Coastal First Nations report leads way to stay the course and stay alive
British Columbia’s coastal First Nations newly released report “reflects 10,000 years of traditional knowledge about living as a part of the natural world,” writes environmental journalist Osha Davidson in OnEarth Magazine.
The report, “Staying the Course, Staying Alive – Coastal First Nations Fundamental Truths: Biodiversity, Stewardship and Sustainability,” which not so coincidentally followed the United Nations General Assembly proclaimed 2010 the International Year of Biodiversity, combines western science and traditional ecological knowledge to create a unique document. Writes Davidson, “After all, who would know better how to preserve biodiversity than people who have been living sustainably in the same place for thousands of years?”
The report includes art and traditional stories with maps based on satellite data detailing the biogeoclimatic
ecosystems of their region, and an overview of sustainable fishing practices and recommendations for adapting to climate change.
