Chapters 4.41

4.41. Sour Top Blueberries(Vaccinium myrtilloides)

Avery Lovering , University of Guelph, Canada

Suggested citation for this chapter.

Lovering ,A. (2022) Fleshy Fruits. In The Student Encyclopedia of Canadian Indigenous Foods. Editor, M.N. Raizada, University of Guelph, Canada. http://www.firstnationsfoods.org/

Introduction

Sour-top Blueberries, also known as velvet leaved blueberries and scientifically known as Vaccinium myrtilloides, is a species of blueberries native to North America (Kuhnlein & Turner, 1991). The word Vaccinium is the scientific name of the blueberry species. Sour-top Blueberries are very important to Indigenous culture and beliefs and were used by tribes all across North America. Sour-top Blueberries pose many health benefits to humans and are rich in antioxidants and vitamins. Sour-top Blueberries were used and preserved by Indigenous people in many ways and continue to be extremely important to indigenous culture.

Plant and Species Information

Sour-top blueberries are a wild type of blueberry, meaning they are not mass produced on a farm. Sour-top blueberries are the berries of small shrubs that are deciduous, meaning it loses its leaves in the autumn every year. Sour-top blueberries are a species of lowbush blueberries which means the blueberry shrub does not grow very high and grows close to the ground. Lowbush blueberries grow to about 6 -12 inches depending on the environment they are in and what other plants are around them and could restrict them from growing. (Goldowitz Jimenez, n.d.). There is a different kind of lowbush blueberries similar to Vaccinium myrtilloides called Vaccinium angustifolium or also known as the sweet lowbush blueberry. The physical characteristics of these berries are very similar although, sour-top blueberries grow farther north and begin to bud 8 - 11 days later than sweet lowbush blueberries (Smith et al., 1968).

The bushes grow in dense patches and the branches and leaves are covered in thick tiny hairs hence the other name; velvet leaved blueberries. The flowers are a greenish white and pink colour. The plants start to flower mid spring and are ready to be harvested in mid to late summer (Goldowitz Jimenez, n.d.). The berries are found in small clusters at the ends of the twigs. The berries are very sweet and juicy. The physical makeup of the berry is a medium sized berry that is blue with a whitish shiny film on the outside (Kuhnlein & Turner, 1991). Sour-top blueberries are not usually found in open areas and thrive in areas with scattered tree cover (Smith et al., 1968).

Figure 1.0: Vaccinium Myrtilloides (Cameron, 2022)

Occurrence

Sour-top blueberries are found all over North America in shaded woods, moist areas, tree covered clearings and rocky outcrops (Kuhnlein & Turner, 1991). The berries are transcontinental which means they extend across a full continent (Merrium Webster, 2022). This means you can find the berries from British Columbia all the way to Newfoundland and Labrador. The berries can also be found in northern to southern Northwest Territories. In the United States of America, sour-top blueberries can be found across northern central states from Montana to Virginia. The sour-top blueberries thrive in wet, cool environments with soils that have a pH of 3.9 - 4.3 meaning they are slightly acidic and the soils are low in calcium content (Smith et al. 1968).

Figure 2.0: Range of Sour-top Blueberries across North America

Health Benefits

Sour-top blueberries positively impact human and animal health in a variety of different ways. Blueberries are extremely rich in vitamins and especially antioxidants. The part of the blueberry that gives us antioxidants are the chemicals that make blueberries blue. These chemicals are called anthocyanins. Antioxidants are needed in order for the body to fight off free radicals (Small, 2014). Free radicals are formed as a byproduct of breathing, digesting and exercising and can increase the risk of cancer, heart disease, premature ageing and other diseases (Small, 2014). Ingesting antioxidants reduces the risk of these diseases. More research has proven that eating blueberries helps reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, type two diabetes, obesity and death (National Library of Medicine, 2020). According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, “blueberries were found to have the highest level of antioxidants in a study of 40 fruits and vegetables” (Small, 2014). Blueberries are also beneficial to agng neurons in the brain, this can lead to improved cell signalling which improves brain motor function and memory (Leech, 2018).

Figure 3.0: Nutrition Facts of Fresh Blueberries (U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council, n.d)

Association with Indigenous People

Sour-top blueberries were eaten by virtually every Indigenous tribe that had access to them. These tribes included the Ojibwa, Potawatomi, Algonquin, Abenaki, Cree, Chipewyan, northern Dene and various groups of British Columbia, the Halkomelem of the Eraser Valley, who traded them to the Nuu-chah-nulth, Straits, Squamish, Comox, Nlaka'pamux (Kuhnlein & Turner, 1991). The tribe that used the berries the most however, was the Chipewyan people of Northern Saskatchewan. Sour-top blueberries were more than just food to Indigenous people. “To a First Nation spirit "Blueberries" are spring, summer and fall, May to October, twenty-eight medicines and herbs. "Blueberries" mean high-bush cranberries, bog cranberries, strawberries, heart berries, Cranberry bark, Ginseng, Seneca root, mushrooms, a mothers comfort, a grandfather's teaching, aunties stories, past, present and future, a connection to Mother Earth” (Munro, n.d.). This definition of the meaning of blueberries was written by Northern White Bear, also known as George Munro of the Loon Clan. Picking berries was an important job for Indigenous women. While the men would be hunting, women would be gathering fruits and vegetables to use for many different purposes.

