Envisioning Fisheries in Two Worlds: Listening to the Experiences of W̱SÁNEĆ Fishers

Project Description

Indigenous fisheries have long been (and continue to be) the target of colonial agendas aimed at displacing, disempowering, and dividing Indigenous Nations.  This is not by chance.  Indigenous fisheries became the targets of colonial nation-states because of their intimate connections to Indigenous cultures, economies, and health.  Realized another way, Indigenous fisheries carry with them the potential for profound Indigenous flourishing and resurgence, which colonial narratives have attempted to obscure.  

Working in partnership with Fish Outlaws and the W̱SÁNEĆ Leadership Council (WLC), this project aimed to articulate [1] the lived experiences of W̱SÁNEĆ fishers, including experiences of unjust criminalization, and [2] the ability we collectively hold to envision just fisheries futures. Through these articulations, this co-created project worked to support WLC’s ongoing mandate to improve recognition of W̱SÁNEĆ Douglas Treaty rights. It also worked to meet the specific need for more resources that reflect community-perspectives on fisheries/fishing rights, as identified by WLC and W̱SÁNEĆ leadership.

This project, completed to fulfill Nicole’s First Nations and Indigenous Studies Practicum requirements, included three deliverables: [1] Producing a literature review for WLC use, informed by WLC’s needs [2] Co-facilitating 5 discussion groups with W̱SÁNEĆ fishers, and [3] Writing a community newsletter reflecting on these group discussions.