I’m your Huckleberry: Monitoring impacts on traditionally utilized food sources of the Pomeroy Ranger District, Umatilla National Forest, Southeastern Washington

Summary

The utilization of traditional foods in the Columbia Plateau on ceded tribal lands is of great importance to present day indigenous communities within the region. Huckleberries (vaccinium spp.) are one of these highly valued traditional food stuffs among the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation (CTUIR) and the Nez Perce among others. However, the impacts of forest projects (i.e. logging, and prescribed burning) on this reserved treaty resource are poorly understood.

Bearing that in mind that Umatilla National Forest Heritage staff members Jill Bassett, Allen Madril and Will Marquardt along with forest botanist Paula Brooks, and professional photographer John Marshall monitored 15 huckleberry patches in the South George Creek watershed west of the community of Anatone, WA that were undergoing logging and prescribed burning treatment.

Panoramic photographs were taken before and after treatment and 15 meter transects were conducted to ascertain huckleberry cover, production, and canopy cover. Sites were visited before and after treatment and revisits are planned for the following five years. With this data, heritage staff on the Umatilla National Forest along with local tribes may be able to provide better recommendations regarding project impacts on an overlooked but vital cultural resource

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 82nd Annual Meeting, Vancouver, BC (2017)

Keywords

Spatial Coverage

Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 17400