Chapters 4.61
4.61.Red huckleberry
Kevin Mansour , University of Guelph, Canada
Suggested citation for this chapter.
Mansour,K . (2022) Fleshy Fruits. In The Student Encyclopedia of Canadian Indigenous Foods. Editor, M.N. Raizada, University of Guelph, Canada. http://www.firstnationsfoods.org/
Introduction
Red Huckleberry is a very important resource for Indigenous people living on the pacific coastline, since it is a reliable food source that also has medicinal properties (USDA). Despite being such a commodity of indigenous people, the Red Huckleberry is commercialized mainly by harvesting wild plants, which increased the competition for this resource between Indigenous people and commercial harvesters (Richards & Alexander, 2006).
Plant Information
The Red Huckleberry can be identified by its thin angular branches and bright green stems (USDA) that both turn greyish brown as the plant matures (UVIC). The four meters shrubs host two types of leaves, evergreen young leaves, and mature deciduous leaves (UVIC). The young leaves are dark green, elliptic, serrated, and overwintering (UVIC). In contrast, the mature leaves are deciduous, bright green, ovate, thin, and smooth-edged (Kuhnlein and Turner, 1991). The flowers are small, normally pinkish, bell-shaped, and blossom only on the leaf axils (Kuhnlein and Turner, 1991). The berries are normally bright red, and are acid, juicy, and flavorful (Kuhnlein and Turner, 1991).
Geographic Origins
The Red Huckleberry is a deciduous shrub native to the American pacific coastline, found from northern Alaska to California (Kuhnlein and Turner, 1991). The Red Huckleberry typically grows under the shade of humid coniferous forests and wetlands (USDA), in the gaps of the canopy (UVic Map Shop), in areas rich in decaying wood (Kuhnlein and Turner, 1991).
Associated Indigenous Peoples
The Red Huckleberry were consumed by all Indigenous people living along the coasts of British Columbia (Kuhnlein and Turner, 1991). Among the most prevalent groups to consumed Red Huckleberries were the Skallam, the Lummi, the Makah, the Quileute, the Quinault, the Skagit, the Skokomish, the Snohomish, the Swinomish, the Sechelt, the Gitksan of the Skeena River, the Lower Nlaka'pamux and the Lower Lillooet (USDA). Each group consumed the berries differently, some even using the berries for medicinal purposes or for hunting. The section “Consumption and Uses” provides a more detailed look at how different Indigenous groups used Red Huckleberries (Kuhnlein and Turner, 1991).
Consumption And Uses
The Red Huckleberries were primarily eaten with oil, animal grease, or fish fat by several Indigenous groups (Kuhnlein and Turner, 1991). However, some Indigenous people consumed Red Huckleberries differently, depending on their local traditions (USDA).
A smoke-drying method was used by the Sechelt people to preserve the berries, using the plants branches as fuel (Kuhnlein and Turner, 1991). On the other hand, raw berries were preferred by the Lower Chinook and Lummi (USDA). In order to preserve the berries, the Gitksan of the Skeena River would keep them in grease or in a cool place to maintain the freshness of the berries (Kuhnlein and Turner, 1991). The Red Huckleberries were a very important nutritional source for the Lower Nlaka’pamux and Lower Lillooet, which consumed substantial quantities of these berries (Kuhnlein and Turner, 1991). In case of food scarcity, Nlaka’pamux would dry, store the berries, and use them as a food reserve (Kuhnlein and Turner, 1991). Various parts of the plant were used to make tea. The bark of the Red Huckleberry was boiled by the Skagit to make tea for colds (USDA), while the Quinault of Washington used the leaves (Kuhnlein and Turner, 1991). Due to their resemblance to salmon eggs, the berries were also used as bait for fishing. (UVIC).
Health Benefits
In addition to the nutritional value of the berries, the Red Huckleberry plant has various medical uses. The plant's leaves, roots, stems, and flowers can be soaked in boiling water to prepare teas and infusions (Hummer, 2013). Quinic acid, a previous treatment for gout, is present in the leaves and stems and is claimed to suppress the production of uric acid (USDA). In Europe, the leaves have been used extensively to reduce or alter blood sugar levels (USDA). Huckleberry tea has a benign, but helpful impact as an additional treatment for diabetes mellitus and will gradually help to ease both glycosuria and hyperglycemia if taken on a regular basis (USDA).
Limitations
Red huckleberry is a very slow growing plant, it takes about five years of root seeding for the plant to start to develop vertically (UVic Map Shop). Additionally, the Red Huckleberry requires very specific conditions to grow that may be difficult to provide, such as partial or full shade and excessive drainage. (USDA). The wetlands and moist coniferous forests in which Red Huckleberry thrive are being substantially damaged by agricultural practices and overtaken by urban expansion (Environment Canada, 2013). A failure in protecting these environments could result in the endangerment of many native plants, including the Red Huckleberry.
References
1.Canada, E. A. C. C. (n.d.). Extent of Canada’s wetlands - Canada.ca. https://www.canada.ca/en/environment-climate-change/services/environmental-indicators/extent-wetlands.html
2.Hummer, K. E. (2013, April 1). Manna in Winter: Indigenous Americans, Huckleberries, and Blueberries. Hortsci. https://journals.ashs.org/hortsci/view/journals/hortsci/48/4/article-p413.xml
3.Kuhlnlein, H. V., & Turner, N. J. (1991). Traditional Plant Foods of Canadian Indigenous Peoples: Nutrition, Botany, and Use.
4.Red Huckleberry | UVic Map Shop. (2017, December 1). https://mapping.uvic.ca/section/red-huckleberry
5.USDA Plants Database. (n.d.-b). https://plants.usda.gov/home/plantProfile?symbol=VAPA