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Study finds Indigenous people in B.C. cultivated hazelnuts 7,000 years ago, challenging modern assumptions

The hazelnut tree has been a prominent feature of the landscape in certain regions of British Columbia for centuries. In fact, the village of Hazelton in northern B.C.’s Skeena region was named after the abundance of hazelnuts in the area by a 19th-century settler.

A recent study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science reveals that Indigenous peoples in B.C. have been cultivating the beaked hazelnut for thousands of years. This challenges the commonly held belief that pre-colonial Indigenous communities in northwestern B.C. were solely hunter-gatherers. The research indicates that the Gitxsan, Tsimshian, and Nisga’a peoples have been transplanting and cultivating hazelnuts for at least 7,000 years.

Chelsey Geralda Armstrong, an assistant professor of Indigenous studies at Simon Fraser University and co-author of the study, emphasizes the significant role of Indigenous peoples in shaping and maintaining the region’s ecosystems. She highlights that this research challenges the misconception that B.C. and the Northwest Coast were untouched wilderness.

The study involved sequencing the DNA of over 200 hazelnuts and identifying five distinct genetic subgroups. The findings suggest that Indigenous peoples intentionally transplanted hazelnuts across different regions, rather than relying on natural dispersal by birds and squirrels. Linguistic evidence further supports this theory, as the word for “hazelnut” used by the Gitxsan and Nisga’a peoples was borrowed from Coast Salish territories in the south, indicating a trade network for nuts.

Geralda Armstrong believes that this research sheds light on the historical significance of the Skeena River as a civilization hub. She envisions a time when the river was lined with thriving villages and cities, challenging modern perceptions of the region’s past.

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Jacob Beaton, a Tsimshian man and executive director of the Indigenous Food Sovereignty Association, expresses excitement about the study’s findings. He notes how the research aligns with oral histories of Temlaxam, an ancient city near the confluence of the Skeena and Bulkley rivers. Beaton hopes that this study will support Indigenous stewardship of traditional lands and potentially bolster First Nations’ claims to Aboriginal title.

Overall, this study underscores the enduring contributions of Indigenous peoples to the cultivation and management of plant species in British Columbia. It challenges stereotypes about Indigenous communities as solely hunter-gatherers and highlights the sophisticated agricultural practices that have been part of their heritage for millennia.

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