To what extent did Indigenous peoples manage clam gardens along the intertidal zone on the coast of British Columbia?

Abstract

While Indigenous knowledge has existed and sustained populations for thousands of years, it is only recently that Western science is beginning to scratch the surface on understanding Indigenous ways of life. Through developing this understanding, much Indigenous knowledge is being acknowledged as scientific. One of the many examples is the presence of Indigenous built and maintained clam gardens off the coast of British Columbia. These clam gardens were built by Indigenous peoples for the purpose of having a reliable and sustainable food source. This study serves as an analysis of the given Western and Indigenous scientific literature pertaining to clam gardens and how the given findings relate to Indigenous clam gardens being viewed as scientific. The results of the analysis illustrate that Indigenous people’s maintenance of clam gardens has been so extensive that it has ultimately increased marine production and biodiversity and can be dated back nearly 3.5ka off the coast of British Columbia. These findings are significant as they can go a long way towards countering the erasure of Indigenous peoples from the land and aiding in gaining land back.