This evidence analysis will look at the film Laxwesa Wa – Strength of the River. I was introduced to this film in another course that I took but it encompasses one of the key topics I want to focus on for my Big Question project. This film presents several aspects of the ecosystem that the Sto:lo, Heiltsuk, and ‘Namgis peoples of Canada’s West Coast live in and survive off of. The river provides them with fish for nourishment, and this relates to my big question, as I explore how fishing has created one form of a relationship between Indigenous people and non-Indigenous people that I find important to reflect on.
Fishing is a fundamental way of life for the First Nations people, as a cultural, spiritual, and social practice, as well as contributing to 70% of their food source. When the river was opened up for commercial fishing, the Indigenous people were forced to share the fish that they relied on with the settlers. For the settlers who are visitors on their land, I would find it difficult as an Indigenous person, to watch them exploit the valuable resource that fish are to them. It also makes me reflect that I am also a visitor on their land, and makes me question what I can do to show my appreciation of the resources that I consume.
The film shows an Indigenous man who expresses that fishing is not a privilege but a right for him. I want to reiterate this point, and suggest that settlers should not treat fishing as a right for them either, and treat it as a privilege. However, how would a settler show and treat fishing as a privilege? To start, they should acknowledge the territory of which they fish from, and make an effort to acknowledge the Indigenous community that they share the land with. Further, they could give the community a portion of the profit they make from commercial fishing and respect the areas that they fish from. The First Nations communities do believe they are the original owners of the resource, but are aware that they are not the only users of the resource. This film tells the stories of the First Nations people and by giving them a voice, they are initiating a conversation by doing so. Others may perceive the story telling as a negative depiction of the relationships created between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people, and this may be the case however we must use this information to reflect and move forward in a positive manner.
The development of urban space on First Nations land by the government takes away the local community based control when the Indigenous people should have the right to their land. Hearing their stories, I feel as though they would be empowered knowing that we are listening to their stories and creating a positive dialogue by reflecting on their stories. However, what can be done for projects such as the one being put forward on Lelu island?
Several developmental projects are taking place, such as the current NorthWest LNG / Petronas project on Lelu Island, situated at the mouth of Skeena River. Thousands of salmon spawn and depend on the eel grass that lie in the estuary on Flora Banks of Lelu Island and the LNG plant would decimate the wild salmon runs and marine life that the Indigenous people depend on. With everything that the film speaks about, we need to improve the way non-Indigenous people treat this land that is not ours. This is such a difficult task, and I am left wondering how long this will take to ever get solved.
