Community Engagement
Phase III of this project focused on community engagement. To meet the goals of this initiative, we organized two events:
- a BioBlitz, which aimed to increase our knowledge of Xetthecum’s biodiversity
- a gathering including Indigenous knowledge-holders, to expand our knowledge of the cultural values of Xetthecum
Honouring each way of knowing
Originally, we intended for both of these events to coincide, however the logistics were complicated, and we realized that to properly honour the presence of Indigenous elders and knowledge-holders at the gathering, it would be best not to hold a BioBlitz alongside this event.
This experience underlined the challenges of weaving practices of Western ecological science with the practice of sharing Indigenous knowledge and wisdom.
Although there are complementary aspects to these two ways of seeing the world, we realized that each would require the dedication of their own unique forms of mindfulness, care and attention. Thus, to honour each activity, we decided it was best to allow them to unfold in their own dedicated context.
Table 16 summarizes the tasks undertaken to deepen our work through the engagement of community members.
Table 16. Community Engagement Tasks
| Task | Start | End |
|---|---|---|
| Planning 2023 BioBlitz at Hunterston Farms | January 2023 | May 2023 |
| WE Indigenous Youth Community Engagement Fellows | February 2023 | February 2023 |
| BioBlitz event | May 2023 | May 2023 |
| BioBlitz 2023 reporting | June 2023 | ongoing |
| Planning gathering at Xetthecum on Galiano Island | September 2023 | February 2024 |
| Gathering | February 2024 | February 2024 |
BioBlitz
In May 2023, with support from the Capital Regional District and the UBC BRITE Internship program, IMERSS teamed up with several organizations to plan a BioBlitz, which was generously hosted by the Hunterston Farm community at Xetthecum.
The Bioblitz engaged over a hundred people, including expert naturalists and members of the public, to make a significant contribution to our knowledge of Xetthecum’s biodiversity:
- By the end of Phase I of this project, we had documented a total of 524 species at Xetthecum, including 45 culturally important species (represented by 1,845 occurrence records) (Table 8).
- After our BioBlitz, we had documented over a thousand species, including over 100 species of cultural significance (represented by 4,320 occurrence records).
Thus, the BioBlitz effectively doubled our knowledge of the area’s biodiversity. Through this effort, we were also able to follow up historical surveys conducted during the 2010 BioBlitz at Hunterston Farms.
Partner organizations included the Galiano Conservancy Association, Galiano Naturalists, Hakai Institute, Northeast Pacific Coastal Biodiversity Action Network, and Swim Drink Fish. This event happened under the banner of the UN Decade on Ocean Conservation.
Gathering
On February 23–25, 2024 we held a small gathering on Galiano Island with Puneluxutth’ elder Augie Sylvester, members of his family, and a few Galiano community members to share our work and get feedback on our approach to ecocultural mapping. We also recorded Augie’s stories of the history and cultural values at Xetthecum.
Our discussions with Augie revealed that there are multiple perspectives on Retreat Cove, depending on who is telling the story and what their purpose was for visiting this place.
There are also many missing stories about this place. We acknowledge that these missing pieces are a result of colonization, and are a part of the story that we need to tell.
This experience also confirmed that the story map we created cannot be conclusive. We acknowledged this reality from the outset of our pilot project, and this remains a central lesson as we continue this work.
Ideally, future iterations of this ecocultural mapping framework will better accommodate multiple perspectives, reveal gaps and missing pieces, and help to facilitate continued dialogue about culturally significant places in the Salish Sea.