"To raise awareness of the impending crisis and to spur the world to act, the United Nations General Assembly proclaimed 2010 the International Year of Biodiversity...In this International Year, we must counter the perception that people are disconnected from our natural environment...I call on every country and each citizen of our planet to join together in a global alliance to protect life on Earth." -- United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon

Indigenous Knowledge

It is fitting that Staying the Course, Staying Alive is one of the first responses to Ban's challenge. The report by British Columbia's coastal First Nations reflects 10,000 years of traditional knowledge about living as a part of the natural world.

And, after all, who would know better how to preserve biodiversity than people who have been living sustainably in the same place for thousands of years?

Staying the Course combines western science and indigenous teachings to create a unique document. It includes art, stories that have been told for generations as well as new ones written for the report, maps based on satellite data detailing the biogeoclimatic ecosystems of the region, an overview of sustainable fishing practices and recommendations for adapting to climate change.

The report is organized around seven fundamental truths common to the cultures of the area (the Heiltsuk, Namgis and Haida peoples):

The Seven Fundamental Truths

1. Creation -- We the coastal first peoples have been in our respective territories (homelands) since the beginning of time.
2. Connection to Nature -- We are all one and our lives are interconnected.
3. Respect -- All life has equal value. We acknowledge and respect that all plants and animals have a life force.
4. Knowledge -- Our traditional knowledge of sustainable resource use and management is reflected in our intimate relationship with nature and its predictable seasonal cycles and indicators of renewal of life and subsistence.
5. Stewardship -- We are stewards of the land and sea from which we live, knowing that our health as a people and our society is intricately tied to the health of the land and waters.
6. Sharing -- We have a responsibility to share and support to provide strength and make others stronger in order for our world to survive.
7. Adapting to change -- Environmental, demographic, socio-political and cultural changes have occurred since the creator placed us in our homelands and we have continuously adapted to and survived these changes.

 You can download a copy of the report (as a pdf file) by clicking here.

Cover courtesy of: Frank and Kathy Brown, Seequest Development CO 12605 TransCanada HWY, Ladysmith, BC, Canada V9G 1M5