Science and Technology for Canadians

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NARRATOR:

Deep in the forests near Sault Sainte Marie is a Metis scientist on a mission.

LUC DUCHESNE:

Super: Luc Duchesne, Natural Resources Canada

There is a whole lot more value to a forest than just trees and really trees are just a fraction of the value of a forest stand. This forest here, the ground is covered with Ground Hemlock, which is a plant used by the pharmaceutical industry. And this is worth a fortune. In fact a handful of twigs of Ground Hemlock is worth as much as this tree here.

NARRATOR:

Cancer drugs derived from ground hemlock are just part of the potential Luc Duchesne sees in the forest. He's spreading the message to private woodlot owners.

RUTH:

Will it be worthwhile to plant ginseng here?

LUC:

Oh very much so. Ginseng is worth about 150,000 dollars a hectare. This is over 8 years so divide roughly 160 by 8 so it's 20,000 dollars a hectare per year. So it's really worth it.

LUC DUCHESNE:

In this country alone, non timber forest products may be worth as much as a billion dollars and possibly even many times more than that. In the world there is global trade of about 50 billion dollars a year in non timber forest products.

NARRATOR:

Luc's special interest is in helping people like Arnelda Jacobs.

NARRATOR:

Arnelda is an Anishnaabe elder. She can make over twenty baskets from one of these black ash trees.

Each worth up to a hundred dollars.

LUC DUCHESNE:

Is this a good one?

ARNELDA:

Yes this is a good one. I could use this to make baskets. It would split nicely.

LUC DUCHESNE:

At the very centre of native spirituality is the notion that mother earth is the ultimate provider of all foods and all things and along with this is the notion that mother earth should be respected and traditions for thanking mother earth should be emphasized in extracting raw material from the forest and this is why people like Arnelda Jacobs when they cut a tree to make baskets will make a tobacco offering. It is at the very centre of their culture.

NARRATOR:

Non-timber forest products, or NTFP's, are a natural extension of the Anishnaabe's traditional use of their land.

LUC DUCHESNE:

They've been using NTFP's for medicine, for food. They've been using them for clothing, for housing. One of the great attributes of the NTFP industry for First Nation communities, one the one hand it draws on the expertise they have developed over hundreds of generations and on the other hand it is also consistent with their spiritual tradition.

LUC DUCHESNE:

People very often tell me that non timber forest products give them some hope. It gives them the opportunity to find employment, to find a means to make a living in their communities without having to move towards cities to find employment.

ARNELDA JACOBS:

When I finish that basket I can look at my hands I say you've created this nice piece of art or whatever and it gives you a good feeling that you've achieved something, you've made that.

LUC DUCHESNE:

Non timber forest products is really the one key we have to create sustainable communities in the North by providing people with opportunities to gain employment yet maintaining biodiversity.