Berry plants and berry picking in Inuit Nunangat: Traditions in a changing socio-ecological landscape

• Published in: Human Ecology
• Main Authors: Boulanger-Lapointe, N., Gérin-Lajoie, J., Siegwart Collier, L., Desrosiers, S., Spiech, C., Henry, G. H. R., Hermanutz, L., Lévesque, E., Cuerrier, A.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: 2019
• Subjects: Arctic; Berry; Canada; Climate change; Inuit Nunangat; Pollution; Traditional food; Accessibility; Cultural identity; Cultural tradition; Fruit; Land use planning; Landscape change; Mental health; Plant; Newfoundland and Labrador; Nunatsiavut; Nunavik; Nunavut; Quebec [Canada]; Animalia; Anser; Newfoundland; inuit
• Online Access: https://depot-e.uqtr.ca/id/eprint/11075/; https://depot-e.uqtr.ca/id/eprint/11075/1/LEVESQUE_E_196_ED.pdf; https://doi.org/10.1007/s10745-018-0044-5

Traditional food is central to Inuit culture and sense of identity. Recent changes in lifestyle, climate, and animal populations have influenced how people practice and experience activities on the land. We summarize the findings of 191 new and archived interviews addressing the continued relationships of Inuit to berries in the Canadian territories of Nunavut, Nunavik, and Nunatsiavut. Berry plants have been and remain widely used throughout the study area. Berry picking is an important cultural activity that contributes to spiritual, personal, and community wellbeing. In some regions, the availability of berries and accessibility to berry patches are threatened by climate change, recent increases in goose populations, as well as community development. Study outcomes suggest that berry picking should be considered in land-use planning since, alongside hunting and fishing, it is an activity that contributes to physical and mental health while being an important cultural practice across Inuit territories.