Bears, salmon and our people.

Bears, salmon, indigenous rights, and local management of resources all converge in this beautiful and moving video.

Central Coast Nations are collaborating with the Raincoast Conservation Foundation and the University of Victoria (UVic) to study bear-salmon-human systems within our territories. With Heiltsuk’s Jess Housty and Kitasoo/Xai’Xai’s Doug Neasloss as consulting producers, the film highlights the scale and importance of this work.

As the film opens, Jess speaks powerfully about why protecting this coast matters to her. Her words are her own, but she could easily be speaking for all central coast First Nations people:

This coast is special to me on a deeply personal and intimate level because it is the place where my ancestors’ bones are buried. This is the place that is in my veins; it is imprinted in my DNA; it’s where I come from and there is no other geography in the world where I make sense as a person.

And, like all our Nations’ projects, there is a strong emphasis on the importance of local resource management in this film. Dr. Chris Darimont of UVic speaks to this:

Coastal Nations have ten thousand years experience behind them in managing resources. For me this provides a compelling reason for resources to be managed locally once again.

Give yourself the gift of 15 minutes to watch this powerful film.

Great Bear from Marchfelder on Vimeo.

Remember, there are more great videos in CCIRA’s video archive. Check out the Keepers of the Coast trailer as a starting point.