Classification and nomenclature in Witsuwit'en ethnobotany: A preliminary examination

33 Pages·1998·51.6 MB·English

by  Leslie M Johnson-Gottesfeld

Ethnobiology
Journal of 18(1):69-101 Summer
1998
AND
NOMENCLATURE
CLASSIFICATION
WITSUWIT'EN
IN
ETHNOBOTANY: A
PRELIMINARY EXAMINATION
LESLIE M. JOHNSON-GOTTESFELD
Department Anthropology
of
University Alberta
of
Edmonton,
Alberta
»
T6G 2H4
Canada
SHARON HARGUS
Department
Linguistics
of
Washington
University
of
Box 354340
Washington
Seattle,
USA
98195-4340
—
ABSTRACT.
The Witsuwit'en are Athapaskan speaking peoples of northwestern
who
Columbia, Canada. They were harvested salmon,
British traditionally foragers
game
animals and a diversity of plant foods. Witsuwit'en plant classification
number poorly
includes a large of generics or basic terms. Folk specifics are
developed. There are also major plant classes, or "life forms", and intermediate
groupings. "Life forms" include 'plant', 'berry', 'flower', 'moss', 'fungus'
'tree',
Brown
and perhaps The two proposed by Berlin and
'grass'. first satisfy criteria
in being morphologically and containing relatively large
defined, transitive,
contrast sets. The remainder are cross-cutting ('berry'), utilitarian ('berry', 'flower'),
n
empty showing forms
or 'mushroom', similarities to "life
('moss', 'flower'),
reported for other northwestern North American peoples. Several intermediate
groupings are proposed, defined either by morphology or utility, including such
seems be important
types as 'willows', 'spines', and 'poisonous plants'. Utility to
may coded
in perception and grouping and be directly or indirectly in
of plants,
A
plant names. number Witsuwit'en plant names are loan-words from Gitksan,
of
and
a Tsimshianic language spoken the north west.
to
—
RESUMEN. de
noroeste
Los witsuwit'en son gente de lengua atabascana del la
de salmon,
pescadores
Columbia eran
en Canada. Tradicionalmente
Britanica
La clasificacion
cazadores y recolectores de diversos alimentos vegetales.
o
genericos bisicos
witsuwit'en de un gran niimero de terminos
plantas incluye
}
que o no productivos, o en ocasiones
se designan por lexemas primarios simples
o "formas de
por Hay mayores de plantas,
tambien
frases descriptivas. clases
hasta
una forma generica descrita
vida", y agrupaciones intermedias. Solamente
Las
indigenas especificas.
ahora, t/'oy, 'paste/, parece estar dividida en categories
"formLaass de vida" incluyen 'arbol', 'planta', 'baya', 'flor', 'musgo', 'hongo' y tal
Brown
propuestos por Berlin
vez y
Las primeras dos criterios
'paste/. satisfacen los
'
de
contener juegos
en cuanto morfologicamente, ser transitivas, y
a ser definidas
entrecruzadas
son categories
contraste relativamente grandes. Las restantes
'hongo',
('musgo', 'flor'),
vacias
son o estan
('bayas'),
utilitarias ('bayas', 'flores'),
pueblos
entre otros
mostrando semejanzas con "formas de vida" reportadas
las
intermedias,
agrupacion*
del noroeste de Norteamerica. Se proponen varias
como
incluyendo tipos tales
definidas ya sea por su morfologia o por su utilidad,
JOHNSON-GOTT
70 Vol. No.
18,
1
La
los 'sauces', las 'espinas', y las 'plantas venenosas'. utilidad parece ser
importante en la percepcion y agrupacion de las plantas, y puede ser codificada
directa o indirectamente en los nombres botanicos. Cierto niimero de nombres
witsuwit'en de plantas son prestamos del gitksan, una lengua tsimshianica hablada
hacia el norte y occidente.
