Stewards of Splendour A History of Wildlife and People in British Columbia

by Bonnell, Jennifer

• ISBN13: 9781039900004
• ISBN10: 1039900003
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2023-09-12
• Publisher: The Royal British Columbia Museum

Summary

The subject of wildlife both unites and deeply divides British Columbians. From concern over dwindling orca populations to deeply political debates over hunting and harvesting, questions surrounding fish and wildlife harvest rights and methods, and the effects of industrial resource extraction, tourism, and residential development upon wildlife populations, have produced an atmosphere of conflict and distrust in BC. Spanning the deep history of human relationships with wildlife, from pre-contact Indigenous land stewardship to the present day, Stewards of Splendour explores the ways that government, Indigenous communities and stakeholder groups have sought to shape and deliver, or responded to the consequences of, wildlife management policies and practices and resource development activities in the province. Throughout, it emphasizes the circumstances and initiatives that made and continue to make BC different—from the astonishing diversity of our ecosystems to our unusually high proportion (over 94%) of public land—while profiling instances of “made-in-BC” approaches.

Author Biography

Jennifer Bonnell teaches Canadian and environmental history at York University in Toronto. She is the author of Reclaiming the Don: An Environmental History of Toronto’s Don River Valley (University of Toronto Press, 2014), which won the Canadian Historical Association’s Clio Prize and Heritage Toronto’s best book award in 2015.

Table of Contents

Tables and Figures Introduction Part I. Indigenous Wildlife Stewardship Chapter 1. Wildlife Stewardship among Indigenous Peoples before 1774 Species Profile: Eulachon (Thaleichthys pacificus) Part II. Euro-American Trade and Settlement: Competition and Perceptions of Abundance, 1774-1904 Chapter 2. The Wildlife Trade: Indigenous Hunters and Euro-American Traders, 1774-1858 Species Profile: Sea Otter (Enhydra lutris) Chapter 3. The Wildlife Commons: Over-Exploitation in the Early Settlement Period, 1859-1904 Individual Profile: John Fannin and the Origins of the Royal BC Museum Species Profile: Brant (Branta bernicla) Part III. Early Wildlife Conservation and the Rise of Scientific Management, 1905-1965 Chapter 4. Conserving Wildlife in the Early Twentieth Century Initiative Profile: The Christmas Bird Count Individual Profile: “ Cougar Annie” Rae-Arthur of Hequiat Harbour, Vancouver Island Industry Profile: Commercial Whaling in BC Chapter 5. Ian McTaggart Cowan and the Rise of Scientific Wildlife Conservation Chapter 6. Land Use Pressures in the Post-War Period Individual Profile: Roderick Haig-Brown (1908– 1976) Species Profile: Chukar Partridge Chapter 7. The Conservation Imperative Initiative Profile: Territorial Allotments for BC Guide-Outfitters Initiative Profile: California Bighorn Sheep Transplants Initiative Profile: The Wildlife Review Part IV. Making Space for Wildlife, 1966-1991 Chapter 8. Access and Alienation: Emerging Threats to Wildlife Species Profile: Woodland Caribou (Rangifer tarandus caribou) Initiative Profile: Wildlife Crossings Initiative Profile: The George C. Reifel Migratory Bird Sanctuary Chapter 9. Fisheries, Habitat Protection, and Indigenous Rights Initiative Profile: Creating a Private Fishery at Pennask Lake Chapter 10. Changing Public Sentiment Individual Profile: Michael Bigg and the Reimagination of BC’ s Orcas Initiative Profile: The Conibear Trap: BC’ s Contribution to Humane Trapping Practice Initiative Profile: Is Ogopogo Wildlife? Initiative Profile: BC Nest Records Scheme Part V. Rising Stakes, Changing Roles, 1992-2022 Chapter 11. Forestry and Wildlife Initiative Profile: Muskwa-Kechika Management Area, 1998 Species Profile: Northern Goshawk Laingi Subspecies (Accipiter gentilis laingi) Chapter 12. Changing Faces and Approaches in Wildlife Conservation Initiative Profile: The Nestucca Settlement Initiative Profile: Streamkeepers Species Profile: Grizzly Bear (Ursus arctos) Initiative Profile: Get the Lead Out! Chapter 13. Indigenous-Led Conservation and Pathways to Reconciliation Initiative Profile: Reducing Moose Mortality from Train Strikes in the Bulkley Valley Initiative Profile: Two-Eyed Seeing in Action: Bears, Salmon, and People in Wuikinuxv Territory Conclusion Appendix: Interviewees Glossary Notes Selected Bibliography