Monitoring Climate Impacts on the Berries of Nitassinan

In fall 2020, the Innu women of the communities of Ekuanitshit and Nutashkuan, on the North Shore of the St. Lawrence River in Quebec, launched an innovative project to conserve the berries of their traditional territory, Nitassinan. The initiative was born out of a growing concern – for some time, the berry pickers in the community had noticed a worrisome decline in the abundance and distribution of their traditionally picked berries. Thanks to the efforts of women from these communities, three years of initial funding was secured to start a project to monitor the impact of climate change on these precious resources. Enthusiasm for the initiative quickly spread beyond the two communities, drawing the attention and participation of the neighbouring Innu communities of Unamen Shipu and Pakua Shipi.

Beginning in spring 2021, the project officially launched thanks to the initial funding obtained. Elders from the four communities shared their traditional knowledge of berries, helping to refine the understanding of the current situation and inform the project’s methodology. At the same time, a number of young people were hired to collect essential data. These concerted efforts made it possible to gather crucial information on flower and fruit production, plant diseases, ideal habitat types for these berries, pollinator abundance and diversity, and the impact of climate change, such as freeze-thaw cycles, erosion, wind and drought, to name only a few.

Encouraged by its initial success, the project continued with a second phase in 2024. The communities are now focusing on identifying and implementing practical solutions to promote the health and conservation of the berries. This process is crucial to the Innu, as natural resources lie at the heart of their culture, nutrition and traditional medicine.

To learn more about the project: Four Innu First Nations collaborate on climate monitoring of berries – First Nations of Quebec and Labrador Sustainable Development Institute

Article: Berries and Climate Change: Innu Women Take Action – Média de l’action climatique au Québec (in French only)

Brief audio interview: Promoting the Value of Berries of the Nitassinan Territory – Radio-Canada Ohdio (in French only)

Short documentary: Nutshimiumina – Rainsley-Vincent (in French only)