Mi'kmaq Ecological Knowledge Distribution of Culturally Significant ...

The project GIS database and GIS Grey Tone mapping provide useful tools in assisting
Mi’kmaq, researchers, and the forestry industry in predicting the distribution and location
of culturally significant plants to the Mi’kmaq in Cape Breton Island (Unama’ki).
Conclusion
Habitat requirements were extensively researched and the GIS database continually
refined and updated throughout the duration of the project, as were the GIS maps.
Lessons learned during early fieldwork were carried forward and improved upon for
subsequent fieldwork throughout the project, such as refining habitat requirements and
developing more intuitive skills about possible plant locations through additional research
and field experience.
The GIS database and GIS Mapping can still be improved over time. Plant species that
rated Poor and Poor to Fair may be still be missing a key habitat requirement not obvious
in the project research to date, slope aspect, or temperature requirements (as influenced
by altitude and topography) being possible examples.
The large percentage of plant species rating Good and better in both the Ground Truth
and Elders’ Gathering Area overall assessment ratings indicates a strong predictive utility
in the GIS database and GIS Grey Tone mapping method. The project methodology
attempts to explicitly state all data inputs and processes throughout all stages of the
project so that others can duplicate the results or improve project methodology.
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