How DNA of Beaked Hazelnuts Reveals Indigenous Stewardship of the Land

Ancient Knowledge Meets Modern Science in British Columbia’s Forests

A new ethnobotany study¹ has shed new light on the intricate relationship between Indigenous peoples and the environment in British Columbia. By decoding the DNA of the beaked hazelnut (Corylus cornuta), researchers from Simon Fraser University (SFU) and the Hakai Institute uncovered evidence of plant cultivation and trade by Indigenous communities dating back at least 7,000 years.

Large, rounded beaked hazelnuts associated with the Shuswap region, growing at the ancestral village of Gitsaex in Laxyuumb Gitselasu, northwestern BC.

This genetic and linguistic research challenges long-standing misconceptions about Indigenous peoples as mere "hunter-gatherers" and underscores their role as sophisticated stewards of the land.