Situated Knowledge and Nutrition of Edible Cambium and Associated Tissues of lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta) in British Columbia and Neighboring Areas

People of northwestern North America have long used the cambium and inner bark of trees as food. My Master’s research will use a case study approach to investigate edible inner bark tissues of a pine species of the Interior Plateau of British Columbia;  lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta).   I will investigate the following questions: 1) Anatomically, what tissues comprise the edible portion in the species and what changes at the cellular level occur over the growing season? And 2) What is the nutrient composition of these tissues, and how does it change over seasons and with traditional processing? I hope this investigation will allow a better understanding of the role of edible inner bark in Indigenous Peoples’ food systems while sparking a revival of interest in this Indigenous food, which would positively influence the food sovereignty and health of First Nation Peoples.