Nancy Turner

Nancy Jean Turner (born 1947) is a notable North American ethnobiologist, originally qualified in botany, who has done extensive research work with the indigenous peoples of British Columbia, the results of which she has documented in a number of books and numerous articles.

She describes herself and her own work as follows^[1]

My speciality is ethnobotany .. Much of my work is field-oriented, interviewing knowledgeable elders of Aboriginal communities in many parts of British Columbia, to document traditional uses, names, and perceptions of plants. Analyzing these data and comparing information from different regions and cultural groups has been a major focus of my research.

Order of British Columbia

The Government of British Columbia have admitted Nancy Turner to the Order of British Columbia and, in doing so, describe her, her work, and her contributions as follows:^[2]

Nancy J. Turner .. is an internationally-distinguished scholar and scientist who has devoted her life to documenting the endangered knowledge of First Nations. As a pioneer in ethnobiology, her more than 25 years of research have focused on the diverse interactions of First Peoples in British Columbia with the ecosystems they depended on and the critical role of plant resources for foods, medicines and materials. Her research will be seen as a most valuable compendium of aboriginal culture and plant lore in British Columbia.

Bibliography

Books written

• Turner, Nancy J. (1995). Food Plants of Coastal First Peoples. Royal British Columbia Museum Handbook series. UBC Press. ISBN 0-7726-5627-4. 

• Turner, Nancy J. (1997). Food Plants of Interior First Peoples. Royal British Columbia Museum Handbook series. UBC Press. ISBN 978-0-7726-5846-3. 

• Turner, Nancy J. (1998). Plant Technology of First Peoples in British Columbia. Royal British Columbia Museum Handbook series. UBC Press. ISBN 0-7718-8117-7. 

• Turner, Nancy J. (2005). Plants of Haida Gwaii. Winlaw, B.C: Sono Nis Press. ISBN 1-55039-144-5. 

• Turner, Nancy J. (2005). The Earth's Blanket, Traditional Teachings for Sustainable Living. Vancouver: Douglas & McIntyre. ISBN 1-55365-081-6. 

Books edited

• Deur, Douglas & Turner, Nancy J. (eds.) (2005) Keeping It Living, Traditions of Plant Use and Cultivation on the Northwest Coast of North America. Vancouver: UBC Press and Seattle: University of Washington Press.

Articles online

• Hunn, Eugene S; Turner, Nancy J; French, David H. "Ethnobiology and Subsistence" (PDF). Retrieved 2008-04-24. 

• Turner, Nancy. "Keeping it Living: Applications and Relevance of Traditional Plant Management in British Columbia to Sustainable Harvesting of Non-timber Forest Products" (PDF). Retrieved 2008-04-24. .

Distinctions

• R.E. Schultes Award (1997)^[3]

• Order of British Columbia (1999)^[2]

• Canadian Botanical Association’s Lawson Medal (2002)^[3]

• Killam Research Fellowship (2007)^[3]

• William L. Brown Award for Excellence in Genetic Resource Conservation (2008)^[4]

External links

• University of Victoria staff page

References

1. ↑ University of British Columbia's Department of Botany webpage Retrieved 23 April 2008
2. 1 2 1999 Recipient: Nancy J. Turner – Victoria | Order of BC Retrieved 24 April 2008
3. 1 2 3 University of Victoria Media Release Retrieved 27 April 2008
4. ↑ "The 2008 William L. Brown Award". William L. Brown Center for Plant Genetic Resources. Missouri Botanical Garden. 2014. Retrieved 31 March 2014.