichya Gwich&in dialect,

Plants are a renewable resource To make medicines, one should

We urge readers to pass on Please contact the Gwich&in Social

SPONSORS OF THIS PROJECT>

English Names Gwich’in Names Latin Names Uses Page No.

English Names Gwich’in Names Latin Names Uses Page No.

Rocks and Minerals

Alan Fehr, Louisa Robert and Alestine Andre

Ts&iivii G/T Common names: black and white spruce

Making Salve with Sticky Gum

Building a Fish Trap

Ts&iiteenju'h G Common names: larch

Thoo cha'n> woody part of by cutting tamarack branches into

Tamarack Tea and Poultice

Tamarack tree in summer

T&oo G/T Common names: balsam poplar

Poplars are deciduous trees that drying fish in a smokehouse

Aat&oo G/T Common names: paper birch

These trees, with their beautiful ∑ drum frames,

Sections of birch wood were used K&ii chuç& (G)

boil into tea. Mabel English

shape you desire. Then a root is MEDICINE> The inner bark of

This is how I make a drum:

Annie Benoit and William Hurst at Mary

Berry Picking in the Delta

Dzhii nde'e& G Common names: birdeye, bearberry

Dineech&u'h G Common names: crowberry

Blackberry is a low-growing Old Joe Natsie’s Medicine

The berries are edible and make

good jam. They are ready to be

Blackberries and Fish

Aat&oo G/T Dzhii nde'e& G

(see descriptions on page 29)

Ja'k zheii G Nat¬&at G/T

Edinìichii G/T Kheh dye'& G

Nin& G/T Lidii maskeg¶Maskig G

T&oo G/T Ts&eenakal G/T

Deetree ja'k G/T Latin names: Ribes hudsonianum

Black currant shrubs stand less berries. In winter, one can

Berries and Beads

Ja'k zheii G Latin names: Vaccinium uliginosum

Jak naaluu or in¬uh (T) or commonly in willow flats or open

Nat¬&at G/T Latin names: Vaccinium vitis-idaea

Cranberries are evergreen, low- pies and muffins. Cranberry jam,

which they resemble. Ripe

Cranberries can also be enjoyed Picking Berries in Winter

Loche liver and Cranberries

Ts&eenakal G/T Common and Dwarf Raspberry

Eneeyu'& G Latin names: Ribes triste

Nichìèh G Common names: wild rose, prickly rose,