Land acknowledgement
It is with gratitude that we recognize the enduring connection of Indigenous Peoples to the land, waters, and biodiversity of the Salish Sea, which has been tended to and cherished by the Coast Salish people since time immemorial. We acknowledge and appreciate the wisdom and stewardship that has shaped this region over countless generations and we are grateful for the opportunity to be a part of this intricate tapestry of cultural and ecological diversity. We acknowledge the history and ongoing presence of Indigenous Peoples in this area and strive to foster relationships that honor and respect the rights, traditions, and contributions of the Coast Salish and Hul’q’umi’num’-speaking peoples.
Xetthecum Digital Ecocultural Mapping Project
This website is the culmination of a cross-cultural, interdisciplinary project that aims to meaningfully braid together Indigenous ways of knowing and Western ecological science to create an ecocultural map of a region known as Xetthecum in the Hul’q’umi’num’ language (Retreat Cove in English), on Galiano Island, BC, Canada. We hope you enjoy exploring this site where you can learn about the local biodiversity, Hul’q’umi’num’ species names, the cultural values of various species and ecological communities, and more.
About the project
The Xetthecum ecocultural mapping project began in 2020 and has been created through the collaborative effort of many people. The story map documents Xetthecum’s ecological communities and important cultural features from the perspectives of contributing Indigenous and non-Indigenous members of the community. This evolving open source framework integrates various sources of information including historical and contemporary biodiversity data, terrestrial ecosystem mapping, written and spoken Hul’q’umi’num’, stories of place and other audio and visual media.
The Xetthecum story map is a small step forward for the greater initiative begun by Whiteswan Environmental (WE), who are working collaboratively on several Indigenous-led projects that support community healing through the natural, cultural and historical restoration of the Salish Sea. Through a collaborative co-design process, WE aspire to adapt this framework for use in other contexts, supporting ecocultural mapping of significant sites throughout the Salish Sea. Meanwhile, we hope that the story of Xetthecum can serve as an educational resource and example of this type of work, to promote ecocultural mapping as a professional conservation practice among the next generation of land stewards.
Community contributions
Many community members have contributed to the creation of this story map and continue to collaborate on the project. We welcome your contributions, too! If you have a perspective you’d like to share, please reach out. You can also share your observations of Xetthecum’s biodiversity on (iNaturalist)
