INTERESTING NEWS Canada’s Oldest First Nations Newspaper - Serving Nuu-chah-nulth-aht since 1974 Canadian Publications Mail Product Vol. 48 - No. 06—March 25, 2021 haas^i>sa Sales Agreement No. 40047776
Herring integral to ecological health and preservation Nuu-chah-nulth nations flock to the herring during their annual spawn on Vancouver Island’s west coast By Melissa Renwick Local Journalism Initiative Reporter Outside of their Port Alberni home, Hesquiaht elected chief Joshua Charleson and his wife, Letitia, were busy at work preparing herring for their smokehouse. Having only smoked herring once before, Letitia was supported through the process by Charleson, who was taught by his mother. Growing up in an urban setting outside her traditional territory, Letitia was never exposed to the tradition. Despite being well-versed in smoking salmon, she said herring is entirely different. Unlike salmon, the head and tail are left intact on herring. Once gutted, its spine is sliced and the fish is flipped insideout before being hung side-by-side on wooden sticks inside the smokehouse, explained Letitia. “I love it,” she said. “Just being able to practice and also having our children around watching and learning. Sometimes they help, sometimes they don’t, but just knowing that they’re around and that they can see these teachings is what [excites] me. Eventually when they’re older, they will be familiar with this and they’ll know how to do it on their own.” Because of the smoke omission, Letitia said First Nations people who live in urban centres often get complaints from neighbours or landlords when using their smokehouse. “Living away from your territory plays a huge factor in not being able to keep those traditions alive,” she said. That, and the declining fish stock. Out of five regions on B.C.’s coast where the fish are monitored, only the Strait of Georgia experienced a biomass volume capable of having a commercial herring fishery this year. The west coat of Vancouver Island (WCVI) hasn’t been able to support a commercial fishery since 2005 and is only open only for small-scale First Nations food, social and ceremonial (FSC) purposes. According to the Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada’s (DFO) 2020/21 Pacific Herring Integrated Fisheries Management Plan, the WCVI stock persisted in a low biomass and productivity state from approximately 2004 to 2014. While recent years have shown an increasing trend, persistent low biomass and growth relative to historic levels means that the region’s commercial fishery has been kept closed to support rebuilding. Back in the day, inches of herring roe would coat the kelp, said Jared Dick, Uua-thluk central region biologist.
Photo by Letitia Charleson
Hesquiaht elected chief Joshua Charleson holds herring he smoked with his wife, Letitia, outside their home in Port Alberni. Now, only thin layers of eggs around collective understanding of herring guage program. “We are the people that one or two centimetres in thickness are abundance, distribution and recovery,” pull eel grass between our teeth to eat the laid, he said. said Coutts. herring roe.” “DFO’s models and science say it’s Carlos Mack has been conducting herA seine boat under contract to DFO improving,” said Dick. “But Indigenous ring surveys for DFO through Toquaht through the Herring Conservation and knowledge and local knowledge and unNation for the past five years. Continually Research Society began its charter to derstanding of what a healthy population “amazed” by the amount of life spawning obtain biological samples on Feb. 20. looks like [indicates] that we’re nowhere herring attract, it’s a job he takes pride in. Starting in Barkley Sound, the Proud Canear where we should be.” And yet, he can’t help but feel disapnadian travelled north through Clayoquot In 2015, DFO partnered with Nuu-chah- pointed by this year’s spawning events. and Nootka Sounds to Esperanza Inlet nulth nations to launch a five-year pilot Speaking over the hum of his engine before returning south to end its charter study to establish an annual nearshore while conducting a herring survey in back in Barkley Sound on March 11. sampling program for WCVI herring. front of Macoah village on March 12, At the request of local First Nations, The program was geared towards samMack said, “It wasn’t as great as we the vessel retained “small quantities” of pling mature herring from active spawnthought it would be. The numbers are whole herring for FSC purposes for local ing sites using small hand-thrown cast slowly coming up, but it’s really slow.” Nuu-chah-nulth nations, said Coutts. nets. Along with the cast net sampling, Before moving to his next location, During a test in Sydney Inlet, Hesquiaht the nations supported stock assessment Mack anchored a pile cedar branches to a Fisheries received around one-tonne of by identifying and locating herring boulder and dropped them into the ocean herring from the Proud Canadian for spawning events and performing surface near the spawning grounds. It’s a method distribution in Hot Springs Cove, and ansurveys of herring egg deposition, said used to harvest herring eggs that are other half-tonne for Hesquiaht members Alexandra Coutts, DFO communications deposited on the surface of the branches living in Port Alberni, said Charleson. advisor. during a spawning event. Requested by While the Hesquiaht chief said few Throughout those years, the age and Toquaht elected chief Anne Mack, the people continue to smoke herring, the size data for the cast net sampling was branches are later distributed to commutime-consuming process is “well worth compared to DFO’s seine boat data. nity members, who peel the eggs off the it.” “We’ve shown that our cast net sambranches for consumption. Once finished smoking their herring, pling produces the same data as the seine The tradition is so ingrained into the Charleson and Letitia packed the fish up boat sampling,” said Dick. fabric of Nuu-chah-nulth culture that to store in their freezer. As a result, the nations’ data is being Hesquiaht’s name is derived from the Depending on how much they give away incorporated into DFO’s annual stock as- very act. to family and friends, their stash is ususessment for the second year, he said. “We are ḥiškʷiiʔatḥ and the sound of ally gone before summer. “The Nuu-chah-nulth’s nations’ involve- repeatedly pulling the eel grass between “I’m so grateful I’m with somebody ment in the WCVI herring stock assessthe teeth is ḥišḥiiša,” said chuutsqa L. whose family still keeps these traditions ment program enhances the department’s Rorick, who coordinates Hesquiaht’s lan- alive,” said Letitia.
Inside this issue... Nuchatlaht land claims update....................................Page 3 Tseshaht designed traffic sign.....................................Page 5 Mask and healing song serve as record......................Page 8 Job opportunities board..............................................Page 9 Sisters train for MMIWG run...................................Page 11
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