The big idea I have been working on, has been focusing on the relationship between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people and how this relationship is impacted by resources. This may seem vague, however I have been specifically looking at the more recently evolving practices surrounding co-management and examining how fisheries are an example this.

My goal is to be able to personally understand how we can further a mutual understanding between non-Indigenous and Indigenous people. Currently, I see the work being initiated but there is an extensive amount of further work to be accomplished. I have been engaging with evidence from Wilson, Nielsen, and Degnbol’s book “The fisheries co-management experience: accomplishments, challenges and prospects”, as they emphasize the importance of studying this as it is a time of precedented change, shifts in concepts, and priorities (2013). The importance of highlighting this is also as the climate is changing, and native species are becoming increasingly vulnerable at unprecedented rates. This work is also significant, as scholars Wilson et al underline that,

“Aquaculture is the fastest growing sector of captive animal production, but is perceived by some as yet another conflicting demand on water and fisheries production.” (2013: xiv)

Moreover, how does the case of fisheries fit into the bigger picture of co-management? I draw evidence from Houde (2007) and Campbell (1996), as they bring up conceptual yet applicable aspects of co-management. I will go over Houde’s six faces of traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) and he argues that the “lack of trust among people is an obstacle to co-management (2007, Olsson et al. 2004)”. I question the methods of implementation of each of these components, while he goes on to underlining the fundamental issue of the challenge for bureaucrats, who are used to specific ways of producing and monitoring information, to accept information produced by a largely different knowledge system (Houde, 2007).

Lastly, I have been engaging with evidence of non-Indigenous and Indigenous relationships and points of view depicted in the documentary film Laxwesa Wa – Strength of the River. This film shares stories from the Sto:lo, Heiltsuk, and ‘Namgis peoples of Canada’s West Coast, and how they live and survive off of the ecosystem and the fisheries is an incredibly large part of their lives. Fishing is a way of life for their people, more than we could begin to understand. People should pay attention to the way the Indigenous people speak about how commercial fisheries have impacted them, especially when one Indigenous man expresses that fishing is not a privilege but a right for him.

References

Campbell, T. (1996). Co-management of aboriginal resources. Information North, 22(1), 1-6.

Cranmer, B. (Director), & Green, C. (Producer). (1995). Laxwesawa – Strength of the River [Motion

picture]. National Film Board of Canada.

Houde, N. (2007). The six faces of traditional ecological knowledge: challenges and opportunities for

Canadian co-management arrangements. Ecology and Society, 12(2), 34.

Wilson, D. C., Nielsen, J. R., & Degnbol, P. (Eds.). (2013). The fisheries co-management experience:

accomplishments, challenges and prospects (Vol. 26). Springer Science & Business Media.