Mountain Life
  • Daily Content
    • Trips & Expeditions
    • Climbing
    • Mountain Biking
    • Mountain Lifer
    • Multiplicity
    • On The Trail
    • Paddling
    • Photography
    • Skiing
    • Snowboarding
    • Stay & Play
    • Surfing
    • The Great Outdoors
    • The ML Interview
    • Travel
  • GEAR
  • VIDEOS
  • STORE
  • Magazines
    • ML Coast Mountains
    • ML Rocky Mountains
    • Vie En Montagne
    • ML Blue Mountains
    • ML Annual
    • ML Subscriptions
  • ABOUT
    • What is ML?
    • Our Team
    • Newsletter
    • Adventure Grant
    • Distribution
  • Podcast
  • Contests
  • CONTACT
    • ML Agency
    • Advertising
    • Contribute
Subscription Form

Get notified of the best News

Social Links
Instagram 22K Followers
Facebook 0 Likes
Twitter 0 Followers
Pinterest 1K Followers
Vimeo 34 Followers
LinkedIn 0
22K Followers
0 Likes
0 Followers
1K Followers
Mountain Life
Mountain Life
  • Daily Content
    • Trips & Expeditions
    • Climbing
    • Mountain Biking
    • Mountain Lifer
    • Multiplicity
    • On The Trail
    • Paddling
    • Photography
    • Skiing
    • Snowboarding
    • Stay & Play
    • Surfing
    • The Great Outdoors
    • The ML Interview
    • Travel
  • GEAR
  • VIDEOS
  • STORE
  • Magazines
    • ML Coast Mountains
    • ML Rocky Mountains
    • Vie En Montagne
    • ML Blue Mountains
    • ML Annual
    • ML Subscriptions
  • ABOUT
    • What is ML?
    • Our Team
    • Newsletter
    • Adventure Grant
    • Distribution
  • Podcast
  • Contests
  • CONTACT
    • ML Agency
    • Advertising
    • Contribute
  • Mountain Lifer
  • Women

On the Frontlines: Indigenous Women Protecting Sacred Places

  • February 15, 2018
  • Mountain Life Media
Total
37
Shares
37
0
0
0
0
0
Total
37
Shares
Share 37
Tweet 0
Pin it 0
Share 0
Share 0
Share 0

Widely known as the Broughton Archipelago, the traditional territory of the Musgamagw Dzawada’enuxw, ‘Namgis, and Mamalilikala First Nations is a pristine stretch of ocean and islands off the northeastern coast of Vancouver Island. It’s also home to one third of British Columbia’s wild salmon population, and ground zero for an increasingly important BC environmental battle.

sacred2 FEATURE
Karrisa Glendale reflects on the battle to protect wild salmon in her traditional territory.

Words :: Alex Harris // photography :: Cristina Mittermeier.

Foreign-owned, open-net pen Atlantic salmon fish farms have been operating in the area for 30 years. The Broughton Archipelago is a crucial feeding ground for wild Pacific salmon and independent research continues to reveal the deadly threat these farm operations pose, mainly via the transfer of viruses, sea lice and disease through the open-net pens, to juvenile wild salmon passing by on their natural migration routes.

Young female warriors of the Musgamagw Dzawada’enuxw and ‘Namgis Nations, Molina Dawson (21) and Karissa Glendale (22), have been occupying, monitoring and engaging in direct action within their territory since August 2017 to raise awareness and put an end to the many harms these foreign industries are causing in their traditional lands and waters.

Efforts to re-assert female leadership continue in Musgamagw Dzawada’enuxw, ‘Namgis, and Mamalilikala First Nations. In these matriarchal societies, women are upheld and honoured for their wisdom and strength. And as First Nation culture, communities, and territory continue to come under attack by industry across BC, many believe it is time to empower young female leaders and their matriarch Elders to speak out and stand up for justice in their communities and beyond.

