Piikani ethnobotany: traditional plant knowledge of the Piikani peoples of the northwestern plains

Abstract

This study documents the traditional ethnobotanical knowledge of the Piikani (Peigan) peoples of the Northwestern Plains as synthesized from interviews with Piikani elders and from previously published ethnographic sources. Specifically, it records information on over 90 plant species which were consumed as food, administered as medicines, prepared for spiritual purposes, or used as materials for a variety of tasks. Details concerning the use, collection, processing and preservation of each plant resource is provided, as is a discussion of the possible archaeological implications of these activities. When possible, the Piikani plant names are recorded using a standard orthography. The habitat and distribution of each species is also included By documenting traditional Piikani plant knowledge and usage, this research establishes an ethnobotanical database which will augment existing ethnographic and archaeological information and assist in the identification and interpretation of archaeological artifacts, sites and pre-contact settlement patterns on the Northwestern Plains.