Vancouver’s growing marine traffic is putting Indigenous canoe culture at risk, says First Nations researcher
Marine researchers in British Columbia are weaving together traditional, Indigenous knowledge with science to protect the province’s waters, and preserve a First Nations sport that holds deep cultural and historical significance.
Leading the research is the Tsleil-Waututh Nation’s Zoe George, a participant of Clear Seas’ Indigenous Internship Program investigating the effects of marine traffic on Indigenous communities and their access to vital traditional territories and practices.
At the centre of George’s research is the cultural importance of canoeing to First Nations communities, and how the dwindling health of local marine ecosystems doesn’t merely present a threat to nature but to the cultural identity and connection to the environment of local First Nations.
