“My family always told me that when the tide was out, the table was set, and there would be more than enough food to feed a family, feed a large community, and have leftovers to feed on the next day. That was continuous, every day. All of Burrard Inlet was a clam bed.”
- Michelle George, cultural and technical specialist at the Tsleil-Waututh Nation, via North Shore News interview
You might have seen our recent post about Say Nuth Khaw Yum park! Well, we have a bit more to say on the topic, because there are some important efforts underway to understand and reaffirm the traditional diets this region supported for the Tsleil-Waututh people and bring back the animal populations that once thrived throughout səl̓ilwət (pronounced tSLAY-wat) and Say Nuth Khaw Yum. For those who may not be familiar, səl̓ilwət is the hən̓q̓əmin̓əm name of Burrard Inlet, and the traditional territory of Tsleil-Waututh Nation (TWN). The name Tsleil-Waututh refers to səl̓ilwət and means “People of the Inlet”.
A recent research project affirmed what TWN leaders and members have said before: that salmon, forage fish (ex. herring, smelt and euchalon), shellfish, and marine birds were the four main food sources in the Tsleil-Waututh traditional diet, and that səl̓ilwət once supported much more life than it does today.
In an interview with North Shore News, Michelle George of TWN said Efford’s research gave support and reassurance to the Nation, as their oral history has long been ignored in favour of Western science. The study reinforces arguments to renew the marine landscape of səl̓ilwət, like beginning to reconstruct some of the 1,214 hectares of intertidal and subtidal land lost to development and erosion between 1792 and 2020. George hopes it spurs more response from local communities and environmental groups.
Many stewardship efforts led by the TWN are already underway, though. For example, the Tsleil-Waututh Nation Sacred Trust initiative monitors and analyzes marine vessel traffic, underwater noise, and water quality research and stewardship in Indian River Watershed, Indian Arm, Say Nuth Khaw Yum Provincial Park and Burrard Inlet. You can read their reports here! TWN also has programs to restore habitat (such as mudflat restoration for bivalve shellfish, and estuaries for salmon), and manage and monitor the Indian River salmon populations and elk herd. In Say Nuth Khaw Yum Park in particular, efforts include park management: cleaning campsites, removing litter and garbage, and reminding visitors about park rules (though only BC Parks can enforce them) in addition to cleaning up clam beds and rescuing injured eagles. Particular problems the crew encounter are campers ignoring fire bans, chopping down young park trees for firewood, and littering (as the park has no garbage cans). Lack of funding makes it harder to address these issues, but it’s more than a job to the Tsleil-Waututh park crew - it’s about taking care of their traditional territory.
To learn more about how Burrard Inlet has changed since colonial contact, Tsleil-Waututh’s restoration efforts, and what you can do to help, see: Restoring a Healthy Inlet - Tsleil-Waututh Nation. I live and study near Burrard Inlet, but for our students who are further away: what kinds of plants and animals live (or used to live) near you? And how do you and your community restore or maintain their habitat to help them have more healthy, safe places to live?
Author: Basil Giannopoulos, Web & IT Admin
Image credits:
1. Northeast view of Whey-ah-Wichen/Cates Park, Google Maps
2. Pre-Contact Shores of səl̓ilwət, Tsleil-Waututh Nation via the Vancouver Sun
Comments