Looking Backward while Moving Forward: Reconstructing and Revitalizing the Historical Significance of Mountain Habitats and Resources in Puget Salish Territory.

Can stories that ethno-ecologists tell about their work foster revitalization of traditional foodways and healthy relationships with the land? While the emphasis on marine resources in historical and contemporary representations of Coast Salish daily life has made it easy to forget that the western slopes of the Cascades were, and are as much “home” to Coast Salish peoples as the Puget Lowlands, mountain landscapes have in fact provided important foods, medicines & fibers to the Coast Salish for millennia. Today, with increasing urbanization and privatization, these lands play an increasingly important role in the traditional foods revitalization movements of Coast Salish communities. However, biodiversity conservation and recreational interests often take priority in planning and management on these lands. I will explore how communicating the story of long-term habitation of these upland landscapes may help diverse audiences imagine how biological and cultural diversity conservation and revitalization are mutually compatible goals.