Indigenous flora booklet 2018 by Dawson College

Indigenous Flora of Dawson College: A Guide

INTRODUCTION Dawson College is located on land which is the unceded traditional territory of the Kanien’kehá: ka. This land has also served as a gathering place for Abenaki, Anishinaabe and other nations. As uninvited guests, it is our responsibility to honour the stewards of this land by educating ourselves about the histories and contemporary realities of First Peoples, and by contributing to the important work of reconciliation and decolonization.

Dawson College Peace Centre

As part of an effort to concretize the Dawson College Strategic Plan 2016-2021 Sustainability commitments, Sustainable Dawson, the Dawson College Peace Centre and the First Peoples’ Centre applied for a provincially sponsored grant, ECQ, to create a series of garden and sustainability related course resources (from the social sciences, general education courses, creative arts and sciences). The Indigenous Flora of Dawson College: A Guide, is one of the multiple resources that has been created over the 2017-18 academic year. This Guide will serve as one of the tools used on our on-campus biodiversity tours given every year at Orientation, Pedagogical Day and Earth Week as well as in a variety of courses. The guiding principle

INTRODUCTION (continued) of this resource was to pay homage to the Indigenous trees of Dawson, their stories and how they have been used both traditionally and contemporarily by Indigenous peoples. In addition, the team aimed to have a resource that highlighted the importance and value of Indigenous knowledge systems of the Natural world. The team who worked this year on the ECQ Gardens grant would like to humbly thank Preston Jacobs for sharing his time, expertise and knowledge. Preston took great care to provide us with invaluable information about the trees we live with and grant life to the diversity of other plants and animals that live on campus. We would also like to thank his family for their help on this project. A special thanks to Bryan Zachary who illustrated much of this resource booklet.

TABLE OF CONTENTS Balsam Fir .............................................................. 4 Basswood .............................................................. 4 Bitternut Hickory ................................................ 5 Cedar ...................................................................... 6 Chestnut ................................................................ 6 Hackberry ............................................................. 7 Manitoba Maple ................................................. 7 Red Oak ................................................................. 8 Red Osier Dogwood .......................................... 8 Red Pine ................................................................ 9 Silver Maple ......................................................... 9 Sugar Maple ......................................................... 10 Sumac .................................................................... 11 White Ash ............................................................... 12 White Oak ............................................................... 13 White Pine .............................................................. 13 White Spruce ........................................................ 14 What Else Can You Find on Campus ............. 15

BALSAM FIR

– SAPIN BAUMIER – ABIES

BALSAMEA -

The balsam fir tree was highly valued by the Indigenous people as a medicine for a wide variety of illnesses and discomfort such as colds, asthma, inflammation, earache, headache, ©Natural Resources Canada, muscle and joint pains to name a few, Canadian Forest Service which were well treated when the individual drank a tea made from the needles. The pitch from the blisters on the bark of the tree was used directly on the skin as a topical ointment to treat cuts, burns and sores. When applied on the lips, the substance was one of the earliest forms of what we call today, “chapstick”. Due to its sticky nature, the pitch was also an excellent adhesive. The branches of the tree were among many coniferous trees, like the spruce, to be used as bedding. The wood of the balsam fir was preferred for use as roof shingles on longhouses. Many Indigenous people were said to have used the needles to freshen up their living place, as the smell from the needles was very pleasant.

BITTERNUT HICKORY - CARYER – CARYA CORDIFORMIS -

The Iroquois make use of the superior hardness, flexibility and shock resistance of the Hickory by building drumsticks, bows, arrows, lacrosse sticks and sleighs. The innerbark can also be used to weave hunting packs and chair seats. Though hickory was one of the ideal crafting woods to the Kanien’kehá: ka, they also valued the tree for its seeds, which produced oil. This oil was used as a hair treatment or mosquito repellent. The nuts were edible but had to be boiled and rinsed several times as they were very bitter. © Zachary Bryan

CEDAR BASSWOOD

Easily one of the most valued carving woods, basswood was lightweight and straight grained. Thus, the Iroquois truly appreciate an easy to work with wood when carving their ceremonial masks and instruments. The inner bark of the basswood was peeled and separated to make sewing thread and rope or tumplines for pack baskets. The fibres were also weaved to make a straining cloth for maple syrup. Though Kanien’kehá: ka used basswood leaf/ flower tea mostly for treating colds, it was also used for headaches, fever and indigestion. A poultice from the inner bark is applied to soothe open wounds, skin rashes, boils, burns and sores.

