The Canoe Journey - Governing Transboundary Waters: Canada, the United States, and Indigenous Communities - page 140

years, most likely contributes to better relationships between Indigenous and non-
Indigenous residents. In years past, bitter racism fuelled by fishing rights issues made
the waterways and beaches of the Salish Sea Basin a hostile environment for many
Coast Salish members. Now, with the fish wars less heated, the fish allocation
policies relatively normalized, and the reduction of commercial fishers (and fish),
a new generation exists where respect mostly trumps racism. Part of the turning
of the tide is the positive framing of the Canoe Journey. Other components include
work in the classroom, and efforts for collaboration with governmental agencies
such as USGS and Environment Canada.
Both the State of Washington and the Province of British Columbia have charges
to include more curriculum with Indigenous content. This inclusion is occurring,
school district by school district. For example, in Anacortes, Washington (the
launching point to the San Juan Islands), there has been a recent push by educators
and administration to include Coast Salish content in the classroom. In British
Columbia, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission hearings have enhanced this
effort. The introduction of curriculum to students that celebrates (rather than ignores
or tokenizes) the long history of Indigenous peoples is an important step in creating
communities that respect and honor the long presence of the Indigenous peoples
of North America.
In addition to classroom education, public education comes through public art
and exhibits. For example, a healing pole in Anacortes, Washington, was placed
on the beach in 2011 after an oil refinery accident killed seven community mem-
bers. This tragedy brought Indigenous and non-Indigenous community members
together to focus on the need to heal, and also inspired renowned local carver and
spiritual leader of the Samish Nation, Bill James, to donate a totem pole that he
describes as a gift from the Creator. The pole serves as a way to honor the victims
of the accident and also a way to raise multicultural awareness.
Hybrid spaces: U.S. Geological Survey and the tribal
Canoe Journey
The partnership between the Salish tribes and the USGS is a noteworthy example
of mechanisms that promote shared goals of improved water quality and governance.
The partnership began in 2008 and continues to be described as a “blending of
science and tradition”. In the inaugural partnership, the project organizers lauded
the unique relationship:
In an exciting new partnership between the Coast Salish (Indigenous peoples
of the Salish Sea ecoregion) and the USGS, members of western Washington
Tribes and British Columbia First Nations will measure water quality in Puget
Sound and the Strait of Georgia during the Tribal Journey, the annual summer
canoe voyage. The project will provide a snapshot of current water quality
conditions and data that can be compared with future measurements along
successive journeys. This information is important to improve management
of ancestral waters that are experiencing environmental decline.
(USGS, 2008)