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.
səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh Nation)’s Treaty, Lands and Resources (TLR) Department has been working in partnership with the District of North Vancouver on a $6 million dollar shoreline restoration project at Whey-ah-Wichen (Cates Park) in North Vancouver.
A beautiful design by 13-year-old səlilwətaɬ artist, Kadence Lánahmats George, has been selected as the official artwork for this year’s Pink Shirt Day – an annual movement dedicated to promoting kindness and raising awareness about bullying prevention.
Learn how səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh Nation) was represented at the Invictus Games Vancouver Whistler 2025 as one of the four Host Nations, and how the Nation hosted a special visit by Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex.
səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh Nation) is pleased to share our 2023-2024 Annual Report. We invite you to learn about our work and stories from all corners of the Nation, highlighting how we continue to progress on key priorities around cultural, language, economic, and environmental revitalization, according to the needs of our Membership.
