Fri, March 26, 2021 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM See description. Speaker: Dr. Jesse Morin, practicing archaeologist
Two-Indigenous led archaeological fisheries research projects are presented that provide novel insights into salmon harvesting in the Salish Sea over the last two millennia. First, the recovery and analysis of a large lattice panel that was part of an enormous fish trap in Comox Harbour demonstrates a sophisticated technology that was used to sustainably harvest salmon for centuries, and offers hints of the cultural context of ownership and use of these fish traps. Second, moving to Burrard Inlet, I describe genetic analyses of ancient salmonid remains from archaeological sites in Burrard Inlet. Using ancient mitochondrial DNA to identify the species and sex of these salmonids, a fishery focussed on chum salmon is apparent at all sampled sites and all temporal periods from 300 BC to AD 1500. Further, a notable bias towards male chum salmon was observed in the archaeological record, providing the first evidence of indigenous selective harvesting of salmonids in pre-contact times.
Bio:
Jesse Morin is a practicing archaeologist who works primarily for First Nations clients in British Columbia, including Tsleil-Waututh Nation (in Burrard Inlet), K’ómoks First Nation (on eastern Vancouver Island), and Takla Nation (north of Prince George). Jesse works for First Nations compiling evidence of Aboriginal rights and title that is then used by those groups in Treaty negotiations, and consultation and accommodation in the face of major infrastructure projects. This research inverts traditional research structures, and places indigenous groups as the drivers of research into their history and culture. Jesse also works with First Nations managing ongoing impacts to their cultural heritage sites, and repatriation efforts. Holding a PhD in Anthropology from UBC, Jesse is a specialist in stone tools, trade and exchange in British Columbia, and the pre-history of Salish peoples.