Physical Geography Field School at the Pachena River; located on Huu-ayaht First Nations Land.

In the Spring semester of 2013 I enrolled in a course through SFU

labelled Geography 310: Physical Geography Field School. The research
component of this course took place in Bamfield, BC, which is located in the
Barclay Sound region on the west coast of Vancouver Island. We were
studying the physical geography of the Pachena River watershed, which
happens to lie within the Huu-ay-aht First Nation's territory. The Huu-ay-aht
are a self-governing, modern treaty Nation, which is actively involved in their
communities "to foster a safe, healthy and sustainable community; where
culture, language, spirituality and economy flourish for all" (huuayaht.org).
One of the environmental issues the Huu-ay-at Nation is addressing is the
diminishing salmon populations in the Pachena River watershed. The group
had observed this decline in salmon around the same time that the area was
being logged by the government. Our professor had arranged with the First
Nations community for our class to do our fieldwork and research within their
territory (along the Pachena River), and committed us to publishing a
research report and submitting it to the local community. Our research
objective was to record observations throughout the Pachena River region in
order to determine priorities for land and water reclamation initiatives.
At the time of my research, I had comfortably positioned myself as a
perfect stranger to the First Nations community. I did not know anything
about the Huu-ay-aht Nation's culture or community. My interpretation of
them was that they had a close connection with the land and the
government had gone in and disrupted the natural balance of the ecosystem,
causing the First Nation's community to lose natural resources, such as the
salmon. I did not ever consider how I could be implicated in the situation, nor
did I see myself as perpetuating the myth of the "Dead Indian". Thomas King
labels Dead Indians as the Western colonizers' ideal (and largely inaccurate)
concept of an Indian - those who follow traditional Western stereotypes, like
the noble savage. However, I saw them as victims of the government and as
needing our help ("our", referring to my dominantly white, western-educated
class). This ignores the fact that the Huu-ay-aht Nation is a strong and
successful community with land claim rights and governing powers over the
land. Ignoring the positive aspects of the First Nations community and

assuming there are helpless is an example of how I had reinforced these

stereotypes.
What I find most disturbing is the fact that we never once talked to
anyone from the Huu-ay-aht Nation. We never asked what we could do to
support their conservation initiatives. We never asked what their goals were
for the project, or how we could collaborate together. We never asked how
we could take a First Nations approach to the project, nor did we consider
their culture. We acted out of ignorance, and we never stopped to consider
the implications of us coming in to their territory to "help". We brought with
us our western standards of what is considered the "right" way to approach
the project. We never worried about potentially offending the community out
of our ignorance - we had assumed that we knew what was best to do. I look
back now on the project and wonder how we may have done our research
differently had we incorporated local knowledge and traditions. I wonder how
we could have better accommodated their interests and their goals for the
project, and how their input could have improved the quality of the research
we did.
Reflecting upon my experience in Bamfield has made me realize that I
don't want to be a perfect stranger. A perfect stranger is one who is ignorant
of Indigenous cultures, and chooses not to learn from them. Susan Dion
states "The objective of the colonizers is well achieved when even a hundred
years later we still see the world through their eyes" (pg. 189). I find it very
disturbing how I have contributed to the colonizers' objective of pushing the
Indians aside. I would like to become part of the solution and work towards
reconciliation with Aboriginal communities. I believe that process starts once
you recognize that you are not a perfect stranger, and you are implicated in
the historical legacies that the colonizing western world has left on First
Nations peoples. I would like to continue to challenge my self-concept as the
perfect stranger, and start to learn more about Indigenous cultures. If I could
go back and re-do the project, I would have started by speaking with the
Huu-ay-aht community first. I would consider their values and their goals,
and incorporate their knowledge of the land's history. I would work alongside
the community to meet the needs of that community, and I would question
my own methods and opinions of what is right.