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Nov 12 2020


HOW COASTAL GASLINK IS CULTIVATING NEW RELATIONSHIPS THROUGH TRADITIONAL FUNGI
HARVESTING

Posted by Coastal GasLink
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The harvesting of wild fungi used in traditional Indigenous healing and cultural
practices is helping to cultivate new relationships among Coastal GasLink’s
diverse workforce.

This is happening through the Construction Monitoring and Liaison (CMCL)
Program, created to provide opportunities for Indigenous group members to
participate in construction within their traditional territory. Their role is to
observe, record and report back to their communities on construction activities
and how we are meeting our commitments.

The role has in some cases led to enhanced environmental and cultural
preservation as well as cross-cultural education and understanding, including
about wild plants that play a role in traditional healing.

“To the Coastal GasLink community, the advisors bring a lot of stories, a lot of
history about the area to the team,” says Rocky Desjarlais, a CMCL coordinator
and West Moberly First Nations member.

Desjarlais is one of the driving forces behind the harvest and collection of
Diamond Willow Fungus, and Chaga in Sections 1 and 2 of the route, from the
Dawson Creek area 140 Kilometres to the south.

CMCL Coordinator Rocky Desjarlais

Diamond Willow Fungus grows on the side of injured willow trees in northern
British Columbia, while Chaga is a mushroom found on birch trees. As Desjarlais
explains, traditionally, First Nations would burn the Diamond Willow Fungus
using the smoke to help purify the air and treat headaches. The fungus can also
be used for smudging and mosquito repellent. It is typically found in wet
environments and harvested throughout the year. Chaga is packed with
antioxidants and described by Desjarlais as “the multi-vitamin of plants.”

Desjarlais’ efforts to share cultural knowledge stems from the belief that if,
“we don’t teach the non-First Nation people…about these things then how are we
to expect them to take it seriously when we ask them to preserve those things.”

Birch tree with Chaga.

Diamond Willow Fungus collected from the project route

PROMOTING CULTURAL EDUCATION AND VALUES

When Diamond Willow and Chaga were discovered along the route in late Summer.
Desjarlais shared his traditional knowledge about the plants and collaborated
with Coastal GasLink Lead Environmental Inspector, Jeff VanHeukelom, to make a
plan to identify and harvest the culturally important species.

In July, CMCL’s would locate the Diamond willow and Chaga ahead of clearing
work, and harvest the species. As the harvesting efforts progressed, Rocky was
able to further educate the workforce about the cultural importance of the
species and help identify the Diamond Willow Fungus and Chaga in the surrounding
area. That cultural and environmental teaching moment led to environmental
inspectors notifying the CMCL’s of the presence of the species and including
them in the walk-aheads to leverage their traditional knowledge.

Rocky noted that one of the surveyors was so excited about the harvesting that
“he was always coming back to me, ‘hey Rocky, I found some Diamond Willow and
it’s at this KP’ and then we would go out and harvest it,” he says.

As news of the harvesting efforts spread, construction foreman took the
initiative to harvest the species when the CMCL’s were not on site,
demonstrating how sharing cultural knowledge on the project has helped protect
the environment as well as Indigenous traditions.

Through the harvesting efforts, Indigenous and non-Indigenous workers on Coastal
GasLink are setting a precedent for conducting future projects with respect to
environment and Indigenous collaboration.

 “Those foremen and inspectors who now know what this stuff is and the
importance of it to the Nation, will now know that any other job they go to in
this area and they see that stuff, they know what it is and they know who to
call,” Rocky emphasizes.

DEEPENING RELATIONSHIPS

As clearing in the area comes to an end, so will the Diamond Willow Fungus and
Chaga collection.  The precious species will be distributed to the Indigenous
groups in the area as part of Coastal GasLink’s continuous efforts to foster and
deepen relationships with Indigenous groups.

“The CMCL program’s collection of Diamond Willow Fungus and Chaga has helped
develop the legacy of respect for communities and environment protection on
Coastal GasLink that can be seen in the growth of relationship between the CMCL
advisors and the inspectors,” says Rocky. “A lot of the inspectors that do take
out these advisors, that is their favorite part, learning about the area and the
people around here and hearing the stories,” he adds.

“It’s opening up that communication, that transparency and leaving the impact or
the knowledge that what is happening out in this industry is heavily regulated
and is safe,” says Jeff VanHeukelom, Lead Environmental Inspector for Work
Package 1.

WATCH TO MEET SOME OF OUR CONSTRUCTION MONITOR & COMMUNITY LIAISON ADVISORS, AND
LEARN MORE ABOUT HOW THEY’RE PRESERVING AND SHARING THEIR CULTURAL KNOWLEDGE
ALONG THE PROJECT ROUTE.



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ABOUT COASTAL GASLINK

The 670 kilometre long Coastal GasLink Pipeline will transport natural gas to
the approved LNG Canada facility near Kitimat. The pipeline route was determined
by considering Indigenous, landowner and stakeholder input, the environment,
archaeological and cultural values, land use compatibility, safety,
constructability and economics.
 
 
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Email:  coastalgaslink@tcenergy.com

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