Join us on a brief description of a success story (still in progress!) from the west coast of Vancouver Island, where for millennia Nuu‑chah-nulth have built our societies, economies, and culture around fishing.As Canada... [ view full abstract ]
Join us on a brief description of a success story (still in progress!) from the west coast of Vancouver Island, where for millennia Nuu‑chah-nulth have built our societies, economies, and culture around fishing.
As Canada settled British Columbia, it restricted coastal indigenous communities onto small fishing stations designated “Indian Reserves”, while denying the larger land and sea claims of First Nations. Over the next hundred years, policies and regulations diminished and excluded indigenous participation in the fishery. In 2003, facing an impoverished Federal approach to fisheries in a modern day treaty process, Nuu-chah-nulth Nations, led by their Ha’wiih (hereditary Chiefs) and elected leaders, initiated civil litigation to recognize Nuu-chah-nulth rights to make a living from their sea resources.
On November 3, 2009, the BC Supreme Court ruled that five Nuu-chah-nulth Nations have an aboriginal right to catch and sell any species of fish found within their territories. Since 2009, the five Nations have been developing economic fisheries known as T’aaq-wiihak, meaning fishing with permission of the Ha’wiih. Negotiations with Canada to implement these fisheries have been unproductive and slow for Nuu-chah-nulth communities and fishers. Empowered by the court decision and T’aaq-wiihak fisheries, Nuu-chah-nulth Nations are still reasserting control over their resources to help secure their economic and social future.
Since the ruling in 2009, and despite the resistant engagement of the Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Nuu-chah-nulth have worked diligently to develop fisheries rooted in the Nuu-chah-nulth principles of Hishukish Tsawalk (everything is one, everything is connected), Iisaak (respect with caring), and Uu-a-thluk (taking care of). Through the T’aaq-wiihak fisheries these principles are illustrated in the Nuu-chah-nulth approach to capacity building, indicator tracking, and through adapting governance structures to empower Nuu-chah-nulth Ha’wiih and support fishers and coastal communities along the west coast of Vancouver Island.
The Nuu-chah-nulth litigation and fisheries implementation strategy offer an important contribution to the international movement of indigenous rights recognition to manage and harvest local resources to contribute to the well being of coastal communities and ecosystems.
Ecosystem: Coastal , Resources: Fish , Big Issues: Indigenous peoples , Solutions: Governance/Management , Solutions: Local/Traditional knowledge
