Indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest have long shaped their environments through sophisticated ecosystem management practices. Practices such as prescribed burning, transplanting, and tending of "wild" perennial food plants have created a patchwork of cultural ecosystems, including forest gardens—unique species-rich habitats that now occur near former village sites. Long term community-guided work with Canadian First Nations, U.S. Tribal Nations, archaeologists, and historical ecologists has led to the re-identification of these sites. This talk presents new archaeological and ecological data from forest gardens in Nuu-chah-nulth, Ts’msyen, and Salish territories, showing that Indigenous land-use legacies have had long-term effects on plant community composition and functional trait diversity. These findings challenge narrow definitions of agriculture and demonstrate how Indigenous stewardship continues to sustain biodiversity and ecosystem resilience. They also carry implications for the ecocultural restoration revitalization of community relationships with these landscapes. (Entry Level)
