What if we all came together to foster ocean stewardship in Átl’ḵa7tsem/Howe Sound? We can!
You’ve heard about Black Friday and Cyber Monday, but what about Giving Tuesday? Giving Tuesday is a global day of giving – and the Átl’ḵa7tsem/Howe Sound Marine Stewardship Initiative is participating! We are humbly asking for your support.
Slhawt’ (the Squamish Nation word for herring) tells an interesting story of these waters we call Átl’ḵa7tsem/Howe Sound. Once their presence was so abundant, the water sounded like it was sizzling from their activity. However, after decades of pollution brought on by various activities, our waters fell silent. With restoration and remediation efforts, we are once again seeing the resurgence of this ecologically and culturally important species. The presence of slhawt’ brings other charismatic species back to our waters, indicating a state of aquatic health not seen for a century. As such, during Tem Lhawt’, the time of herring, youth from the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish Nation) enter our cold waters to survey the presence, distribution, and abundance of ch’em’esh (herring spawn), so we can better understand and monitor this species, to ensure their presence, now and into the future. This work simultaneously restores connections and relationships to the lands our surveyors call home, allowing for the recovery of not only slhawt’ but ceremony.
This work cannot be done without supporters like you! Each year it costs approximately $25,000 to run our slhawt’ survey program. As such, we are putting out a call for donations on Giving Tuesday, to help us reach our goal!
Photo by Kieran Brownie
Slhawt’ survey efforts were recently captured in a wonderful article called “Welcoming Herring Home”, written by Lauren Kaljur, and published by Hakai Magazine! Interested in learning more about this grassroots project that we undertake each and every year? Find the article linked below!
Thank you,
Átl’ka7tsem/Howe Sound Marine Stewardship Initiative
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