Sacred1 copy
Molina Dawson

What motivates you?
I was fortunate to grow up with wild salmon. We were able to have it a lot, more than twice a week, and there was no worry about running out because we had quite a bit in the freezer. I was able to learn how to preserve it and make it a whole bunch of different ways from my aunts and grandmas. With my niece being born, it really made me look at the reality. We can’t have fish more than twice a week, or even more than twice a month now. So if I’m going to be able to teach her anything about what I learned, I have to do something to save the wild salmon.

What is it like being a woman on the frontline?

Molina: It’s been mostly women on the frontlines. I think part of that could be that we instinctually have more concern for the future, because we are mothers or are going to be mothers one day.

Karissa: I don’t think it would be any different from being a man on the frontline. If anything, I think it’s a bit more of an advantage because us women can control our emotions better, I guess. And we have definitely been tested throughout this whole thing.

Are there any women in your life or in your family who have inspired you?

Molina: My mother definitely has inspired me. My mom has been heavily involved. And a lot of the organizing, not just people on the frontline but a lot of the ones behind the scenes making sure press releases get out and connecting the dots, has been done by women too. My mother has been an amazing support and guide in this.

How has being on the frontline changed you?

Molina: I think I’ve learned a lot being out there. You see a lot from observing these farms. It doesn’t take a long time looking in these pens to notice a deformed fish or one with a big sore on the side. It’s not natural. The provincial [fish farm] licenses are up in June, so our number one concern right now is making sure those don’t get renewed. We are hoping to see abundant wild salmon runs in the future so we can still have healthy whales and bears and humans. Because that’s what this coast relies on: wild salmon.

For more information on BC’s battle to protect wild salmon check out cleansingourwaters.com

Total
37
Shares
Share 37
Tweet 0
Pin it 0
Share 0
Share 0
Share 0
Related Topics
  • conservation
  • First Nations
  • Salmon
Mountain Life Media

Previous Article
  • The Great Outdoors
  • Paddling

Surf Mama: Paddle Harder To Live Better

  • February 14, 2018
  • Ben Osborne
View Post
Next Article
  • The Great Outdoors
  • Skiing
  • Snowboarding

Loungin’ With Myrtle: The First Lady Of Whistler

  • February 19, 2018
  • Ben Osborne
View Post
You May Also Like
Wake-network-magic-mushroom-therapy
View Post
  • Mountain Lifer

Wake Up & Smell the Psilocybin

  • Editor
  • June 6, 2023
John-Haines-Simcoe-Street-Collingwood2-at-CreativeSimcoe-Street
View Post
  • Mountain Lifer
  • Ontario

Tribute: ML’s Map Artist John Haines

  • Ned Morgan
  • June 1, 2023
Kathryn-Corbiere-artist-Indigenous-Ontario-Blue-Mountains
View Post
  • Mountain Lifer
  • Ontario
  • The ML Interview
  • Women

Artist Profile: Elevating Awareness 

  • Editor
  • May 29, 2023
Fisher-Monahan-illustration-illustrator
View Post
  • Mountain Lifer
  • On The Trail

Sweetgrass Chronicles: Walking from BC to San Francisco

  • Editor
  • May 26, 2023
ML-Blue-Mountains-cover-trilliums-crop
View Post
  • In This Issue
  • Mountain Biking
  • Mountain Lifer
  • On The Trail
  • Ontario
  • Paddling
  • Photography

ML Blue Mountains 20th Anniversary Issue Out Now

  • Ned Morgan
  • May 18, 2023
Cracked-Dams-removal
View Post
  • Mountain Lifer

Cracked: The Future of Dams in a Hot, Chaotic World

  • Mountain Life Media
  • May 15, 2023
Lara-Shea
View Post
  • Skiing
  • Snowboarding
  • The ML Interview
  • Videos
  • Women

ML Podcast: Award-Winning Filmmaker Lara Shea

  • Mountain Life Media
  • May 9, 2023
jeremy-Down-artist-surfing
View Post
  • Mountain Lifer
  • Ontario
  • Surfing

