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.
On Thursday September 14, 2023 TLR’s fisheries crew noticed part of the Indian River had gone subsurface and dry due to low flow drought conditions. This was preventing spawning pink salmon from moving upstream to access the spawning habitat.
Representatives from the Tsleil-Waututh Nation celebrated the signing of a Relationship Protocol Agreement with Simon Fraser University (SFU) at a September 6th, 2023 ceremony held at SFU’s Burnaby campus.
The agreement marks a formal commitment from both parties to work together, strengthen their relationship and advance reconciliation. SFU commits to promoting success and achievement of Tsleil-Waututh Nation learners and supporting the Nation’s cultural, economic, social, environmental, health, and community priorities.
We have an incredibly exciting announcement to share with you: Dennis Thomas-Whonoak, who has been employed at Tsleil-Waututh Nation for the past 16 years, is moving on to a new role as Executive Director, Indigenous Business Initiatives and Engagement, at the Sauder School of Business, University of British Columbia (UBC).
After over 30 years of work in newsrooms around the world, Tsleil-Waututh Nation Member Andrea Crossan is joining the University of British Columbia in the School of Journalism, Writing, and Media.
Andrea’s experience includes reporting in over 20 countries and has been based in the U.S. and the U.K., having worked for BBC World Service, CBC, Associated Press, and NBC News.
Informed always by our vibrant culture, the 2022 to 2025 Strategic Plan ʔəxʔixəltəl̓ [Paddling Together] is a way forward that will build upon our past work and take the Nation forward into an even brighter future for all Tsleil-Wautt people.
