As sacred as cedar and salmon: A collaborative study with Huu-ay-aht First Nation, British Columbia into understanding the meaning of 'resources' from an Indigenous worldview

The recent 'cultural turn' in geography has created space for geographers to employ postmodern, feminist, and postcolonial theories to interrogate our scholarly conceptualization of the human-nature interface. A major focus of this turn has been to explore the role of power between stakeholders concerning contentious land use issues. This dissertation contributes to this area of inquiry through a community-based participatory program of research undertaken in partnership with a First Nation in Canada. The focal point involves an investigation into Indigenous perspectives of the importance and meaning of resources in the context of Western resource management practices. This work draws attention to the continuance of colonial/neo-colonial management policies and practices in Canada, particularly in terms of how power relations between government, industry, and Indigenous peoples influence and are influenced by competing worldviews.;The Nuu-chah-nulth peoples of Huu-ay-aht First Nation, located on the West Coast of Vancouver Island, have had sustained use of the local resources for thousands of years. Since Europeans settled in the area and began intensive forestry practices, the landscape has been negatively impacted. This is particularly true in two places: the waterways, which sustain salmon and the ability of cedar forests to regenerate. Consequently, there has been continued friction among multiple stakeholders regarding the power to define the landscape. As governments begin to honour Indigenous rights and titles, First Nations are in a position to fulfill their role as stewards of their traditional territories. This study is part of a larger effort on the part of the Huu-ay-aht to protect cedar and salmon, the cornerstones of their culture, and, in essence, to protect themselves.;The contributions of this research are three-fold. Theoretically, the study critically examines the role of power in terms of influencing worldviews and re-defining a key geographic concept - resources - at multiple scales and locations. Methodologically, the applicability of using a participant-employed photography and dialogic exercise, known as Photovoice, is evaluated to determine its appropriateness culturally as an in-depth qualitative approach for investigating community-based issues. Substantively, the results are intended to equip the Huu-ay-aht leadership with tools to reinforce their land-use planning and decision-making.