—
RESUME. Les Witsuwit'en sont des Athapasquans du nord-ouest de Colombie
la
britannique au Canada. Ds vivaient traditionnellement de chasse au gros au
et
petit gibier, de peche au saumon et de cueillette de plantes alimentaires. La
classification witsuwit'en des plantes comprend un nombre eleve de taxons de
ou
base generiques qui sont designes par des lexemes primaires simples (non
analysables) ou steriles (analysables mais non productifs), ou quelquefois des
phrases descriptives. y a egalement des classes majeures de plantes ou formes
II
du Un
vivant, et des categories intermediaires. seul generique decrit jusqu'a
present, tl'oy 'herbe', semble etre subdivise en taxons specifiques. Les "formes
du
vivant" sont suivantes: 'mousses',
les 'arbre', 'plante', 'baie', 'fleur',
'champignon' et peut-etre 'herbe'. Les deux premieres sont conformes aux
de Brown
caracteristiques ces categories telles qu'etablies par Berlin et elles sont
:
de
definies a partir morphologiques, subdivisent
criteres elles sont transitives et se
en ensembles
contrastes relativement Les autres chevauchent d'autres
larges.
categories ('baie'), sont de nature ou sont vides ('mousses',
utilitaire ('baie', 'fleur'),
'champignon', du
'fleur'), montrant des similitudes avec 'formes vivant'
les
rapportees pour d'autres peuples du nord-ouest de Amerique du Nord. Certaines
1'
categories
intermediaires de
sont proposees, definies a partir criteres
morphologiques ou comme
utilitaires, les 'saules', 'les plantes a piquants' et 'les
plantes veneneuses'. Les un important dans
facteurs semblent jouer role
utilitaires
la perception et la categorisation des plantes noms de plantes peuvent refleter
et les
directement ou Un noms
indirectement nombre de de plantes
cet etat. certain
witsuwit'en sont des emprunts du au nord
Gitksan, une langue tsimshiane parlee
et a
l'ouest.
INTRODUCTION
The
Witsuwit'en. an Athana«Wani BBrriittiisshn
northwestern
speaking group
of
Columb
environment
.~ragers in a largely forested
.
,.
between
the coastal and Their traditiona
rain forest the boreal forest.
hunt
emphasized and
fishing for anadromous salmon, lake fishing,
and o
small game, suDolemented with rnlWtion of a wide variety
2
The
cambium
.
Witsuwit'en
presently River,
live largely in two modern along the Bulkley
villages
and
are
integrated vari-
into the contemporary Canadian economy, although
cash
ous
foraging
activities take
place
still (Gottesfeld 1994, 1995).
Virtually modern
and essentially
all Witsuwit'en some
speak English
at least
all people under In
about speakers.
40
years of age are monolingual English
Moncetown,
the community speakers,
with number Witsuwit'en
the largest of
only
10-15%
of the community speakers.
of roughly 1200 can be classed as native
Witsuwit'en 65
spoken about
is in daily by over
conversation primarily elders
years
of public
age;
group
this may In
of people have English.
limited fluency in
m
venues, ,^ c^^u^n
Witsuwit'en n „nf ah cnnes are in
P a „u:~n.. :_
is ,.u„
•
Summer JOURNAL OF ETHNOBIOLOGY
1998
71
•
•
120°W
60°N
SLAVE
>
SEKANI
BRITISH
GITKSAN
NISfiA'A
COAST
WITSUWIT'EN
TSIMSHI
CARRIER
SOUTHERN
COL
MBI
AN y>
TSIMSHI
UXALK
H
CHILCOTIN
-j
N
SCALE
LILLOET
THOMPSON
>
Vancouver
km
100 200
NITINAHK.,
<^t
—
FIGURE Map
Columbia indigenous
showing
the general areas of different British
1.
languages mentioned in the Languages not mentioned in our analysis are not
text.
indicated on map.
the
'
Data
Witsuwit'en, and given Witsuwit'en. for
formal speeches are preferably in
whom
this study were from speakers born before 1930, for
collected primarily
»
Witsuwit'en was Some younger speakers were also con-
the preferred language.
t
sulted regarding proper English of certain terms.
translation into
—
were
and nomenclature
Methods. The
t data for this analysis of plant classification
and
ethnomedical, eco-
by
collected Johnson-Gottesfeld during ethnobotanical,
The were
data
> among 1986-1996.
logical fieldwork Witsuwit'en the period
the in
gathered regarding plant uses, identifica-
in a series of unstructured interviews
tion, and naming, and gather medicinal plants. Plant
during several field trips to
and
information was by bringing fresh specimens to elders in-
times
elicited at
by
was reference
quiring what were Information also collected
specific plants called.
such
™\nr and plant parts as
to a loosp-lpaf nofoV.r.nV nf of local olants
t-»hr»fn«
were volunteered
Other plant data
rootstocks.
was by
described plants
neously. spontaneously
Confirmation
of identity of
postulated identifications,
reference confirm
to fresh plant material collected to
known
specimens identity
(Bye 1986) of
HARGUS
JOHNSON-GOTTESFELD
and
No.
