t’s Highland Valley Copper Operations is located in territory traditionally occupied by the Nlaka’pamux people. For many generations, the Nlaka’pamux have used local plants for medicine, food and other traditional activities.
In recent years, Nlaka’pamux communities have asked about dust emissions from the mine and whether there is a potential impact on local ecosystems and on those traditional plants used by community members. To answer this question, Highland Valley Copper and the Nlaka’pamux communities jointly launched a study to examine dust deposition from the mine and assess any potential effects on traditional plants.
该研究旨在解决Nlaka'Pamux社区成员对矿井尘埃对土地和高地山谷地区的传统植物的潜在影响的担忧。今天的Nlaka'Pamux社区仍然使用许多传统植物进行食物，医学和精神目的。
The first was a study to examine how dust from the mine was travelling. This was done by collecting and analyzing lichens, which are particularly sensitive to dust because they are physiologically dependent on atmospheric deposition for nutrients. The study compared an area within 10–15 kilometres of the mine boundary with a reference area identified by Nlaka’pamux community participants as dust-free and good for comparison to dust-affected areas. The community members were also engaged to ensure the study included specific gathering areas where concerns about dust had been identified.
关于灰尘模式的该信息用于开发研究的下一阶段，例如粉尘沉积对传统植物的任何潜在效果。Nlaka'Pamux研讨会参与者决定将研究拍摄和肥皂料的芽和浆果的研究重点放在Soapberry，这对于医学，食品和其他价值观的Nlaka'Pamux非常重要。Soapberry是研究灰尘影响的好物种，因为植物在高地谷地区普遍存在。
Fieldwork for the traditional plants study was carried out within the mine study area and in the reference area. Community engagement consisted of six workshops over the course of the study, in which Nlaka’pamux representatives were involved in setting study objectives, developing the study design and methodology, interpreting results, and planning for sharing results with the communities. The study included collection of berries and other plant samples and soils, which was led by Nlaka’pamux elders and youth.This included a field workshop with elders to show the techniques used for harvesting and processing the various parts of the plant. Youth participated in the workshop as an opportunity to learn traditional harvest techniques. To address community concerns about any changes that could occur during processing, not only were the berries and leaves analyzed, but the tea and juices as well.
Overall, the traditional plants study indicates that, while there is a measurable effect of mine dust on soapberry plant parts in the study area and derivatives such as tea and juice, the levels of metals in these materials are generally very low and it is safe to consume soapberry products within the study area.
