Climate change and Traditional Food Security in Nenqay Deni

Will climate change alter the availability and accessibility of traditional use food sources for Tŝilhqot’in Nations? This work supports long-term planning for traditional food security by the Tŝilhqot’in National Government. Specifically, this work addresses potential impacts of climate change on the location where plants may grow. We used scientific models to predict the present and future distributions of six plant species: Saskatoon berry, Labrador tea, Mountain potato, Trapper’s tea, Soapberry, and Chokecherry. The resulting maps indicate the potential for both positive and negative impacts to traditional use plants in Nenqay Deni. This work is a starting point for food security planning on Tŝilhqot’in Nen.