Dr. Luschiim Arvid Charlie \u201cis a respected elder and botanical expert of Cowichan Tribes, and a fluent speaker of his Hul\u2019q\u2019umi\u2019num\u2019 language.\u00a0 His knowledge of plants is truly remarkable and comes from deep training and experience, starting in his earliest childhood years.\u201d<\/p>\n
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his is how Nancy J. Turner introduces her co-author of \u201cLuschiim\u2019s Plants\u2019, a book on the ethnobotany of the Coast Salish peoples of southern Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands in British Columbia.\u00a0 The result of 15 years of collaboration, this book discusses native plants from seaweeds to trees.<\/p>\n
One of the longest entries is for Western Red-Cedar (Thuja plicata<\/em>) or Xpey\u2019<\/em>, one of the names it is known by in Hul\u2019q\u2019umi\u2019num\u2019.\u00a0 It has many uses throughout the life of indigenous peoples, being used both for diapers and coffins.\u00a0 Where the tree grows distinguishes the qualities of its wood.\u00a0 The swamp cedar has a high resin content is very heavy.\u00a0 Those from rocky bluffs in the mountains have very light wood.<\/p>\n In between, there are two more distinct forms.\u00a0 Plank cedar is from trees with no lower branches and easy to split.\u00a0 Canoe cedars have small branches closer to the base, so the grain is intertwined or twisted, preventing boats made from this wood from splitting if they hit a rock.<\/p>\n Various members of the rose family are important food sources.\u00a0 An unusual example is the Red Raspberry (Rubus idaeus<\/em>; Tsulqama\u2019<\/em>).\u00a0 Mostly known from the interior of British Columbia, an early European botanist found it plentiful on Vancouver Island in the 1840s.\u00a0 But by the 1860s, it was reported as rare.\u00a0 Luschiim speculates these were transplanted here from interior hunting grounds, but did not thrive.<\/p>\n Wild ginger (Asarum caudatum<\/em>; Tth\u2019uletth\u2019ie\u2019<\/em>) is another example of gardening by these indigenous people.\u00a0 While enjoyed for its flavorful stem, it also had important spiritual meaning.\u00a0 To keep them thriving Luschiim explains, \u201cwhatever was somewhat rare then, you\u2019d transplant them; certain important plants were moved, such as\u2026wild ginger.\u201d<\/p>\n This book was honored with an Award of Excellence in Field Guides in 2023 from the Council on Botanical and Horticultural Libraries.<\/p>\n Reviewed by: Brian Thompson on May 20, 2024<\/p>\n Excerpted from the Summer 2024 issue of the Arboretum Bulletin<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Dr. Luschiim Arvid Charlie \u201cis a respected elder and botanical expert of Cowichan Tribes, and a fluent speaker of his Hul\u2019q\u2019umi\u2019num\u2019 language.\u00a0 His knowledge of plants is truly remarkable and comes from deep training and experience, starting in his earliest childhood years.\u201d This is how Nancy J. Turner introduces her co-author of \u201cLuschiim\u2019s Plants\u2019, a book on the ethnobotany of the Coast Salish peoples of southern Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands in British Columbia.\u00a0 The result of 15 years…<\/p>\n