Vol.
72 18, 1
and
carried as a charm), or by freehand sketches verbal descriptions, later verified
by showing a plant or specimen to an elder to confirm the identification. Voucher
Museum
Columbia
herbarium Royal
specimens are deposited in the of the British
Herbarium
in Victoria; a duplicate set held in the of the University of Alberta.
is
2
Interviews were conducted in Witsuwit'en with a bilingual translator, or in
names and
English, with use of Witsuwit'en plant other botanical terms. Plant
names and taxonomic questions were explored with 19 different consultants,
all
fluent, native speakers of Witsuwit'en. Eighteen of these were over 60 years of age
who
when
and
interviewed, of the consultants contributed substantial linguis-
all
had on
data lived the land at least in their childhood.
tic
was by Sharon Hargus with
Linguistic research independently carried out field-
work from 1988-present, and she was consulted during the data gathering phase
Some work has
to check the correctness of linguistic data. of her recent field in-
(now
cluded by Kari
re-elicitation of plant terms originally collected Priscilla
mid with
and terms
Russell) in the 1970s confirmation of the referents of these
specimens or photographs in plant manuals. Linguistic analyses presented in this
paper are her work.
—
many
pa-
Classification. Ethnobiological have been the subject of
classifications
much
and
pers theoretical debate. According to Berlin (1992; Berlin et ah 1973),
con-
ethnobiological taxonomic and organization,
classifications are hierarchical in
up what he terms
sisting of The most
to six different levels or ranks. inclusive is
unique beginner" unnamed most ranging throu
(e.g., 'plant'), — in cultures,
*> \_s > i_j * ± ww r *-^ ^-^
//
form"
generics
life (e.g., 'tree'), "intermediate" taxa 'evergreen'), folk (e.g.
(e.g.,
pine
Not ranks
cultures have taxonomic
all of the "universal" ethnobiological
all
and
Waddy
represented
in
their (1982),
classifications. In particular, Berlin (1992),
Hunn
and
French spe-
(1984) have argued that foraging peoples tend to lack folk
may
and (Brown
cifics have fewer recognized form or no forms
categories, life
life
Most but
1985). generics are reported to be included in one or another life form,
Similarly
further
two
only
which develops
usually
most (M
//
fruitfully
1993; Randall 3 theoreti
1976, 1987). However, not our purpose debate this
to
it is
terms ethnobiological
for
Bulmer
terms
literature
employ them does not r
Our terms
in this study. use of these
a ethnobiolo
priori Berlin's conclusions about the nature of
.
and
classification, our usage of form" does not conform entirely to his (
"life
ria, as will be
discussed
below.
Generics what
are most
Berlin
taxonomy.
distinct "kinds"
of plants or animals, in any ethnobotanical
usually
and
92) Atran have commented generics are
(1990) that folk
between
to
t scientific species However, distinction
in a local context. the
be-
nay
be more genera,
on
the order between
of differences scientific
Summer JOURNAL OF ETHNOBIOLOGY
1998
73
i
many
cause genera be monotypic any
will in local environment. In some
instances,
may
the generics be partitioned which
into folk specifics, are recognized as being
which
special cases of the generic one few
differ in or a characters. In relatively
few down
instances, folk species are further broken
into superficially recognized
but
similar varieties. This usually occurs with distinctive cultivars or color phases
and
of cultivars, does not typically occur with wild plant
species.
Major
plant categories in ethnobotanical have been
classification called
life
forms
(Atran Brown
1985, 1990; Berlin et 1973; Berlin 1992; 1977, 1984). Life
al.
forms understood by
are these authors to be broad groupings of plant kinds based
on
morphological by monomorphemic words
characters, typically designated
by
(called Berlin [1992] simple primary lexemes), and containing contrast sets of
named
subordinate Atran maintains forms
generics. (1990) that are natural,
life
rather than categories which divide up the botanical domain without
artificial,
overlap (although Berlin 1992 notes that not generics appear to be affiliated
all
with
these broad groupings). There has been considerable debate in the literature
over and (Hunn
the validity universality of such plant groupings in cultural context
Hunn
1982; Randall 1976, 1987; Randall and 1984; Morris 1984; Taller de Tradicion
Oral and Beaucage 1987; Turner 1974, 1987) and what the nature of broad plant
groupings in various cultures whose ethnobotanical classification has been in-
is
vestigated.
