Plant Technology of the First Peoples of British Columbia

“This excellent field guide to many plants native to British Columbia emphasizes the traditional technological uses of plant materials by the First Peoples of the region…. This well-organized, clearly written book contains a wealth of fascination information for both the ethnobotanist and the interested layperson.” – Nikki Tate-Stratton, Canadian Book Review AnnualIn her third ethnobotany handbook, Nancy Turner focuses on the plants that provided heat, shelter, transportation, clothing, tools, nets, ropes, containers—all the necessities of life for First Peoples. She describes more than 100 of these plants, their various uses and their importance in the material cultures of First Nations in British Columbia and adjacent lands in Washington, Alberta, Alaska and Montana. She also shows how First Peoples have used plant materials to make decorations, scents, cleaning agents, insect repellents, toys and many other items.

Anyone interested in ethnographic, archeological, biogeographical, botanical, and economic aspects of people's relationship with the land, should read this book. Although technically a handbook providing clear and detailed botanical data, its incorporation of concepts involving people's use of plants make this volume more. It breaks new ground in that, unlike many ethnobiological studies that concentrate on food or medicine, this book addresses the understudied technological uses of plants, such as their use in the construction of houses, kitchen utensils, fishing gear, bedding and storage containers. Maria G. Fadiman, Southeastern Geographer Vol. 46

Dr. Nancy J. Turner is a professor of Environmental Studies at the University of Victoria and a research associate at the Royal BC Museum. She has written several books and articles on ethnobotany, including two companions to this book: Food Plants of Coastal First Peoples and Food Plants of Interior First Peoples.