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.
After the unthinkable tragedy that claimed a child’s life on our traditional waters, səlilwətaɬ Chief and Council recognize and call for better safety measures, signage, and enforcement, both at the boat launch at Whey-ah-Wichen and on the water to help keep Tsleil-Waututh Members and the public safe.
səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh Nation) is joining the chorus of First Nations, pro-democracy organizations, environmental groups, and civil society in raising grave concerns about Bill C-5, the so-called Building Canada Act.
In accordance with the First Nations Elections Act, səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh Nation) held an election on Friday, June 13, 2025 to elect one (1) Chief and six (6) Councillors for the next term of office, beginning July 1, 2025 and ending on June 29, 2029.
On June 18, 2025, səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh Nation) and the City of Burnaby are signing a co-management agreement for Barnet Marine Park, which is located along the shores of səlilwət (Burrard Inlet). This agreement formalizes a partnership between Burnaby and səlilwətaɬ to jointly oversee the management and stewardship of the park.
səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh Nation) announces a new partnership with Portage Energy Group Inc., a Canadian leader in waste-to-fuel project development, to advance sustainable waste-to-fuel initiatives in a project called Salish Sky.
On June 6, 2025, səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh Nation) (“TWN”) announced that it has entered into a non-binding Memorandum of Understanding for an agreement in principle to acquire the casino business and related real property interests at Hastings Racecourse & Casino (“Hastings”) in the City of Vancouver from Great Canadian Gaming Corporation (“Great Canadian Entertainment”).
