Thesis Defence: Effects of fire and landscape management on stʼxaɬq (black huckleberry), a key Indigenous food plant in the Okanagan

Rebekah Ferguson, supervised by Dr. Mathieu Bourbonnais, will defend their thesis titled “Effects of fire and landscape management on stʼxaɬq (black huckleberry), a key Indigenous food plant in the Okanagan” in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Earth and Environmental Sciences.

An abstract for Rebekah Ferguson’s thesis is included below.

Defences are open to all members of the campus community as well as the general public. Registration is not required for in-person defences.

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Abstract

Historically, lands in North America were more heterogeneous because they were stewarded by Indigenous peoples. Cultural fire was used by many Nations, including the Syilx-Okanagan Nation, to care for the land and for traditional foods like black huckleberry (stʼxaɬq, Vaccinium membranaceum). However, colonial fire suppression policies, climate change, and land-use change have caused a breakdown in landscape resilience and an increase in large, high-severity wildfires, which may threaten the future availability of huckleberry and other Indigenous foods. In partnership with Westbank First Nation and Ntityix Resources LP, we explored the relationship between wildfire, post-fire salvage logging, and black huckleberry. We collected data on huckleberry abundance and productivity from 54 sites across the Okanagan in burned (at low, moderate, and high severity), salvage logged, and undisturbed areas. Statistical modelling showed that high-severity wildfire and salvage logging had negative effects on huckleberry abundance and productivity, and although low- and moderate-severity wildfire had mixed effects, we did not find that they benefited huckleberry in the way cultural burning does. Interviews with seven WFN community members highlighted the important role of fire in healthy Okanagan ecosystems and revealed challenges that wildfire and forest management can create for accessing lands and foods. Five major themes emerged from interviews: good fire, commodifying land, access, connection, and resilience. Drawing from our analyses and the knowledge shared by WFN community members, we present management recommendations for huckleberry and suggestions on how settler and Indigenous communities, academic institutions, industry, and government can come together to protect and restore ecosystems, build understanding, and better coexist with fire. As wildfires continue to increase in size, severity, and frequency, it is important that forests are managed in a way that prioritizes biodiversity and upholds Indigenous food sovereignty. Our study provides an example of collaborative food systems research that centres Indigenous knowledge, supports community-led stewardship, and offers pathways toward more ecologically resilient forest management.