Plant Uses by the Inuit of Kangirsujuaq (Nunavik, Quebec)

摘要

Although the arctic flora of Nunavik is not as rich as the temperate forest of southern Quebec, the Inuit have nonetheless used many different plants to help them survive the harsh environment they live in. In Quebec, besides a booklet published by the Avataq Cultural Institute, no ethnobotankal study had so far been done in collaboration with the Inuit. Three field trips were completed, starting in 2001. Thirteen Elders from Kangirsujuaq (near the Hudson Strait) participated in the project and were interviewed using primarily freshly collected plants and photographs. Also, much information was shared and verified during excursions in the tundra. More than 40 uses were recorded which covered many vascular plants, Bryophytes, algae, and lichens. These uses can be divided into edible, medicinal, tea, and fuel plants. Inuttitut plant names along with their etymology were also recorded as well as their classification scheme of the plant world, which includes the fungi. This information will be used by the Inuit for educational purposes within their school system and in the exhibits at the new Interpretation Centre linked to the Pingualuit Provincial Park. The data will also be used as part of a linguistic comparison of the three different inuttitut dialects, for which ethnobotanical work has started with the community of Kangirsualujjuaq (oriental coast of the Ungava Bay).