Spirits not broken : the Haida people and the fisheries resource
Date
1992
Authors
Kavanagh, Barbara
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Abstract
The fisheries resource is of substantial value in British Columbia, representing an important source of income for the province and employment for thousands of people. Fishing, however, is an increasingly difficult way of life, and many people who depend on the fisheries for their primary occupation and sole source of income are facing great hardship.
The importance of the fisheries resource and the problems associated with its use are perhaps most clearly demonstrated in terms of aboriginal communities in B.C. The participation of aboriginal peoples in the fishing industry is associated with issues of profound social , political and economic consequence. Fishing lies at the heart of most aboriginal cultures, and it is consistent with the traditions and lifestyles of those living in remote regions. Yet aboriginal peoples have increasingly been eliminated from participation in the Pacific fishery since the earliest development of the industry, resulting in drastic changes in their lives.
This thesis considers these issues by attempting to promote an understanding of the relationship between the fisheries resource and one aboriginal group - the Haida. Through the use of an interpretive approach, information was gathered from the Haida people themselves regarding their fishing traditions, their views of the history of the fishing industry, and their perceptions of fisheries management. Based on a feminist view of research, this work was developed in cooperation with the Council of the Haida Nation, and the Haida were involved in almost all aspects of the research design.
The work begins by describing the traditional use of the fisheries resource by the Haida people, and its importance in terms of their lifestyle and heritage. It then traces the people's gradual exclusion from the fisheries harvest, and the changing nature of their use of the resource. The impacts of these changes are then examined, and it is demonstrated that the Haida people the economic and social effects of their displacement.
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UN SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities