Thu, October 27, 2016 7:00 PM - 8:00 PM Earth Sciences Building. Free, Eventbrite RSVP required.. “A rose by many other names”: Sharing and Adapting Ancient Knowledge in Northwestern North America
In Northwestern North America, plants have supported the survival and well-being of First Peoples of the region for over 13,000 years, providing them with the necessities of life: nutritious foods, materials for construction and implements, fuel, medicines and ceremonial items. Many culturally important plants – over 250 species – are named in multiple Indigenous languages of the area, often reflecting common usage across different speech communities and language families. How did people acquire this rich knowledge about plants and their ecology? How did they pass on their knowledge, practices, and beliefs from generation to generation, from family to family, and from community to community? And, how did they adapt these practices to the new and changing situations they encountered? Even more importantly, in the face of these rapidly changing times, how can this precious knowledge be recognized, maintained, and perpetuated for the benefit of future generations both within and beyond First Nations’ communities? Join ethnobotanist Nancy Turner as she discusses these questions and more.
This is part of the Biodiversity Lecture Series, organized jointly by the Biodiversity Research Centre and the Beaty Biodiversity Museum.
Earth Sciences Building (across from the Beaty Biodiversity Museum)
Ross Beaty Lecture Theatre
Doors: 6:30 pm
Lecture starts: 7:00 pm