Hul’q’umi’num’ Ecosystem Guide

This book is the result of a unique collaborative project between the Hul’qumi’num Treaty Group (HTG), Gulf Islands National Park Reserve (Parks Canada), and University of Victoria (Department of Linguistics). In the fall of 2005 these three partners agreed to publish a multilingual, illustrated guide to significant plants, animals, birds and marine creatures found in the Coast Salish territories of the southern Gulf Islands, where Parks Canada has established Gulf Islands National Park Reserve. The vision of the project was to bring the resources of Parks Canada and the University of Victoria together with the language expertise held by fluent speakers in HTG communities, to produce a significant body of linguistic and ecological knowledge that could be made available to language-learners and the broader public. The vision for this guide was a pocket-sized, colour illustrated guide, listing 163 species of plants, animals, birds, and fish selected for their cultural significance and prominence in the area of the southern Gulf Islands. A colour photo of one species would be provided on each page, with the Hul’q’umi’num’ names prominently listed alongside common English and French names, scientific names, and a very brief description of the species and habitat. This would then be followed by a short paragraph of information shared for the purposes of this book by knowledgeable community members. In this way, the book was not intended to compile or reprint already documented information, but to give voice to the Elders living today who have so much knowledge to share.