New research confirms that Tsleil-Waututh Nation has consistently and sustainably fished for chum salmon for 1,200 years longer than the archaeological record had previously demonstrated.
This supports Tsleil-Waututh knowledge and further demonstrates that Tsleil-Waututh people have been sustainably living on and stewarding their traditional territory for longer than Western science may recognize.
Researchers from Tsleil-Waututh Nation and UBC analyzed 245 salmon bones gathered as part of an archaeological dig in the 1960s and 1970s from təmtəmíxʷtən, a large and important site for the Nation located near what many British Columbians now know as Belcarra.
Extension of time
The research builds on a previous study which showed that the Nation sustainably and preferentially fished for chum salmon for 1,300 years, from about 400 BC to 1200.
Using carbon dating on eight new samples, the researchers extended this period of time a further 1,200 years, confirming Tsleil-Waututh ancestors fished for salmon from about 850 BC to 1650.
Old chums
They found that chum salmon were the most commonly fished, and were caught consistently over the entire period. This consistency and the fact that chum are particularly sensitive to overfishing both point to a sustainable chum fishery under Tsleil-Waututh Nation stewardship, says co-author Michelle George.
Lessons to learn
The research points to the lessons to be learned from Tsleil-Waututh Nation stewardship, including around sustainable, selective salmon fisheries that focus not on extraction but on long-term ecosystem health, says first author Meaghan Efford, a doctoral candidate in the UBC Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries.
We are honouring Tsleil-Waututh Nation Residential and Day School Survivors by placing orange banners on ten street light poles throughout our community.
As a way to support our Tsleil-Waututh Nation Survivors, we have established a Tsleil-Waututh Nation Residential School Survivors Fund. Please consider donating today.
Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh (MST) Nations, in partnership with the BC Transportation Financing Authority and ICBC, have entered into an agreement to co-develop the site of ICBC’s North Vancouver headquarters into homes and amenities.
səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh Nation) Chief Jen Thomas
“səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh Nation) Chief and Council are proud to stand with our relatives, xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam Indian Band) and Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish Nation), as well as the City of Vancouver to celebrate ten years of the City of Reconciliation and the UNDRIP Action Plan. Vancouver has always been at the forefront of reconciliation, bringing us forward together. We know there is more work that needs to be done, but this is an important step in the right direction.”
“səlilwətaɬ Chief and Council are incredibly pleased to see the poles by carver Jonas Jones welcome everyone to Whey-ah-Wichen and təmtəmíxʷtən. These traditional village sites hold deep importance to our Tsleil-Waututh people, and we are pleased to have them connected in this culturally significant way. Our hands are raised in appreciation of the ongoing collaboration with our partners at Metro Vancouver and the District of North Vancouver for making this project a success.”
-Chief Jen Thomas, səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh Nation)