Intermediates were conceptualized by Berlin (1973) as covert
originally et al.
were
groupings of generics between the ranks of form and generic; they be-
life
more
lieved to be Subsequent work has revealed that intermediates are
rare.
widespread than previously believed, and that they might sometimes be overtly
and Beaucage
labeled by and de Tradicion
(Berlin 1992). Studies Turner (1989) Taller
number
some might be large of
(1987) reveal that for groups, there a relatively
with variable bases
intermediates of varying and, according to Turner,
inclusivity,
even symbolic.
or
for inclusion, ranging from morphological to utilitarian
strictly
Atran non-morphologically based intermediates, but allows
(1985, 1990) rejects
based intermedi-
morphologically
for the existence of "covert family fragments",
modern
which botanical
ates form postulating that the
cross-cut the category,
life
Family derived from Brown has rejected unlabeled ethnobiological
is these. (1977)
terminology
to
classes, while Taylor explores the relationship of botanical
(1990)
be
can
among unlabeled classes rec-
classification the Tobelo, and concludes that
members postulated
ognized by of the
the use of terms which pertain only to the
An term PI
class. example from our study area would be the existence of the 'co-
needle bearing tree/
"evergreen
nifer which
leaf or needle', implies the class
4
shrub."
CLASSIFICATION
WITSUWIT'EN
// form" rank,
Witsuwit life
one
number and possibly poly-
a some groupings,
intermediate
of generics,
at least
only
the level
typic The generic level is
generic divided into several species.
and intermediates
forms"
encountered or
in general use; major plant classes "life
As
are more commonly discourse about plants. is typi-
implicit than referred to in
match
general
cal of most Witsuwit'en generics in
folk botanical classifications,
HARGUS
GOTTESFELD
and
No.
Vol.
74 18,
1
—
TABLE Terms // Empty" Forms
Witsuwit'en Basic Level Life
1.
Name Name
Plant Species English Witsuwit'en Life form
ho'oqs dacan
Abies lasiocarpa (Hook.) Nutt. subalpine fir ts'o tsan,
Acer glabrum Torr. ssp. douglasii Douglas maple ?ag, ?ag can dacan
(Hook.)Wesmael
yarrow ba?al yez wani
Achillea millefolium L.
Agrostis tenuis Sibth. red top tl'oy 'oy?
tl
moss // daxye
Alectoria or Bryoria spp. "black tree
Allium cernuum Roth nodding onion tl'oy baitsan
cat'an baitsan fi'oy?
Alnus Pursh 'mountain waze dacan
crispa (Ait.) alder'
Moench dacan
Alnus
incana alder q'as
(L.)
mi?
Amelanchier alnifolium Nutt. saskatoon berry dacan,
tefsgt
Apocynum
androsaemifolium L. spreading dogbane le/, c 'sndeqi
Aquilegia formosa Fisch. red columbine lasue
Aralia nudicaulis L. wild sarsparilla SGanistl'es
mi?
Arctostaphylos uva-ursi kinnikinnik daniq c'at'an,
(L.)
Spreng.
Arnica Hook, and kwa'n
cordifolia heart-leaved arnica; ditnic
?Taraxacum Weber
dandelion?
officinale
dacan
Betula Marsh.
papyrifera paper
birch
Car
ex sp. sedge 'oy?
tl'oy tl
tel,
Chrysanthemum leucanthemum L
ox-eye daisy c 'an tsay?
'at
&
Cicuta douglasii? (DC) Coult. water hemlock? wayen wanyeni co,
co,
Rose
honyeni co
Cirsium
arvense (L) Scop. Canada wale yinat'ayb
thistle
Cornus
canadensis L. bunchberry danig yez, canig 1 'an, c 'at 'an,
mi?
mi?
Guzig
Cornus
dacan
stolonifera Michx. dogwood qaq q'entsec
red-osier dalq'a'
n,
Corylus cornuta Marsh. qekwa dacan
beaked
hazelnut tsalac 'n
mi?
