Be-hi ka-li (Umbellularia californica) is a hardwood tree native to California and southwestern Oregon with the potential to be a more widely valued source of a chocolate-like superfood in the future. Its nut is a nutrient-dense food and the leaves have many medicinal properties. Known by numerous different English names including California bay, Oregon myrtle, and pepperwood, the avocado relative is garnering the attention of an increasing number of wild food foragers and trend setting chefs in the restaurant industry. Simultaneously, some people hope to commercialize production of the nuts to foster economic development and food sovereignty in Indian Country. Although the evergreen tree is adapted to the droughty west coast of North America, it is known to be an intermittent fruit producer and to be vulnerable to a variety of diseases and pests, as well as climate change. These challenges need to be addressed if Oregon myrtle is to become a profitable commodity. However, negative environmental and social impacts could potentially result from commercialization as well. To better understand the risks and identify strategies for guarding against such unintended consequences, this case study of Oregon myrtle considers knowledge construction and use in historical context. Particular attention is paid to the legacy of colonial botany, patent law, indigenous proprietary knowledge rights and native food sovereignty. Based on the historical record, without changes to the practice of capitalism and its relationship with science, commercializing Oregon myrtle will unlikely benefit Indigenous people or sufficiently mitigate the externalized environmental and social costs of global capitalism. However, that doesn’t preclude botanists from examining and challenging the colonial legacy of their profession and seeking to use their knowledge to collaborate in contemporary food sovereignty initiatives and alternative forms of emancipatory economic development.
