The Cultural Importance of Kelp to Pacific Northwest Tribes
Presentation Abstract
With its holdfast clinging firmly to the seafloor and a long stipe reaching up to bulb and blades in the waves, bull kelp provides a physical link between the surface and undersea marine worlds. But kelp is also a link between continents, a link between land and sea, and a link between the human and supernatural worlds. The close relationship between kelp-based coastal ecosystems and Pacific Northwest indigenous cultural systems is reflected in a wide range of evidence, including prehistoric artifacts, historical sources, and contemporary practices. Drawing up on these and other sources, we discuss the connections between kelp and important traditional resources, as well as provide an overview of kelp’s role in traditional Northwest Coast technology, subsistence, ceremonial practices, and stories.
Session Title
Session 2.2A: Kelp: Stressors, Trends, and Value (Part II)
Conference Track
Kelp & Seagrass
Conference Name
Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference (2020 : Online)
Document Type
Event
SSEC Identifier
2020_abstractID_2969
Start Date
22-4-2020 12:30 PM
End Date
22-4-2020 2:00 PM
Genre/Form
conference proceedings; presentations (communicative events)
Subjects – Topical (LCSH)
Kelps--Northwest, Pacific; Indigenous peoples--Northwest, Pacific
Geographic Coverage
Salish Sea (B.C. and Wash.); Northwest, Pacific
Rights
Copying of this document in whole or in part is allowable only for scholarly purposes. It is understood, however, that any copying or publication of this document for commercial purposes, or for financial gain, shall not be allowed without the author's written permission.
Type
Text
Language
English
Format
video/mp 4
The Cultural Importance of Kelp to Pacific Northwest Tribes
With its holdfast clinging firmly to the seafloor and a long stipe reaching up to bulb and blades in the waves, bull kelp provides a physical link between the surface and undersea marine worlds. But kelp is also a link between continents, a link between land and sea, and a link between the human and supernatural worlds. The close relationship between kelp-based coastal ecosystems and Pacific Northwest indigenous cultural systems is reflected in a wide range of evidence, including prehistoric artifacts, historical sources, and contemporary practices. Drawing up on these and other sources, we discuss the connections between kelp and important traditional resources, as well as provide an overview of kelp’s role in traditional Northwest Coast technology, subsistence, ceremonial practices, and stories.
