Eco-Cultural Tourism in Hartley Bay, British Columbia

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Eco-Cultural Tourism in Hartley Bay, British Columbia Community Perspectives on Bioeconomic Development: Eco-Cultural Tourism in Hartley Bay, British Columbia by Katherine L. Turner A Thesis submitted to the Faculty of Graduate Studies of The University of Manitoba in partial fulfilment of the requirements of the degree of MASTER OF NATURAL RESOURCES MANAGEMENT Natural Resources Institute Clayton H. Riddell Faculty of Environment, Earth and Resources University of Manitoba Winnipeg Copyright © 2010 by Katherine L. Turner Library and Archives Bibliothèque et Canada Archives Canada Published Heritage Direction du Branch Patrimoine de l’édition 395 Wellington Street 395, rue Wellington Ottawa ON K1A 0N4 Ottawa ON K1A 0N4 Canada Canada Your file Votre référence ISBN: 978-0-494-70230-7 Our file Notre référence ISBN: 978-0-494-70230-7 NOTICE: AVIS: The author has granted a non- L’auteur a accordé une licence non exclusive exclusive license allowing Library and permettant à la Bibliothèque et Archives Archives Canada to reproduce, Canada de reproduire, publier, archiver, publish, archive, preserve, conserve, sauvegarder, conserver, transmettre au public communicate to the public by par télécommunication ou par l’Internet, prêter, telecommunication or on the Internet, distribuer et vendre des thèses partout dans le loan, distribute and sell theses monde, à des fins commerciales ou autres, sur worldwide, for commercial or non- support microforme, papier, électronique et/ou commercial purposes, in microform, autres formats. paper, electronic and/or any other formats. The author retains copyright L’auteur conserve la propriété du droit d’auteur ownership and moral rights in this et des droits moraux qui protège cette thèse. Ni thesis. Neither the thesis nor la thèse ni des extraits substantiels de celle-ci substantial extracts from it may be ne doivent être imprimés ou autrement printed or otherwise reproduced reproduits sans son autorisation. without the author’s permission. In compliance with the Canadian Conformément à la loi canadienne sur la Privacy Act some supporting forms protection de la vie privée, quelques may have been removed from this formulaires secondaires ont été enlevés de thesis. cette thèse. While these forms may be included Bien que ces formulaires aient inclus dans in the document page count, their la pagination, il n’y aura aucun contenu removal does not represent any loss manquant. of content from the thesis. ii Abstract The small community of Hartley Bay is located on the Northwest Coast of British Columbia. As members of the Gitga‘at First Nation, the residents of Hartley Bay have strong relationships with the lands and waters of their traditional territory going back countless generations. Many members of the community continue to actively engage in wild food harvesting and fishing, as well as other activities associated with traditional Gitga‘at resource use. Alongside these customary activities, the resources within the Gitga‘at territory also form the basis of the contemporary local economy. Hartley Bay Gitga‘at are committed to supporting the ecological integrity of their territory, as well as the vitality of their community and way of life, through carefully selected and implemented local development initiatives. Tourism is a sector of the economy that many community members believe holds the potential to boost the local economy as well as support their broader vision for the future of the Hartley Bay community. Using a case study approach, this thesis explores Hartley Bay community member perspectives on a locally generated proposal to pursue ecologically supported cultural tourism. The focus of this research, particularly the possibility of linking tourism with the Gitga‘at harvest camps, was directed by the Gitga‘at Marine Use Planning Committee, as well as through consultations with community elders and other local leaders. The thesis is not intended to provide a financial feasibility assessment or a business plan. Rather, the purpose and value of this research is in providing a forum to explicitly identify the motivations, values and possible outcomes of this potential project, which the community may one day decide to move forward through feasibility studies, business plans, and other processes. The community perspectives gathered here, reflecting what Hartley Bay Gitga‘at would like to see in local development, may provide a gauge to weigh some of the trade-offs and decisions surrounding if and how to move forward with tourism development considering local priorities and tourism sector realities. The project was developed through four trips to the study area. The data were collected over a period of several months in 2009. The primary data collection tools were participant observation, key informants, semi-structured interviews and focus groups. Over 30 members of the Hartley Bay Gitga‘at community participated in this research through interviews and/or focus groups, out of a potential pool of about 70 informants. It is their evaluations of the risks, benefits and potentials of this type of economic development that this thesis brings together. These insights help ground ideals often discussed within sustainability discourses in one community‘s experiences and priorities in the context of local tourism development. The first objective was to describe aspects of the local context shaping research participant perspectives on the proposed tourism development project. I did this using the concrete example of the Gitga‘at seasonal harvest camps and the possibility suggested in the tourism development proposal of linking a tourism experience with them. I found the practices surrounding the harvest camps have responded to changing socio-cultural and economic circumstances. Some of these changes are viewed positively, while others, such as declining community member participation at the camps, were highlighted as concerns. There were a number of concerns surrounding the proposal to link tourism with iii the camps. However, many research participants, including regular harvest camp participants, also saw potential in the proposition and in tourism development generally. The second objective was to synthesise research participant perspectives on the appropriate use of resources from their traditional territory and on the appropriate application and sharing of local and elders‘ knowledge for such an eco-cultural tourism enterprise. Environmental, cultural and community integrity are deeply intertwined, essential, mutually dependent and non-interchangeable priorities that must be supported by any local development initiative. Tourism may strike this balance, provided that (a) it is developed in a manner that provides benefits across the community and (b) that the use and sharing of local knowledge and other resources is guided by chiefs, elders and other community leaders in consultation with the community as a whole, particularly those who may be the most impacted. An important step in building a tourism enterprise that supports local priorities includes developing mechanisms, such as protocol agreements, and regular monitoring and evaluation strategies, as well as determining geographical areas and knowledge domains that are considered off-limits to tourism, to ensure continued local control and benefits. Lastly, the third objective sought to identify the desired services from tourism for the community, and linkages with other institutions that the research participants considered important for an eco-cultural tourism business aligned with local development priorities. A number of services for the community were identified by participants as possible outcomes from this type of economic development. These ranged from local retail opportunities to supporting local harvest practices and strengthening cultural pride. Building connections between the proposed enterprise and members of the Hartley Bay Gitga‘at community and local institutions (rather than seeking business partnerships outside the Gitga‘at community) was suggested as the most desirable and affective way to support these outcomes. Relationships between the Gitga‘at and some local tourism operators have helped build local capacity. In this way, these partnerships have acted as steppingstones towards more autonomous Gitga‘at tourism development. There is potential for eco-cultural tourism to support the needs and interests of the Hartley Bay Gitga‘at community if its development is directed and controlled by them and based on a process of deliberation within the community. I do not attempt to make recommendations concerning whether or not the Hartley Bay Gitga‘at community should move forward the proposal suggested by the Marine Use Planning Committee. However, an array of alterative eco-cultural tourism ideas suggested by research participants that could complement, or be undertaken in lieu of the original proposal, are gathered here. As well, the thesis documents participants‘ ideas related to the governance of eco-cultural tourism and development policy that they believe will help ensure local priorities. It is clear from participants‘ responses concerning the ‗ifs‘ and ‗hows‘ of tourism development that such decisions are not clear-cut and reflect a broader spectrum of considerations than merely economic viability. Rather, it is the terms under which these types of initiatives are deliberated, and perhaps pursued, that shape local support and local perspectives. Acknowledging and taking the time to understand these nuances are essential in creating economic opportunities that reflect local goals
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