Plants at the End of the World: Beringian Ethnobotany

This site discusses traditional ways people in Western Alaska and Chukotka, Russia, use plants for food medicine and other purposes.

Beringia is the region including the Bering Strait and the land on either side of it. Some people define the term narrowly to include only the westernmost part of the Seward Peninsula in Alaska and the easternmost part of the Chukotsky Peninsula in Russia. However, we prefer a broader definition that includes much of Alaska and Chukotka.

Ethnobotany is the study of the relationship between people and plants. This includes how people use plants, for example, as food, medicine, for construction, and for many other purposes. It also includes how plants are named and classified, as well as stories, legends, and other beliefs about plants.