The cedar tree has many uses. It is used to purify the home, when the leaves are burned. When the wood was burned in a fire with tobacco, it is said to call upon the attention of the Spirits to the offering that was being made. The Kanien’kehá: ka likely used the needles from this tree to make a tea that cured Jacques Cartier’s crew of scurvy in the 1500s. The wood of the tree could be used to provide shelter and storage. Essential pieces in the construction of the birch bark canoe, such as gunwales and ribs, came from cedar and the inner bark is also used for weaving. © Dn Br/Shutterstock.com

©Lubbas

©Yaroslav Koval

CHESTNUT

HACKBERRY

The indigenous species of chestnut is nearly extinct due to a blight. However, there are hybrid specimens that are currently planted in North America. Strong, rot resistant and straight grained, the chestnut tree was one of the sought after building woods available to the Indigenous people for building their homes. It was also one of the major sources of tannin used for tanning leather. Chestnut nuts were highly valued as a food item by the Kanien’kehá: ka as the nuts were plentiful and highly nutritious. They were either eaten right away, dried in the sun, roasted or ground up as flour. As a medicine, the leaves were boiled and applied on burns to soothe and heal the wound. The bark from the tree was boiled into a tea to cure whooping cough.

This tree is uncommon in southern Quebec, but was valued by the Indigenous people for its medicinal and food purposes. The berries made for an excellent dye for clothing and pigment for paint. Because of their sweet taste, they were often used to flavour dishes of food. For the ladies, bark decoctions helped promote and regulate menstrual cycles. Bark decoctions were used to treat venereal diseases and sore throats.

- MICOCOULIER – CELTIS OCCIDENTALIS -

MANITOBA MAPLE As the name suggests, Manitoba maple is likely an invasive species, likely introduced during the fur trade, and expanding its range due to climate change. Although the sap has a very low sugar content, it can be boiled into syrup. The sap can be used to soothe a sore throat. The twigs can be hollowed out because of the soft pith at the centre of the heart wood. Once hollowed out, they can be used for pipe stems and as spouts for collecting maple sap. Burls were also made into bowls, cups, dishes and drums.

RED OAK

RED PINE

Red oak is a very common tree in Mohawk territory. It’s wood is very dense and heavy, and was used formerly in making mortars and pestles for grinding corn. The acorns are very bitter and can be eaten but need to be boiled and rinsed several times to remove the bitterness. The acorns were then pounded and the flour, mixed with other flour, to make breads or broth.

The hardness of the red pine’s wood made it one of the ideal building materials for Iroquoian longhouses. The wood was lightweight, which made transporting and building easy, as well as structurally strong and resistant to swelling and shrinking. The straight grain made it easy to work with. When distilled, the resin gives turpentine, which the Indigenous peoples used to treat many ailments. Steam baths were given to relieve bronchitis, colds and influenza. The pitch from the tree was used to mend and seal the roof shingles of the longhouse.

License: Creative Commons

– PIN ROUGE – PINUS RESINOSA -

©Mike Henry

RED OSIER DOGWOOD This shrub was used as an emetic medicine for lacrosse players and runners as well as during ritual fasting. The bark from young shoots was boiled for about three minutes and drunk before sunrise and lacrosse players would vomit into a stream or river to carry away sickness.

©John Maywood

SILVER MAPLE Silver maple has many similar uses as the sugar maple, such as making syrup and sugar. The wood is much softer than sugar maple therefore is preferred for carving tools and utensils. Bowls made from burls, although more difficult to carve, are less likely to split due to the highly figured grain. They are often used in ceremonial games such as the peach stone game. The young bark in early spring was boiled and used for eye drops to relieve sore eyes. Trappers also would boil their traps with a bundle of branch tips to clean away human scent.

SUGAR MAPLE

SUMAC

– ÉRABLE – ACER -

The maple tree is prized as the wood itself is somewhat rot resistant, making it excellent for furniture and tool making. Some of the many objects the Kanien’kehá: ka made from maple were canoe and feast paddles, snow snakes and weapons. The roots of maple syrup usage stem from the aboriginal people of Canada. Europeans who arrived in Quebec learned the art of maple syrup making from watching the Indigenous of the land. Sugar Maple is the preferred tree for tapping as its sap contains the highest amount of sugar compared to other trees. The maple sap is important for medicinal use, the Iroquois long recognized it as a healthy and nutritious substance and use it every spring. The inner bark of sugar maple was often eaten as a dietary supplement. At the joy of every coming spring the Iroquois people have a grand ceremony to celebrate. This ceremony is called The Maple Ceremony and it is considered the first ceremony of the year. The running of sap from the Sugar Maple is a sign from the Creator that a new year of life is beginning on the earth.

DESCRIPTION Acer, the genus name for a tree we know as “Maple”, are commonly found throughout Quebec, Canada. This tree rarely grows larger than 10 – 45 m (33 – 148 ft.) in Canada because of the cold northern climate that inhibits growth past a certain point. Deciduous, they will drop their leaves as they change from green to the vibrant hues of a sunset. Different species of maple are distinguished by leaf shape and leaf arrangement, as well as bark appearance and tree structure.

- SUMAC – COTINUS -

A very useful tree for those hungry for a quick snack, Sumac offered the Indigenous people edible parts on the go. Young shoots, roots and bark, were peeled and enjoyed raw. Berries were either eaten raw, dried or made into a “native lemonade” which was often sweetened with maple sap/syrup. For projects, the Iroquois would use the berries, roots and inner bark to make dyes. As far as medicine was concerned, sumac had the Indigenous covered for use as an antiemetic, antidiarrheal, antihemorrhagic, blister treatment,cold remedy, emetic, asthma treatment, tuberculosis remedy, sore throat treatment, ear medicine, eye medicine, astringent, heart medicine, venereal aid, ulcer treatment, topical ointment and yes, even as a mouthwash. Because sumac has a soft pith, it can be hollowed out and used for spouts for tapping maple trees.

