Harvesting the Northern Wild: A Guide to Traditional and Contemporary Uses of Edible Forest Plants of the Northwest Territories

Diana McElroy was a computer programmer in Deep River, Ontario.

While at first glance it might seem to be just another book on edible plants, Harvesting the Northern Wild hasmore to offer than the average field guide. After describing the organization of material in the book, offering suggestions for harvesting wild plants, and describing responsible conservation practices, Walker discusses the landscape and the native peoples of the Northwest Territories at length. As an anthropologist who has spent a number of years working in the North, she is well qualified to weave together the details of the land and its vegetation with the traditions and lifestyles of the native people, all of which are relevant to the main subject of the book.

The field guide section is divided into edible vascular plants, lichens, and poisonous plants. Over sixty species are described, with two or three pages being devoted to each. For each there is a description of the plant and its habitat, an explanation of its rises, warnings about any problems it might cause, historical quotes about use of the plant, and a pen-and-ink drawing. Following this is a recipe section, starting with the classic tea and bannock and progressing through greens, herbs, petals, buds, roots, and berries. Measurements are given in both metric and imperial units.

There is an annotated bibliography; a suggested reading list of sources on native peoples, edible plants, and poisonous plants; and a list of other botanical references. A brief table of nutritional comparisons of wild and domestic plants is also included.

Harvesting the Northern Wild is more than just a catalog of plants, with its abundance of historical material and its emphasis throughout on the native peoples of the North. The plants are described with a wealth of detail, the warnings about poisonous plants are careful and thorough, and the numerous excerpts from other sources provide a rich diversity of styles and viewpoints. The text throughout is clear and sensible. The drawings of the plants by botanical illustrator Linda Fairfield are both attractive and filled with informative detail; combined with the text, they make the task of identification straightforward. The text is also enhanced by several maps and numerous old photographs and engravings. The recipes range from such exotica as Potato Salad with Fireweed, or Caribou Filets in Brandy Sauce with Juniper Berries, to the more mundane Steamed Greens or Cranberry Sauce. Overall, this is an attractive and well-done book, and since most of the plants included are widespread in Canada, it is of potential interest to a large audience beyond the borders of the Northwest Territories.