Crataegus douglasii? Lindl. # hawthorne xwasmi? dacan,
?black
Cypripedium montanum
Dougl. mountain calqe yiz
lady slipper daltse yil,
Delphinium
glauca # Wats. gus
S. larkspur dani zic
tall
Dryopteris expansa
(K.B. Presl) spiny woodfern dayi
'n
&
Fraser-Jenkins Jermy
Epilobium
c'at'an
angustifolium X™
L. fireweed
Ecjuisetum
arvense %a% 'oy
L., horsetail Xax de c 'at 'an tl
?,
E. pratense Ehrb.
mi?
Fragaria
virginiana Duchesne c'at'an,
wild yan
strawberry tadalq 'a 'n
(L c'anqat,c'anqatl
riceroot
lily
Ker-Gawl
Geum
macrophyllum
Willd.
large-leaved avens halq ban
'at
Michx c'at'an
cow
parsnip GUS
Inonotus
obliquus
(Pers.:
Fr.) Pilat cinder conk dac'ac'asts'o?,tl'egtse
Juniperus communis
common
L.
juniper detsan qe gat,
detsan ?anqat,
detsan ?al
detsan
can,
krumholz
Tsuga
mertensiana
(Bong.) Carr
'mountain
juniper'
dacan
timberline subalpine
ts'ax
and mountain
fir
hemlock
JOURNAL OF ETHNOBIOLOGY
Summer
1998 75
TABLE 1.—
(continued)
Name Name
Plant Species English Witsuwit'en Life form
peavme
Lathrys nevadensis Wats. qoncsdos
Ledum groenlandicum Oeder Labrador hdi mosgic
tea
m
mi?
Lonicera involucrata (Rich.) Banks black twinberry sos ? con docon,
i
Lupinus sp. (arcticus?) lupine dzoi q ot tl 'oy
Lycodium clubmoss? hatoc
selago L.?*
fir
)
Lysichiton americanum Hult+n skunk cabbage c 'an co
'ot
&
John
St.
Mentha mint? c'ot'ants'oltst
arvensis L.? field
Nuphar polysepalum Engelm. and yellow pond Xeit'ats,dolkw'ax
lily
neidoc
Calla (leaves)
woyui
palusths (root)
L.
xwos co
xwos,
Oplopanax horridum (Smith) Miq. devil's club (also
wos
k was, k co)
docon
Picea engelmanii x glauca spruce ts 'o
docon
nedus, ts'odozV.
Picea mariana black spruce ts'o,
(Mill.) Britt.,
&
Pogg
Sterns
docon
condu
Pinus Dougl. lodgepole pine
contorta
dolkw'ax neidoc
Plantago major broad-leaved plantain
L.
9 oy hdi troy
Poaceae indet. grass sp. tl
f
docon
Voyos
Michx trembling aspen
docon
cottonwood ts'oy
black
ifi
&
trichocarpa Gray) Hult
(Torr.
mi?
docon,
snow
Prunus
?pensylvanica L. 'red cherry'
mi?
docon,
Primus cherry smits 'oq
pensylvanica bird
dzoq
wintergreen or single tsa
ifi
'beaver ear'
(L delight,
mi?
docon,
molqs
crabapple
Pacific
fi
mi?
c'ondcwozgi,
gooseberry
Ribes northern
oxyacanthoides
L.
kw'ondewozgi
mi?
dotogi
q 'ay
Ribes red currant'
'wild
triste? Pall.
>
mi?
mi?
dolkw'ax
Ribes ?lacustre (Pers.) Poir 'wild black currant'
mi?
c'ot'an,
tsei yil
Rosa acicularis Lindl. prickly rose
mi?
boyoiaokw
Rubus
raspberry
idaeus red
L.
mi?
c'ot'an,
dinqay
doq (berry),
Rubus thimbleberry
parviflorus Nutt.
fan
misq'o? (bush)
mi?
mosGole
'n
Rubus salmonberry
Pursh
spectabilis
docon
q 'endlif
Salix spp. willow
docon
luts
Sambucus
elderberry
racemosa red
L.
mi?
tsemi?
Sedum
stonecrop
divergens Wats.
mi?
nowos
Shepherdia Nutt soapberry
canadensis
(L.)
tsasco
sasco,
Sium "wild
suave?Viall # water parsnip?
carrot"
mi?
tsokw
toe
Smilacina false
racemosa
Desf,
(L.)
