The following excerpts are from the various people who replied to our questionnaire. They responded to the question: “What cultural issues arise in the Salish Sea Watershed given its multifaceted history?”

1. “Fortunately, the Salish people are still here and are teaming up with the rest of us.” Dana Lyons

2. “I think we need to learn to value nature (the Salish Sea included) more and be willing to sacrifice and reduce so as to mitigate our impact. Harvest fewer fish, drive fewer cars, less shipping traffic, fewer trains…” Stefan Freelan

3. “Tribal treaty rights frequently run up against current practices in a time of diminishing resources and that creates conflict.” Brain Bingham

4. “Culturally, we need to recognize that the Salish Sea is a component of our complex existence. This sounds existential and it is. One example is understanding the reasons for declining Chinook salmon productivity which we know is generally coast wide and our response to the declines.” Dick Beamish

5. “Only a few generations of human activities have damaged the fabric that defines who we are as people and as communities throughout the Salish Sea… We need solutions for Salish Sea recovery that are founded in equitable communities.” Mindy Roberts

6. “The amazing thing around here is that there are many Tribes and First Nations that still exist and actively collaborate in conservation efforts.” Parker MacCready

7. “There is a lot to learn from the Coast Salish Tribes about sustainability, and the overall approach to the system and the resources. Everyone should understand that human well-being is linked to a heathy ecosystem, of which the Salish Sea is a major element.” Ron Thom

8. “We need solutions for Salish Sea recovery that are founded in equitable communities It is perhaps human flaw that sometimes we cannot see the connections as we are rooted in our “place”—we emphasize our local areas but sometimes overlook the fact that they are connected to others upstream and downstream.” Colin Levings

9. “In both the Canadian and American jurisdictions of the Salish Sea there are huge ethnically-diverse and globally-connected urban centres, and small, less diverse, communities (including many First Nations and Tribal communities) with much more direct and immediate connections to their marine environments. Ian Perry

10. “Transboundary resource/environmental governance – the Salish Sea region includes US, Canadian, and sovereign Tribal Nations, who must all work together to responsibly manage our shared resources.” Iris Kemp