HARVESTING THE NORTHERN WILD: A GUIDE TO THE TRADITIONAL AND CONTEMPORARY USES OF EDIBLE FOREST PLANTS IN THE NORTHWEST TERRITORIES. Walker, Marilyn. Yellowknife, Outcrop, c1984. 224pp, paper, $12.95, ISBN 0-919315-10-0. Grades 10 and up Reviewed by Mary Fallis Volume 13 Number 1 1985 January This is a quite remarkable book, much more than a field guide. The author is an anthropologist who has done extensive field work in the north, had a vacation in a Dene community, and served as curator and acting director of the Northern Heritage Centre in Yellowknife. Linda Fairfield who drew the attractive black-and-white plant illustrations also has wide experience in the field. There is special emphasis on the role of edible plants in the history and culture of the Northwest Territories, particularly on plant use in native cultures. In the past, plants were used for survival as well as to provide variety in the diet. The book is non-technical and is intended for the lay person rather than the botanist. The information is easy to find, with the names of plants given alphabetically. Common, scientific and family names are all provided. Rules for harvesting wild plants are clearly laid out. Strong statements are made on conservation measures needed to assure the continuity of plant species, since wild plants are an important part of the northern food chain, essential for the survival of animals and birds. Walker quotes extensively from the journals of the explorers in her descriptions of forests, tundra and weather. She brings alive the seasonal life of the tundra, the return of migrant birds to nest, and the native peoples whose customs are related to a habitat that varies across the territories. To give the context in which plants were used, there are sketches of various tribes, many of whom had their first contact with whites when MacKenzie made his trip to the Arctic Ocean in 1789. The primary source of information on native food plants is the Dene themselves. The contents include edible vascular plants, lichens, poisonous plants and forty pages of recipes, from bannock to wild pizza, and apple and rose-petal pie. There are maps of the Northwest Territories, reproductions of early pictures from various archives, a bibliography of source material, a suggested reading list and an extensive index. Those already familiar with Canadian wild plants will find much to interest them in the rich presentation of information. Finally, the book's clean layout and print face help produce a most attractive book. Mary Fallis, Prince George, B.C.