Mish, Bogs, and Berries: The Significance of Boreal Heathlands as Indigenous Cultural Landscapes

Heathlands are a significant land cover type across the circumpolar boreal biome. A growing body of knowledge has developed around the ecology of heathland ecosystems, but little work has been done to document their cultural significance to Indigenous Peoples. In this study, we integrate plot-based vegetation surveys, a desktop review of Indigenous Mi'kmaq ethnobotany, and interviews with Miawpukek First Nation community members to understand Indigenous values, uses and perspectives of heathlands across the Ktaqmkuk boreal region (Newfoundland, Canada). Although historically perceived as unproductive land of limited value for development or conservation, we found that heathlands provide a diversity of culturally significant habitats and plants used by Indigenous Peoples for berry picking, hunting, traveling, and food preservation. Specifically, Miawpukek First Nation community members hold detailed environmental knowledge of biodiversity, ecology, environmental change, and ethics of respect, reciprocity, and responsibilities to heathland landscapes. Heathlands also facilitate personal and shared community experiences of being on the land that are crucial for sustaining Indigenous customary foods, fostering social and intergenerational bonding, supporting the maintenance and transmission of Indigenous knowledge, and instilling a sense of cultural identity. By highlighting the tangible and intangible cultural values associated with boreal heathlands, our analysis draws attention to the biocultural significance of open and sparsely treed ecosystems of the boreal biome and their importance to conservation and sustainable use.