Solomon's
\
9 docon
concc oi
docon hoitson,
Sorbus mountain ash f
Greene
scopulina
mosdzi tsawosdi,
honq'exts'ocon
yon fax yoi y">
moss yin, tl
Sphagnum sphagnum
magellanicum
Brid. (part)
yoll
HARGUS
JOHNSON-GOTTESFELD
and
76 No.
Vol.
18,
1
TABLE 1.—
(continued)
Name
Plant Species English Witsuwit form
Life
Spina Hook. pink
douglasii ssp. 'ddzzic docsn
ts
&
menziesii (Hook.) Calder Taylor
Streptopus roseus Michx. rosy twisted stalk tsolto mi?
Symphoricarpos albus (L.) Blake snowberry c 'dtsdft mi? ddcan, mi?
Don
Thuja plicata Donn. ex D. western red cedar S9mGdn,het'3l docon
Tsuga heterophylla (Raf.) Sarg. western hemlock mssdzu ddcan
Typha
latifolia I cattail 'oy zi 'oy c 'azig 'oy?
tl tl tl
9
Urtica
dioica L. stinging nettle hoits
'ec
Michx
low-bush blueberry ysntdmi? mi?
Vaccinium membranaceum Dougl. black huckleberry dzgi mi?
lifolium Smith high-bush blueberry dindze mi?
Vaccinium oxycoccus L. bog cranberry mi?o mi?
Veratrum
viride Ait. Indian hellebore qunye c'ot'an
Viburnum
edule (Michx mi?
anberry
tsaitse
unidentified fern? or domuh Van
s c'at'an
skunk
cabbage?,
fro
fern spp.
lady spiny woodferntesf ?a% stan
fern, stan, ts'otl'ax
fungi, in general
fung 'syebedzsq,
c 'ebedzaq, c
c 'ebedzdq
puffball
sp.
puffball ddni zic cac 'asGdkw
white
lichen, probably
a reindeer
this c'agu
moss
(Cladonia or Cladina
spp.)
water
plant, unidentified • • dhz
'streaming'
ex
t
flower, in general
'flower', wildflower c 'andec c '^fldec
mosses,
in general
moss
yin
yin
enness
uncertain
# identification from *
Kari
(1978)
m
Walp
snow
of
*
from
• • the description, maybe
a species of submerged Potamogeton
well with
scientific mosses,
species, while relatively inconspicuous plants such as
and
lichens
fungi few
(fungal fruiting bodies) are underdifferentiated, with only a
Witsuwit'en
terms many
for the
kinds
in the
local biota.
Generics
was on
ethnobotanical study the
i
com
Johnson-Gottesfeld
did not attempt a
to collect
tory
of
all plants
distinguished and named
bv
Witsuwit
the
three
which
// empty
are //
forms
under ofthe
Major
plant and Seventy-
classes Intermediates).
further
terms
names
for plants named
already
documented,
for a total of 91
plant
classes.
—
Summer JOURNAL OF ETHNOBIOLOGY
1998
77
tsaitse f O
ti
highbush cranberry spruce
nedus
spruce1
'jack
mariana
icea engelmanii
xalauca
Xeit'ats troy
'wateriily'
'grass'
r^tta
O
tl'oytel
Typha
latifolia
Carexsp.
luatic
tl'oy
O
ti'oybdi oaceae
grasses,
true c.f
Nuphar polysepalum
grass Agrostis
uni entitled
m
cernuum
Jzri q'at tl'oy
Lupinus
sp.
prototype
O
species
scientific
Witsuwit'en ger
several
3f
and
Witsuwit'en generics
bounds The prototypica
of Witsuwit'en generics are indicated by gray outlines.
included
Any species
other scientific
scientific species indicated by a solid black circle.
is
A
The generic
in the Witsuwit'en with hollow circles. tl'o
eeneric are indicated fi
#
Witsuwit
Witsuwit'en subdivisions or specifics.
boldface and names
type,
scientific in italics.
—
m
Most
appear ujii»pv/iu-i n«~** *"*•© o
lencs iu
^
Of
those
(Figure
may more one species 2).
than scientific
cover
know
monotypic
genera
in the
m
»^~~
rw**
aptxies ppoollyyttyyppic genera species or i\uuus, -
(see r
,
t
more than one
which can refer to
5
in Table an example of a generic
ts'o
l). is
1.1
.„
-~£„-i~u\^Vcr>™r0(Pirpamariatia
[Mill.)
spruce
r ..
