Tag Archives: Dana Lepofsky

Indigenous Nations History

Precolonial Forest Gardens and Orchards

Dr Chelsey Geralda Armstrong is an associate professor from SFU and the lead author of a paper, about the ancient forest gardens in Nuu-chah-nulth territory, published in the Journal of Archaeological Science. While individual species do grow in the wild, forest gardens and orchards exhibit a sophisticated understanding of cultivation and are found adjacent to ancient village sites. In a related study, Armstrong and her colleagues wrote that forest gardens largely disappeared around the time of the smallpox epidemic that swept through B.C’s Indigenous communities more than 150 years ago.

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History, Indigenous Nations History

Archaeology Speaks to the Untold Story of a West Coast First Nation

qathet Living, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Over 400 archaeology sites have been located in the Tla’amin territory. 

Registration for these sites is still an ongoing process. Because archaeological sites are everywhere especially along the coast, First Nations have been teaming up with archaeologists to uncover the lost stories that enrich Indigenous culture. 

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History, Indigenous Nations History, Rivers & Oceans

Quadra Island’s clam gardens

Canada’s National Observer, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

British Columbia’s West Coast is a hotbed of activity when it comes to ancient aquaculture. First Nations cultivated clam gardens for millennia along the Pacific coast, modifying coastal beaches to create optimal habitat for the mollusks, boost production and feed their people, research indicates. But Indigenous clam production on Quadra Island ­— located between the B.C. coast and Vancouver Island in the territories of the Laich-Kwil-Tach First Nations and northern Coast Salish — was especially intensive, said researchers Dana Lepofsky and Christine Roberts.

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