səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh Nation)’s Treaty, Lands and Resources (TLR) Department has developed a new Stewardship Initiatives Map to summarize previous and ongoing work that contributes to restoring the health of səlilwət (Burrard Inlet).
“Our projects are all related to restoring the habitat and creating space for the Inlet to heal. Our goal is to bring back the harvest.”
–Carleen Thomas, Special Projects Manager, TLR
The Stewardship Map contains locations, descriptions, and photos of projects that səlilwətaɬ has led and partnered on in səlilwət. Through stewardship work, such as habitat mapping, fish and wildlife monitoring, environmental data collection, and restoration projects, səlilwətaɬ aims to return səlilwət to a place where:
- abundant marine foods such as sce:ɬtən (salmon), sɬewət̕ (herring), shellfish, and birds can be harvested,
- water is safe for cultural, spiritual, ceremonial, and recreational activities,
- important habitats are plentiful and connected, and
- high levels of biodiversity and healthy populations of key species can persist (Burrard Inlet Action Plan, Tsleil-Waututh Nation, 2017).
Many of the barriers preventing səlilwətaɬ from achieving these goals are visualized in the map of Selected Impacts of Colonial Development, or the Impacts Map. This map demonstrates many impacts and cumulative effects of colonial development in səlilwətaɬ’s territory that diminish and infringe on səlilwətaɬ’s rights, title, and ability to use our lands, waters and resources.
Take time to check out each map. You can scroll around, zoom in, and click on icons and points to learn more about work that supports and inhibits the recovery of səlilwət.
For additional information about TLR’s interactive online maps, please contact Camryn Good, Environmental Specialist – Land, Water, and Environment, at camryngood@twnation.ca.
The work to develop and maintain these maps is funded by the Burrard Inlet Environmental Science and Stewardship Agreement.
