Simon Fraser University
Engaging the World

Course Outlines

Spring 2026 - GEOG 467 D101

Skwxwú7mesh Ethnobotany Field Course (4)

Class Number: 6854

Delivery Method: In Person

Overview

  • Course Times + Location:

    Apr 27 – May 1, 2026: Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri, TBA
    Burnaby

    Jan 5 – Apr 10, 2026: Wed, 3:30–4:20 p.m.
    Burnaby

  • Instructor:

    Leigh Joseph
    leigh_joseph@sfu.ca
    Office Hours: Thursday 1-2pm in person and online upon request

  • Prerequisites:

    GEOG 267.

Description

CALENDAR DESCRIPTION:

This five-day field course is a hands-on and experiential exploration of the cultural interrelationships between plants and people through land-based and community-based learning opportunities. This course will be carried out in partnership with Indigenous community members.

COURSE DETAILS:

Course Details
A five-day overnight field course running from April 27th-May 1st in Squamish with a focus on exploring cultural interrelationships between plants and people through land-based and community-based learning opportunities. This course will be carried out in partnership with Indigenous community members. Students will learn in hands on and experiential ways. Course includes online asynchronous lectures, readings, assignments, pre-trip meetings and 5-day, overnight field trip.

Field Component:The main part of the course is a five-day land-based and community-based field course that is taking place on Sḵwx̱wú7mesh traditional homelands from April 27th-May 1st. During this course you will spend five days/four nights in Sḵwx̱wú7mesh traditional territory learning on the land and in community settings. Your mandatory supplementary course fee covers the travel costs; you should plan to bring your own food and water. Students will be responsible for their own meals. More details to be discussed in class. Be aware that during the field trip there may be periods of walking on uneven ground and sustained time outside regardless of weather. Appropriate clothing and footwear must be worn. Further details regarding safety will be discussed prior to the field trips. Students must always remain compliant with all student responsibilities, regulations, and policies as outlined in the current Academic Calendar, as well as relevant regulations and policies as outlined in the SFU Policy Gazette and Provincial Health guidelines. This includes, but is not limited to, expected student conduct and the maintenance of appropriate medical insurance coverage.

Pre-field Course Meetings & Asynchronous Lectures:
We will have two pre-course meetings either in-person or virtually. TBD.
Students will have weekly lectures and reading throughout the spring semester leading up to the overnight field component.

 

COURSE-LEVEL EDUCATIONAL GOALS:

-a chance to learn in the field about land-based knowledge of culturally important plants
-a chance to learn from and engage with knowledge holders from local Indigenous communities
-to learn about and contribute to culturally rooted ecological restoration work
-experience community-engaged learning opportunities and enacting reciprocity through course work (i.e. contributing to local restoration projects, engaging in knowledge sharing activities, creating gifts for elders and community mentors)
- a deeper, critically engaged, understanding of the colonial impacts on Indigenous Knowledge and land access

Grading

  • Place Name Assignment - Due TBD 35%
  • Field Notes - Due TBD 20%
  • Community Plant Presentation - Due TBD 35%
  • Participation - Ongoing 10%

NOTES:

Grading Scale (subject to change)

Materials

RECOMMENDED READING:

Joseph, Leigh. Held by the Land: A Guide to Indigenous Plants for Wellness. Wellfleet Press, an Imprint of The Quarto Group, 2023.

DeLeeuw, Sarah, Emilie S. Cameron, and Margo L. Greenwood. 2012. "Participatory and community‐based research, Indigenous geographies, and the spaces of friendship: A critical engagement." The Canadian Geographer / Le Géographe canadien 56 (2):180-194. doi: 10.1111/j.1541-0064.2012.00434.x.

Joseph, L., Cuerrier, A., and Mathews, D. 2022. Shifting Narratives, Recognizing Resilience: Taking Anti-Oppressive and Decolonial Approaches to Ethnobotanical Research with Indigenous Communities in Canada. Botany (100):65-81.

Kimmerer, R.W. (2002). Weaving traditional ecological knowledge into biological education: a call to action. BioScience, 52: 432-438.

There may be additional readings provided by the instructor.


REQUIRED READING NOTES:

Your personalized Course Material list, including digital and physical textbooks, are available through the SFU Bookstore website by simply entering your Computing ID at: shop.sfu.ca/course-materials/my-personalized-course-materials.

Registrar Notes:

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY: YOUR WORK, YOUR SUCCESS

At SFU, you are expected to act honestly and responsibly in all your academic work. Cheating, plagiarism, or any other form of academic dishonesty harms your own learning, undermines the efforts of your classmates who pursue their studies honestly, and goes against the core values of the university.

To learn more about the academic disciplinary process and relevant academic supports, visit: 


RELIGIOUS ACCOMMODATION

Students with a faith background who may need accommodations during the term are encouraged to assess their needs as soon as possible and review the Multifaith religious accommodations website. The page outlines ways they begin working toward an accommodation and ensure solutions can be reached in a timely fashion.