Culture of the Salish Sea Watershed
“We say it is time to journey back to place, and the place-based practice of our ancestors.”
—Shirley Williams, Co-founder of Whiteswan Environmental
The following excerpts are from the people who replied to our questionnaire. They responded to the question: “What cultural issues arise in the Salish Sea Watershed given its multifaceted history?”
The current industrial culture, originally introduced by the European immigrants (or invaders, depending on your perspective) completely upended the Native American culture which treated the land and water with respect and more or less was sustainable so the nearly all species could flourish. Fortunately, the Salish People are still here and are teaming up with the rest of us to attempt to evolve back into a more sustainable culture. Dana Lyons
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
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
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
Everyone deserves clean water, healthy habitat, and vibrant communities – now and into the future. 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. Too often, those impacts fall on some communities far more than others, leading to disproportionate impacts that must be remedied. We need solutions for Salish Sea recovery that are founded in equitable communities. We will not succeed by leaving some communities behind. Culturally, our region prides ourselves on innovation, and that same culture of innovation could serve us very well as long as we see the need to serve all communities. Mindy Roberts
I suspect that a big cultural issue in the Salish Sea relates to the inherent differences in the ways that urban and rural peoples are aware of, and ultimately value, their interactions with the Salish Sea. 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. How these different types of communities perceive their dependence on the Salish Sea is likely to be very different (e.g. see the report titled “Social Science for the Salish Sea: An action-oriented research agenda to inform ecosystem recovery” submitted to the Puget Sound Partnership on 19 July 2019). There continue to be issues of social justice and reconciliation for Native Peoples living around the Salish Sea that need to be resolved. There are also differences, sometimes subtle and often unrecognized, between how many Canadian and American residents view their interactions with and responsibilities towards collective action in the Salish Sea, both for its problems and also for its recovery. Ian Perry
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
Tribal treaty rights frequently run up against current practices in a time of diminishing resources and that creates conflict. Brian Bingham
The cultural issues that arise in this region that impact our ability and effectiveness to protect these waters fall into 2 buckets - Indigenous history and reconciliation, and the lack of engagement of diverse communities. The former is the growing integration in our thinking and the recognition in BC that the lands surrounding the Strait of Georgia are stolen lands, some lands taken through unhonoured treaties, while others were simply stolen (most land in BC is unceded, simply taken without any attempt at signing treaties). We are only starting to address this history and the impacts it had on Indigenous communities, and our governments and communities have a long way to go. First Nations must be recognized as nations, and play a leadership role as the ongoing stewards of these waters. The further integration of UNDRIP into law and policy is a step forward in that regard. The second bucket is that those who see themselves as protectors and advocates of these waters are generally white and we have not addressed the fact that we are not being inclusive of the various communities in our region who need to be at the table to truly address the threats the Salish Sea faces. Diversity and equity, and addressing issues of white supremacy in the dominant culture, have to be faced in order to ensure our region can be protected for the benefit of all. Christianne Wilhelmson