Ecocultural Mapping Working Group

The primary goal of the Ecocultural Mapping Working Group was to adapt content from the UP-CLOSE report (Emmings & Erickson, 2004) in conjunction with knowledge shared by Indigenous community members, to map out cultural values across the Xetthecum landscape.

Research approach

Before beginning this process, the UP-CLOSE report was carefully reviewed and a survey design and protocol for consultation with Indigenous community members was developed. We decided to use a reflexive, developmental approach in our research methodology (Mariam Attia & Julian Edge, 2017). We also kept in mind noted Indigenous research methodologies, such as Fyre Jean Graveline’s (2000) Circle as methodology: Enacting an Aboriginal paradigm.

Reaching out through relationships

Our Indigenous team members shared that very few, if any, of their family members have ever attended, let alone participated in public consultation or decision-making processes, much less research or mapping projects.

Rather than publicly invite Indigenous community members to participate in a group process, we carefully approached individuals based on networks of established relationships, which fostered trust and openness in sharing.

Invitation to participate in a workshop at a public venue, even a circle-based one, was considered an inappropriate approach to this work, not only because of the challenges associated with COVID, but also because of the reluctance of Indigenous community members to participate in such social functions outside of familiar contexts for knowledge sharing.

Because of this reality, we realized that it would not be helpful to use a public outreach strategy for this initial phase of consultation with Indigenous community members. Instead we prioritized immediate connections within the community, and especially our relationship with Thiyuas, Puneluxutth’ Elder Florence James, to co-develop a knowledge-sharing process that would work for Indigenous knowledge holders.

Interview questions

Questions asked during the UP-CLOSE workshop series focused primarily on values ascribed to ecological communities. In our approach, we instead prioritized questions about the favourite places, activities, interests, livelihoods and passions of those interviewed (Table 14). Interviews were then reviewed and thematically analyzed to group values in relation to the ecological communities and sites of significance represented at Xetthecum.

Table 14. Phase II: Interview Questions

UP-CLOSE Workshop Questions (Emmings & Erickson, 2004)	Xetthecum Interview Questions
1. What is valuable to you about the ecosystem highlighted in this workshop?	1. What is valuable to you about this place? (highlight Xetthecum (Retreat Cove) on the map of Galiano)
2. Why are these values important?	2. What do you like to do on Galiano? What have you (or people you know) done on Galiano in the past? How about in the Xetthecum area in particular?
3. What do you and people you know do in the ecosystem? (walk, gather wood, paint, etc.)	3. What kind of activities have you done on Galiano / in Xetthecum in the past that you hope to do again in the future?
4. What places are special to you on Galiano Island and why?	4. What changes have occurred that prevent you from doing the activities you once did on Galiano / Xetthecum?

Synthesizing cultural values

Content from thematized interviews was then synthesized with content generated during the UP-CLOSE workshop series to generate textual summaries of the cultural values associated with ecosystems and places. This process was critical, reflexive and creative, taking the following approach:

1. Honouring past participatory mapping exercises by drawing excerpts from the UP-CLOSE report as base content for a summary of cultural values associated with each ecosystem.
2. Decolonizing concepts and assumptions embedded in past representations of the landscape by reimagining ecologies more inclusive of a variety of Indigenous perspectives.
3. Indigenizing summaries with specific cultural knowledge shared by Galiano-related knowledge holders through the interview process.

Through this process, any assumptions and theories were ultimately replaced by testimonials and direct knowledge shared and organized through thematic analysis of interview notes and transcripts, adding nuance and complexity to the summary.

Those interviewed during Phase II of this project included: Florence James, Jeannine Georgeson, Rosemary Georgeson, Fred Wilson, and Lorne Silvey. These respondents then helped us to identify other potential participants, based on this initial successful and mutually beneficial experience.

Work in progress

Because of the sensitivities associated with this process, the work of consulting, thematizing, adapting, and synthesizing cultural values and stories of place remained ongoing by the end of Phase II with content that had not been finalized nor fully integrated into the online framework.

For the rest of Phase II, we prioritized completion of the mapping prototype, based on content gathered during this phase of this project, to serve as a guiding framework and reference point for continued consultation during Phase III.

Table 15 summarizes the tasks completed by this working group.

Table 15. Phase II: Ecocultural Mapping Tasks

Task	Start	End
Continue tabulation of ecological and cultural attributes and values based on ongoing field work and cultural mapping exercises	January 2022	March 2022
Compile excerpts of cultural content from UP-CLOSE report as base content for cultural values associated with ecological communities and places	February 2022	March 2022
Develop survey design complementary to that implemented during UP-CLOSE report, but tailored to reach local Indigenous community members	February 2022	February 2022
Create a list of all known Indigenous community members and knowledge holders with connections to Galiano. Group names by interests, family connections and level of trust in relationships with those Indigenous community members who are already involved in the Xetthecum project.	February 2022	March 2022
Conduct preliminary interviews with Indigenous community members  within immediate circle of relationships, who are the most likely to participate confidently and freely and feel comfortable giving feedback and advice on the mapping process, with the least risk of damaging trust.	February 2022	March 2022
Thematize outcomes of interview process in relation to ecological communities and important sites and features at Xetthecum	February 2022	March 2022
Synthesize base content generated from excerpts of UP-CLOSE report with thematized outcomes of the interview process	March 2022	December 2023
Ensure permissions are granted for incorporation of cultural knowledge into project framework.  Instead of asking participants to sign a waiver prior to interviews, we asked them to grant permission after they can see the content generated from their contributions.	February 2022	Ongoing