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Radical Ecology, the Fourth Woeud and Local Identity in the Bella Coola Region

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Radical Ecology, the Fourth Woeud and Local Identity in the Bella Coola Region "THEY'VE GOT NO STAKE IN -RE THEY'RE AT": RADICAL ECOLOGY, THE FOURTH WOEUD AND LOCAL IDENTITY IN THE BELLA COOLA REGION by WILLIAM T.L. HIPWELL, B.A. A thesis submitted to the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research in partial Fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts Department of Geography CarIeton University Ottawa, Ontario May 20. 1997 Q copyright 1997 William T.I.. Hipwell National tibrary Bibliothèque nationale I*I of Canada du Canada Acquisitions and Acquisitions et Bibiiographic Services services bibliographiques 395 Wellington Street 395. rue Wellingtori ûüawaON K1AON4 Oaawa ON K1A ON4 Canada Canada Vwr file Votre rd- Our Me None rBfBn)nte The author has granted a non- L'auteur a accordé une licence non exclusive licence allowing the exclusive permettant à la National Library of Canada to Bibliothèque nationale du Canada de reproduce, loan, distri'bute or sell reproduire, prêter, distribuer ou copies of this thesis in microform, vendre des copies de cette thèse sous paper or electronic formats. la forme de microfichelfilm, de reproduction sur papier ou sur format électronique. The author retains ownership of the L'auteur conserve la propriété du copyright in this thesis. Neither the droit d'auteur qui protège cette thèse. thesis nor substantial extracts fkom it Ni la thèse ni des extraits substantiels rnay be printed or otherwise de celle-ci ne doivent être imprimés reproduced without the author's ou autrement reproduits sans son permission. autorisation. Abstract The Forest Action Network. a radical environmental group. began in 1995 a co- operative relationship with "the House of Srnayusta*: a faction of the Nuvalk First Nation. geared toward ending industrial forestry on the Northwest Coast of Turtle Island (North Arnerica). The region has been exploited by tram-state (trans-national) corporations for several decades. resulting in a badly degraded environment and a weakened local economy. The relationship between these groups resulted in Iogging road blockades and other actions involving civil disobedience. Discourses invoked by the environmentalists had the effect of silencing large portions of the local population. and involvrd problematic representations of the Nuxalk Nation. This thesis evaluates the relationship between the Forest Action Network and the Nuxalk in context of other co- operative efforts between indigenous peoples and non-Native environmentalists. and in light of ideas underlying Fourth World and radical ecology theory. and discussions of community identity. 1 would like to give thanks to a nurnber of people, without whose assistance and support this thesis would never have been completed: The study's infonnants: this is your story. niough 1 know that some of you may not agree with rny conclusions, 1 wish to thank you al1 for your efforts and CO-operation. Members of the Nuxalk Nation: for hospitality. patience. and insights. Soha Al-Haddad: for support. love and belief. through al1 the rough drafis. Dr. Simon Dalby: for incomparable supervision. wise criticism. and a sense of humour. Valene de Courville Nicol: for asking. every Thursday. the tough questions I had been avoiding. and making me focus on '-the facts." Angela Keller-Herzog and Dr. Daniel Hara: for being there when 1 needed you most. John Williams: for vital initial support and encouragement. Dr. Iain Wallace: for valuable feedback. Dr. David Bennett: for expectation of philosophical rigour. Enka Westman: for careful transcription of interview tapes. Tao Lym Hipwell: for sharîng your bedroom with my computer. My mother. and Mother Earth. without either of whom none of this would have been possible ... Any inadequacies in the final thesis are. of course. my responsibility and not theirs. Dedication To my daughter. Tao Lynn Patncia Mogan Hipwell. May you always have a community to sustain you and to cal1 your own. Your love gives me the strength to see it al1 through. and To the people of the Bella Coola region. The Earth has entrusted you with Paradise. May the colonial govements follow her wise example. Bill Hipwell May 20. 1997 Ottawa Table of Contents ... Abstract........................................................................................................................... iii Acknowledgements .......................................................................................................... iv Dedication ...........................................................................................................................v Table of Contents ............................................................................................................. vi ... List of Tables and Illustrations .....................................................................................viii List of Appendices ............................................................................................................ ir Bella Coola Region. Central Nuxalk Territory ............................................................... x Quotation from the transcript of an interview with 12. a Nuxalk woman .................. ri 1 . Situatiog the Production................................................................................................ 1 The Meta-Plots ................................................................................................................................................8 Dramatis Personae .........................................................................................................................................13 2. Setting the Stage: The Eco-Geographical Context................................................... 28 Centre of the Universe ................................................................................................................................... 28 Bella Coola and the Worfd ............................................................................................................................ 2 -8 . Forests ...........................................................................................................................................................~3 Forestry in the Bella Coola Region ................................................................................................... .............39 Fish ................................................................................................................................................................ 52 .. The Bella Coola Fishery ............................................................................................................................... -33 GatheringiHunting......................................................................................................................................... 62 Conclusion ..................................................................................................................................................... 64 3. Plot 1 : Fourth World Nationalism............................................................................. 68 Fourth World Theory ..................................................................................................................................... 71 The Modem State System: The Binh and Growth of Industria ..................................................................... 76 The Question of Territory .............................................................................................................................. 80 Problematizing Territoriality: A Fourth World Perspective .......................................................................... SI Weltanschauungen: The Ethics of Territoriality. and the Territoriality of Ethics .......................................... 87 Fourth Worid Nationalism and the Canadian Band Council System ............................................................. 91 Toward a Postmodern Territoriality: Lessons from the "Periphej' ............................................................. 94 B ioregional ism .............................................................................................................................................. 96 Potential Problems and Pitfalls ...................................................................................................................... 98 Conclusion ................................................................................................................................................... 100 4 . Plot 2: Radical Ecology's Critique of Industria ..................................................... 103 The View ffom the Vorderland.................................................................................................................... 103 The Radical Ecologist - Reform Environmentalist Spectrum ..................................................................... IO5 a-PlanetaryOncology'~: Industria as Cancer ................................................................................................. III The Ethics of Ecology. or the Ecology of Ethics ......................................................................................... II3 Gaian Psychology: Apollo and Dionysus .................................................................................................... 119 5. The Plots Thicken: The Fourth World .Radical Ecologist 4bAlliancen............... 123 PowedKnow ledge and the Earth ................................................................................................................ 134 The Hegemonic
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