Ancient Mariculture in British Columbia: Documenting the Past for the Future, Part 2.

At the 2013 SoE Conference, Dana Lepofsky discussed how traditional mariculture practices in British Columbia are linked to issues of food security, health, economic development, governance, and community engagement in heritage. She presented emerging results on behalf of researchers in the Clam Garden Network, a collaborative team of First Nations knowledge holders, archaeologists, ecologists, geologists, and resource managers focused on clam gardens, one form of traditional marine resource management on North America’s Northwest Coast. Four years later, this expanding group of researchers has learned 1) how to age this ancient form of mariculture; 2) that clam gardening is a future-focused management technique; 3) the role of substrate in clam productivity; 4) that clam gardens can be more productive than non-walled beaches; and 5) that diverse communities are deeply interested in the learning, collaborative opportunities, and moves towards reconciliation that emerge from restoring and celebrating this example of indigenous ingenuity.