Abstract
Indigenous peoples have a history of agriculture in terms of propagation, prescribed burns, production, harvesting, and processing/preparation; however, Statistics Canada reported in 2016 that lndigenous agricultural operators represent only 1.9% of agricultural operators in Canada. Indigenous peoples’ heath and traditions have been impacted by colonization and many Indigenous communities want to revitalize traditional lifestyle practices, including increased access to traditional food. Historically there has been a lack of capacity for Indigenous communities and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) to partner on research projects but AAFC is evolving by introducing funded research projects focussed on supporting Indigenous food systems in 2019. Advancing Knowledge of Indigenous Berries and Value Added Products represents such a research partnership between AAFC and the Westbank First Nation (WFN). Roxanne Lindley, Chief of WFN from 2016-2019, expressed a community interest in cultivating Indigenous berries, beginning with huckleberries (st̓ɬqíɬəmlx), and processing options for berries, including developing a juice beverage from Soopolallie (sx̌ʷusmíɬp) (soapberries). With help from Ntityix Resources LP, WFN’s natural resource company, huckleberry plants have been collected from two growing locations (lower/moderate elevation and high elevation sites) from WFN lands for propagation work in support of cultivation. Fresh berry quality attributes characterization has been performed. Processing yields of juice from berries have been obtained to support development of an Indigenous berry beverage. Overall this work supports enhancing access to Indigenous foods and aims to contribute to the health of the WFN community by advancing knowledge of Indigenous berries, value-added products, and food sovereignty.
Presenters
Naomi De LuryAgriculture and Agri-Food Canada Kelly A. Ross
Research Scientist, Summerland Research and Development Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, British Columbia, Canada Samir Debnath
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada Lana Fukumoto
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada Dave Gill
Ntityix Resources LP Roxanne Lindley
Westbank First Nation
Details
Presentation Type
Theme
KEYWORDS
Indigenous berries, Quality attributes, Health, Huckleberry, Soapberry
