Culturally driven forest management, utilization and values: A Nuxalk First Nations case study

Abstract

The forests of British Columbia have been managed for thousands of years to provide a range of products and services. For the Nuxalk people of Bella Coola, BC, their forests were used to build homes and canoes, act as a transportation system (grease trails), and provide material for clothing, fuel and cultural/artistic needs. These forests also provide a host of plants used for nourishment and medicine. The lives of First Nations people have been dramatically altered with the arrival of Western cultures; from a First Nations perspective, these traditional goods and services have been eroded. Today they seek to restore and protect the forests that provide these goods and services while at the same time recognizing the needs of a modern life, which include improved housing, energy that is environmentally friendly and the development of new products and services to sustain their economy. Eight research projects aimed at helping the Nuxalk people accomplish these goals are briefly described.Keywords: First Nations, economic development, bioenergy, district energy, forest management, wood products, social housing, solid wood house, wood residue, non-timber forest products résumé Les forêts de la Colombie-Britannique ont été utilisées depuis des milliers d'années pour en retirer des produits et des services. Dans le cas de la nation Nuxalk de Bella Coola en C.-B., leurs forêts ont été utilisées pour construire des habitations et des canots, comme réseau de transport (sentiers de la graisse) et pour en tirer des matériaux pour la confection de vêtements, un approvisionnement en bois de chauffage et en matériel artistique culturel. Ces forêts fournissent également des plantes destinées à l'alimentation et aux soins médicaux. La vie des peuples des Premières Nations a été dramatiquement bouleversée au contact des cultures occidentales; du point de vue des Premières Nations, les produits et services traditionnels ont été mis en péril. Ces peuples cherchent actuellement à restaurer et à protéger les forêts qui leur procurent ces produits et ces services tout en reconnaissant que les obligations de la vie moderne, ce qui inclut l'amélioration de l' efficacité énergétique des maisons respectueuse de l' environnement et le développement de nouveaux produits et services afin de maintenir leurs revenus. Cet article décrit brièvement huit projets de recherche destinés à aider la nation Nuxalk à atteindre ces objectifs.Mots clés : Premières Nations, développement économique, bioénergie, énergie de quartier, aménagement forestier, produits forestiers, logement social, construction en bois plein, résidus de bois, produits forestiers non ligneux

Reconciling Institutional Logics Within First Nations Forestry-Based Social Enterprises

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Interactions of knowledge systems in shiitake mushroom production: a case study on the Noto Peninsula, Japan

“…They found that the local origin and environmental friendliness were important for the consumers and suggested that certificate NFTPs to communicate such attributes will be supportive tool (Kilchling et al, 2009). Bull et al (2014) focused on Nuxalk First Nations case in Canada and analyzed the utilization of NFTP, such as briquettes and essential oils for improving economic and livelihood standards of the community.…”

Growing together: A principle-based approach to building collaborative Indigenous partnerships in Canada’s forest sector

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