: , . .
common
^ui &
mmouriec ^iiu^w*. «
v S^itceirinis^ OC PloUegeg..); adbs wweellll as tUhieC „
di)
,
from botanical
further
diverge
Some groupings
spruce
Picea engelmannii x glauca
.
paustris
plant Calla
water aquatic
shallow
classification: Xe* fats can refer to the
Engelm
(in
Nuphar polysepalum
pond
L. (in the Araceae) as well as the yellow lily
J
_
Fnalish
Xn that
in
^ iMilawl
.1 T - . + - The consul.itj.ant*
medicinal plant.
was
calla a 'baby water
lily'.
HARGUS
JOHNSON-GOTTESFELD and
Vol. No.
78 18, 1
named
The only which appears to be a polytypic generic with four spe-
class
nodding and
'oy The terms for onion, sedge, cattail a species of
cies 'grass'.
is tl
by
grass are hyponyms of 'oy, 'oy modified a second term (see Figure
all tl i.e., tl
2).
we
which
There are two other examples of possible folk specifics tentatively
treat as coordinate taxa (Hunn and French 1984) at the generic level. While the
term bunchberry (danig yez, 'small kirirukinnik') suggests that a species
for it is
lit.
of donig 'kinnikinnik', we interpret these terms as two forms at the same level of
classification with a relationship indicated by a diminutive, as has been reported
No
in Sahaptin (Hunn and French 1984) and Slave (Rice 1989). consultant described
—
mi?
and Guzig
bunchberry canig 'marten 'gray
also called 'an plant')
(lit.
t (lit.
—
" any between
jay berries') as a "kind of donig or suggested special relationship
know
them, although speakers clearly the meanings of such terms. Since
literal
we
did not specifically speakers' views on such relationships, our interpreta-
elicit
must
tion be seen as tentative. Consider ts'o tS9D 'subalpine fir' (Abies lasiocarpa
by
[Hook.] Nutt): Hargus has heard tsan spontaneously translated literal
ts 'o its
meaning might be
'stinking, smelly spruce', suggesting that subalpine treated
fir
any
as a type of ts'o 'spruce' (Picea spp.). However, no consultant indicated rela-
how some
tionship between the two nor explained y o tsan might differ from
ts
//
typical"
ts
'o.
Although the 91 generics and specifics do not constitute a complete inventory
known
a
of the flora to the Witsuwit'en, they do exhibit the pattern reported for
number Hunn Randall
of other foraging peoples and French 1984;
(Berlin 1992;
Hunn
and Brown 2%
1984; 1985) with around polytypic generics.
The
majority and named by Witsuwit'en are large,
of plants recognized the
par-
salient in the environment, and importance In order to
of ecological or
utility.
by research
tially correct for the bias in the ethnobotanical fieldwork caused the
focus on use attempted to
of plants, during 1992 fieldwork Johnson-Gottesfeld
names by the
were used
elicit of several plants that she had no indication
which are
Witsuwit'en. She was unable to obtain names for four plants, three of
common
quite conspicuous and common. Two herbs,
were specimens of
flowering
Indian (Aster
paintbrush (Castilleja miniata Dougl.) and a purple flowered aster
?ciliolatus Lindl), and the third was a branch of a very common shrub, pink spirea
and
&
(Spiraea Hook. with flowers
douglasii
ssp. menziesii [Hook.] Calder Taylor),
6 Two words
had
fruits. elders commented would have
that "in the old days" they
know
for everything, including terms for the flowers, but they did not currently
any
term
for the and
aster Indian paintbrush besides c 'ondec 'flower'.
Major Witsuwit'en
Plant
Classes or "Life Forms" .—Broad groupings of plant classes in
folk
are as
relatively
sessions,
difficult to identify without
specialized elicitation
employ
generics are the terms commonly We provisionally
employed. here
will
the term form" which Johnson-
broad
"life for groupings Witsuwit'en plant types
of
we
report
Gottesfeld
inferred during work groups
her although the
field (Table
2),
here do not uniformly conform by Berlin (1992),
form given
to the definitions of
life
Atran
Brown on utilitarian
(1985, 1990), or (1977) in that they may be based in part
contain
criteria, are not always may
mutually and be "empty," that is,
exclusive,
by
few
or no named described
subordinate
situation
generics. This similar to the
is