WHITE ASH

– FRENE BLANC - FRAXINUS AMERICANA -

WHITE OAK

A favoured type of wood by the Iroquois peoples, white ash is a resilient crafting material used for various tools and for transportation such as snowshoes, toboggans, sleighs, and also for baskets and bows. The wood of the white ash tree is very strong and less likely to snap in two, hence it being used in crafts that required a wood type with high elasticity properties. It also carried useful medicinal purposes. The Iroquois used the juices of the leaves as treatment for swelling and to reduce itchiness. The inner bark when eaten, served as a laxative. Tea made from the leaves of the tree was used as a tonic for women after childbirth. The tea was also used to relieve stomach cramps and fever.

White oak was prized for it’s durability and rotresistant wood. Kanien’kehá: ka used the wood mainly for timber, though the inner bark, the leaves, galls and acorns were consumed as food or applied as medicine. The leaves, when softened and applied directly to the affected area, reduced swelling, rashes, itchiness and bleeding. Bark infusion was used to treat intestinal problems and made a good wash for abscesses and sores, as well as an astringent for insect bites. Acorns were roasted or ground up to make flour for cooking.

DESCRIPTION White ash is most identifiable by the underside of its leaves, which are a paler colour in contrast to the topside of the leaves. Another giveaway to the type of ash is the appearance of the bark, which on white ash is diamond shaped and consistently patterned.

– CHENE BLANC – QUERCUS ALBA -

WHITE PINE White pine plays a central part in Iroquois culture, as a symbol of peace, strength and unity in the Iroquois confederacy. The evergreen aspect of the white pine aptly symbolizes the endurance of the tree of peace and the confederacy. Each bundle of needles has five needles, representing the original five nations of the confederacy. The four symbolic roots of the tree extend in four directions, which others can follow to the tree of peace and take shelter under it. The inner bark of the white pine was eaten, as well as the needles, for they contain a high amount of Vitamin C, but was only considered by the Iroquois as a last resort when it came to food. In addition to several other tree-based ingredients, the needles were used to create a tea to cure European sailors’ scurvy. The resin was also used to treat open wounds, as a tree’s resin is a part of a healing process if it had a wound in the bark. From young pines they collected the fragrant bark to create bowls. The Kanien’kehá: ka use white pine wood for making crafts such as cradleboards. ©USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database

WHITE SPRUCE

– ÉPINETTE BLANCHE – PICEA GLAUCA -

At the time of Jacques Cartier arriving in North America, his crew were very sick from scurvy, a sickness caused by lack of Vitamin C, often when meat was the only available food source. The Indigenous people had a cure; a concoction from the boiled needles of the spruce tree which was very rich in Vitamin C. Along with it’s medicinal properties for curing scurvy, it was also used to relieve chest pains. The young shoots of White Spruce were often eaten raw, the cones cooked. The pliable, thin roots of the white spruce tree made for a good weaving material for crafts such as baskets and for use as twine to bind birch bark canoe pieces together. Spruce pitch was boiled down into a thick gummy resin for waterproofing canoes. For bedding, the Kanien’kehá: ka enjoyed spruce branches to make a nice cushy surface to rest.

WHAT ELSE CAN YOU FIND ON CAMPUS 1. 147 distinct invertebrate species on the Three Sisters Rooftop Garden & Rooftop Microhabitat Zone 2. Honey Bees – Dawson is home to approximately 40,000 bees in two separate hives 3. Monarch Butterflies: At the right time of year, you are lucky enough to see both wild and bred (on campus bred) Monarch Butterflies in the Dawson College Peace Garden 4. The Three Sisters Garden: A Living Campus project initiated by the First Peoples’ Centre, Sustainable Dawson and the Peace Centre, this rooftop garden grows squash, beans, corn, as well as sunflowers, sage, tobacco, milkweed, and strawberries. In 2018, the Journey’s Students guided by Elder Gary Beauvais will be adding a medicinal garden to the Three Sisters Rooftop 5. Biodiversity Zones: Take a walk around campus and discover the Meadow Zone, Bioswale, MicroHabitat Zone (wet meadow, meadow, pond, decomposition zone, poisonous plants), Three Sisters Garden, Theatre Garden, Monarch Nursery, and Forest Floor 6. Bird Feeders: Look up! There are bird feeders hung from multiple trees all around the College that attract a wide variety of species 7. Peace Garden: A pesticide & herbicide free zone, this 22,000 square feet of garden was planted in commemoration of the violent shooting at the College in 2006. It has 20,000 (both indigenous and non-indigenous) species of plants and is used by more than 65 different teachers over the course of the year to teach a wide variety of courses from English to Biology

Written content ÂŠ Dawson College 2018

Dawson College Peace Centre