Wet’suwet’en Ethnobotany: Traditional Plant Uses

The Wet’suwet’en are an Athapaskan-speaking people of north-western British Columbia who occupy the transition zone between the sub-boreal spruce forests of the central interior and the cedar-hemlock forests of the Pacific Coast. Wet’suwet’en plant use reflects their transitional location and the diverse plant communities available in their territories. Plant uses show similarities to neighboring peoples. Plants are used by Wet’suwet’en people for herbal medicines, foods, and material culture. The names and uses of 59 species of vascular plants and three nonvascular taxa are documented in this study. Plant uses reported here reflect Wet’suwet’en practices of the twentieth century and have been verified by living elders.