New research sheds light on how the people of Nuchatlaht have cultivated plants for centuries on the island of Nutka in BC.
The findings, published in the Journal of Archaeological Science, challenge some common beliefs about plant cultivation in the area and could have a significant impact on the first Nuchatlaht nation’s claim to Aboriginal title over more than 200 square kilometers of land on Nutka Island off the West Coast. on Vancouver Island.
Chelsea’s Gerald Armstrong, assistant professor of local research at Simon Fraser University, says archaeologists and botanists have worked with knowledge holders in Nuchatlaht to identify forest gardens, managed plant ecosystems, fruits, berries and root crops.
Armstrong says forest gardens can be easily spotted in a dense forest if you know what to look for.
“They can be like an orchard you’d think of – clear rows, well-placed,” she said.
She says the study confirms what knowledge holders in Nuchatlaht have long known, and challenges notions that North American ecosystems were wild, untouched “paradise gardens” before settlers arrived.
“When you look at these forest gardens, yes, they look wild, but now that you see these human impacts on them, it shatters this story,” she said.
LISTEN | Research sheds light on the cultivation of plants by the people of Nuchatlah on the island of Nutka
Early edition 7:15 New study sheds light on how the people of Nuchatlah cultivate plants on their territory
The findings, published in the Journal of Archaeological Science, could have significant implications for the first Nuchatlah nation’s claim to the Aboriginal title on approximately 200 square kilometers of Nutka Island in British Columbia. Chelsea Professor Gerald Armstrong joins us for more.
The study comes when Nuchatlaht are in the Supreme Court of British Columbia, seeking the Aboriginal title in an area 300 kilometers northwest of Victoria, composed mainly of the island of Nutka and much of the surrounding coast.
The UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) also looms over the case – as British Columbia passed legislation in 2019 to bring its laws into line with a document that states that “Indigenous peoples have the right to land, territories and the resources traditionally held, occupied or used or otherwise acquired. “
The first nation is among the first to sue under the terms of a groundbreaking three-point test set by Canada’s Supreme Court in 2014 to establish an aboriginal title.
To meet this standard, the Nuchatlaht must prove that they occupied the land exclusively in 1846, when the British claimed sovereignty through a treaty that led to today’s border between Canada and the United States.
Chelsea researcher Gerald Armstrong says the study disputes the notion that ecosystems in North America were wild, untouched “paradise gardens” before settlers arrived. (Nuchatlaht / Troy Moth)
Armstrong says archaeologists are increasingly involved in land claims.
Many local communities, which have an oral tradition, find it challenging to bear the burden of proof in modern courts. Archaeologists are increasingly praying to bridge the gap.
“Western scientific methods such as archeology and historical ecology are really powerful tools for nations to show, ‘No, we’ve been here, we’ve used the land.’
The study also shows the contribution of indigenous peoples to the creation and maintenance of ecosystems in the region.
“Science is really good at conveying the message that biodiversity is a good thing in our forests, in our terrestrial and marine ecosystems,” she said.
“Much of the time when biodiversity was created and maintained by indigenous peoples. And we know that it is not only in the territory of Nuchatlaht, but also worldwide. “
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