Presentation Abstract
Fish, fish habitat and fisheries are deeply important to Lower Fraser First Nations. Since time immemorial, Lower Fraser First Nations have relied on the once abundant fisheries and thriving habitats within their territories to support their way of life, including their spiritual, social, cultural and economic well-being. Yet the Lower Fraser River watershed is also subject to immense anthropogenic pressure due to urban developments, navigation, industrial activities, agriculture, etc. The Fraser River and the hundreds of tributaries, streams, marshes, bogs, swamps, sloughs and lakes within its watershed is at its brink due to escalating cumulative pressures and a re-affirmed legal landscape must inform the foundation for renewed Nation-to-Nation co-management and decision-making. Indigenous inherent rights, and s. 35(1) Aboriginal and Treaty rights, including Aboriginal title, have and will always include the rights and responsibilities of First Nations to govern and manage the fish, fish habitat, and fisheries, and the rivers and coastal waters in their territories. On behalf of past, present and future generations, Lower Fraser First Nations hold and exercise sacred responsibilities to holistically govern and manage the natural ecosystems and the natural balance on which they rely. The presentation will provide an overview of current legal landscape surrounding First Nations reconciliation, observed challenges from a First Nations perspective, as well as actions taken by Lower Fraser First Nations towards protecting the social, food and cultural securities of Lower Fraser First Nations, present and future.
Session Title
The Lower Fraser River: A Wildlife Hotspot on the Brink
Keywords
Fraser, Salmon, First Nations, Indigenous, Salish
Conference Track
SSE4: Ecosystem Management, Policy, and Protection
Conference Name
Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference (2018 : Seattle, Wash.)
Document Type
Event
SSEC Identifier
SSE4-801
Start Date
6-4-2018 10:45 AM
End Date
6-4-2018 11:00 AM
Type of Presentation
Oral
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)
Ecosystem management--Law and legislation--British Columbia--Fraser River Watershed; Indians of North America--Northwest, Canadian; Biodiversity conservation--Law and legislation--British Columbia--Fraser River Watershed
Geographic Coverage
Fraser River Watershed (B.C.)--Environmental conditions
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
Included in
Fresh Water Studies Commons, Marine Biology Commons, Natural Resources and Conservation Commons, Terrestrial and Aquatic Ecology Commons
Survival of the Lower Fraser and People of the River
Fish, fish habitat and fisheries are deeply important to Lower Fraser First Nations. Since time immemorial, Lower Fraser First Nations have relied on the once abundant fisheries and thriving habitats within their territories to support their way of life, including their spiritual, social, cultural and economic well-being. Yet the Lower Fraser River watershed is also subject to immense anthropogenic pressure due to urban developments, navigation, industrial activities, agriculture, etc. The Fraser River and the hundreds of tributaries, streams, marshes, bogs, swamps, sloughs and lakes within its watershed is at its brink due to escalating cumulative pressures and a re-affirmed legal landscape must inform the foundation for renewed Nation-to-Nation co-management and decision-making. Indigenous inherent rights, and s. 35(1) Aboriginal and Treaty rights, including Aboriginal title, have and will always include the rights and responsibilities of First Nations to govern and manage the fish, fish habitat, and fisheries, and the rivers and coastal waters in their territories. On behalf of past, present and future generations, Lower Fraser First Nations hold and exercise sacred responsibilities to holistically govern and manage the natural ecosystems and the natural balance on which they rely. The presentation will provide an overview of current legal landscape surrounding First Nations reconciliation, observed challenges from a First Nations perspective, as well as actions taken by Lower Fraser First Nations towards protecting the social, food and cultural securities of Lower Fraser First Nations, present and future.
