The Herring School: Long-term Perspectives on Herring in the Salish Sea and Beyond
Presentation Abstract
For many Indigenous peoples, the right and ability to fish is inseparably linked to their history, social relations, economy, and physical well-being. In the western North America, and in the Salish Sea, specifically, Pacific herring (Clupea pallasi) plays a foundational role in coastal food webs and is a cultural keystone species of First Nations. However, beginning in the late 19th cen, herring has severely declined throughout much of its North Pacific range, thus threatening both the cultural and ecological systems that rely on this once abundant fish. In this presentation, we describe the efforts of the "Herring School" a multi-disciplinary and multi-community effort that blends western scientific, local, and traditional knowledge to understand the cultural, social, ecological, legal, and economic contexts of herring in British Columbia. In particular, we focus on the oral historical and archaeological evidence of the Salish Sea, which indicates that for millennia herring have been central to economic and social systems of Salish communities.
Session Title
Session S-10H: Salish Sea Foods: Cultural Practices, Sustainable Markets, and Environmental Stewardship
Conference Track
Social Science Plus
Conference Name
Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference (2014 : Seattle, Wash.)
Document Type
Event
Start Date
2-5-2014 1:30 PM
End Date
2-5-2014 3:00 PM
Location
Room 607
Genre/Form
conference proceedings; presentations (communicative events)
Contributing Repository
Digital content made available by University Archives, Heritage Resources, Western Libraries, Western Washington University.
Subjects – Topical (LCSH)
Pacific Herring--Salish Sea (B.C. and Wash.)
Geographic Coverage
Salish Sea (B.C. and Wash.)
Rights
This resource is displayed for educational purposes only and may be subject to U.S. and international copyright laws. For more information about rights or obtaining copies of this resource, please contact University Archives, Heritage Resources, Western Libraries, Western Washington University, Bellingham, WA 98225-9103, USA (360-650-7534; heritage.resources@wwu.edu) and refer to the collection name and identifier. Any materials cited must be attributed to the Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference Records, University Archives, Heritage Resources, Western Libraries, Western Washington University.
Type
Text
Language
English
Format
application/pdf
The Herring School: Long-term Perspectives on Herring in the Salish Sea and Beyond
Room 607
For many Indigenous peoples, the right and ability to fish is inseparably linked to their history, social relations, economy, and physical well-being. In the western North America, and in the Salish Sea, specifically, Pacific herring (Clupea pallasi) plays a foundational role in coastal food webs and is a cultural keystone species of First Nations. However, beginning in the late 19th cen, herring has severely declined throughout much of its North Pacific range, thus threatening both the cultural and ecological systems that rely on this once abundant fish. In this presentation, we describe the efforts of the "Herring School" a multi-disciplinary and multi-community effort that blends western scientific, local, and traditional knowledge to understand the cultural, social, ecological, legal, and economic contexts of herring in British Columbia. In particular, we focus on the oral historical and archaeological evidence of the Salish Sea, which indicates that for millennia herring have been central to economic and social systems of Salish communities.