Artist Profile: Jeremy Down’s Georgian Bay Series

  • Mountain Life Media
  • May 8, 2023
Featured Posts
  • Sisters-Madi-Beeman-Takakkaw-Falls-Pitch-8-Photo-Kenzie-Beeman 1
    ML Rockies: ‘The Play Issue’ Out Now
    • June 9, 2023
  • chu-chua-festival 2
    The Reconciliation Trail
    • June 5, 2023
  • Wake-network-magic-mushroom-therapy 3
    Wake Up & Smell the Psilocybin
    • June 6, 2023
  • Matt-Hadley-Canmore 4
    Trail & Error
    • June 7, 2023
  • Kathryn-Corbiere-artist-Indigenous-Ontario-Blue-Mountains 5
    Artist Profile: Elevating Awareness 
    • May 29, 2023
RECENT POSTS
  • Arc'teryx-Norvan-run-kit-2023
    Inspired by the Coast Mountains: Norvan Run Kit
    • June 7, 2023
  • ML-5-panel-trucker-cap-black-white-front
    Father’s Day Gifts for Active Dads
    • June 2, 2023
  • John-Haines-Simcoe-Street-Collingwood2-at-CreativeSimcoe-Street
    Tribute: ML’s Map Artist John Haines
    • June 1, 2023
Social Links
Instagram 22K Followers
Facebook 0 Likes
Twitter 0 Followers
Pinterest 1K Followers
Vimeo 34 Followers
LinkedIn 0
INSTAGRAM

Warning: preg_match(): Unknown modifier '0' in /home/customer/www/mountainlifemedia.ca/public_html/wp-content/plugins/powerkit/modules/lazyload/helpers/helper-powerkit-lazyload.php on line 146
avatar
mountainlifemedia
Mountain Life
25K Followers
NEW MAG DROP 🥳 43 3
To celebrate World Oceans Day today, Patagonia is proud to announce the addition of a new film series to their film library that focuses on the global protection of ocean ecosystems and the locals that are taking responsibility for them. 14 0
arcteryx updates and expands its #Norvan run line with weather-beating, trail-shredding results. 15 0
A real Canadian Rockies moment 😍🤌 #mountainlifer 49 5
🍄 How do you feel about magic mushrooms? Chances are, you feel something. Isn’t this an illegal drug that causes users to freak out or, at the very least, laugh uncontrollably and talk a lot of nonsense? 36 3
“I have nothing to reconcile,” Tom Eustache says plainly to a room of 200 white people, followed by a small but exasperated chuckle into his microphone. 61 2
Here's your reminder that Father's Day is June 18th! 16 1
Check out our signature 20th Anniversary tees that just dropped in our shop! 🔥 13 0
For 15 years the Ontario artist drew ML’s gatefold map for both the Blue and Coast Mountains editions. 20 1
Just your average day on the trails…nothing to see here. #mountainlifer #onewheel 25 4
Follow

Subscribe

Subscribe now to our newsletter

NEW MAG DROP 🥳 43 3
To celebrate World Oceans Day today, Patagonia is proud to announce the addition of a new film series to their film library that focuses on the global protection of ocean ecosystems and the locals that are taking responsibility for them. 14 0
arcteryx updates and expands its #Norvan run line with weather-beating, trail-shredding results. 15 0
A real Canadian Rockies moment 😍🤌 #mountainlifer 49 5
🍄 How do you feel about magic mushrooms? Chances are, you feel something. Isn’t this an illegal drug that causes users to freak out or, at the very least, laugh uncontrollably and talk a lot of nonsense? 36 3
“I have nothing to reconcile,” Tom Eustache says plainly to a room of 200 white people, followed by a small but exasperated chuckle into his microphone. 61 2
Mountain Life
  • Home
  • About
  • Contact
  • Subscribe
  • Advertising

Input your search keywords and press Enter.