Figure 4.0: “Picking Berries” (Nokomis, n.d.) shows 3 women picking berries to sell at the train station. This was the only way women could make money for themselves and not have to rely on their husbands (Native Art in Canada, n.d).

Indigenous people also taught European settlers how to properly prepare blueberry dishes. In 1615, Samuel de Champlain saw Indigenous people gathering wild blueberries to make “Sautauthig” which is a pudding made with dried blueberries. The Indigenous people taught European settlers how to properly smoke-dry blueberries to use in soups and stews and showed them how to pound blueberries into cured venison (deer meat) to give it a sweet flavour (Small, 2014). Early european settlers also boiled blueberries with milk to create a grey paint (Small, 2014).

Consumption and Uses

Indigenous people ate the berries in many different ways and preserved them in order to keep them over the winter. To preserve the berries, the Chipewyan people would cook the berries in lard over a fire or they would dry them in a burlap sack. Freezing the berries did not work because they would lose their sweet taste (Kuhnlein & Turner, 1991). Indigenous people would also use the berries as a way to dye clothing and basketry (Small, 2014). Indigenous people would sometimes cook the blueberries and serve them in bannock (Kuhnlein & Turner, 1991). There were other ways different Indigenous tribes would preserve the berries for the winter. The people of the Inuit tribe would put the berries in seal oil, store them in leather bags deposited in the permafrost or dry the berries in the sunshine or on a fire (Small, 2014).

Figure 5.0: Blueberry Bannock (Diabetes Canada, n.d)

Conclusion

In conclusion, Vaccinium myrtilloides or sour-top blueberries are extremely important to Indigenous heritage and culture. Sour-top blueberries are extremely good for human health and can be used in a variety of different ways. Sour-top blueberries mean a lot to Indigenous culture and are a symbol of friendship and togetherness

References

1.Blueberry bannock. (n.d.). DiabetesCanadaWebsite. Retrieved November 15, 2022, from https://www.diabetes.ca/managing-my-diabetes/recipes/blueberry-bannock

2.Cameron, D. (n.d.). Vaccinium myrtilloides (velvet-leaved blueberry): Go Botany. Gobotany.nativeplanttrust.org. https://gobotany.nativeplanttrust.org/species/vaccinium/myrtilloides/

3.Definition of TRANSCONTINENTAL. (n.d.). Www.merriam-Webster.com. https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/transcontinental

4.George, M. (n.d.). The Blueberry Patch. Manitoba Wildlands. Retrieved November 12, 2022, from http://manitobawildlands.org/pdfs/bp3cec/HY-BP3-PCFN-The%20Blueberry%20Patch-27Feb13.pdf

5.Goldowitz Jimenez, I. (n.d.). Lowbush Blueberry Information: Guide To Lowbush Blueberry Care. Gardening Know How. Retrieved November 12, 2022, from https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/fruits/blueberries/growing-lowbush-blueberries.htm#:~:text=Like%20highbush%20blueberries%20and%20other

6.Kalt, W., Cassidy, A., Howard, L. R., Krikorian, R., Stull, A. J., Tremblay, F., & Zamora-Ros, R. (2019). Recent research on the health benefits of blueberries and their anthocyanins. Advances in Nutrition, 11(2). https://doi.org/10.1093/advances/nmz065

7.Kuhnlein, H., & Turner, N. J. (1991). Traditional Plant Foods of Canadian Indigenous Peoples. Routledge.

8.Leech, J. (2018). 10 Proven Health Benefits of Blueberries. Healthline. https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/10-proven-benefits-of-blueberries

9.Nutrition Facts - Blueberry.org. (2021, June 3). Blueberry.org. https://blueberry.org/health-benefits/nutrition-facts/

10.Picking berries to sell at the train station. (n.d.). Www.native-Art-In-Canada.com. Retrieved November 12, 2022, from https://www.native-art-in-canada.com/pickingberries.html

11.Small, E. (2014). North American Cornucopia. CRC Press. Smith, D. W., Robert James Hilton, & William Dyfred Evans. (1968). Wild Blueberry Management in Ontario 1968. University of Guelph. (Original work published 1968)

12.Ware, M. (2018, May 29). Antioxidants: Health benefits and nutritional information. Www.medicalnewstoday.com. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/301506#_noHeaderPrefixedContent