Informing Disaster Resilience through a Nuu-chah-nulth Way of Knowing By Emily Dicken MSc, Oxford University, 2007 BSc, University of Victoria, 2004 A Thesis Submitted in Partial Fulfillment Of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the department of Geography © Emily Dicken University of Victoria All rights reserved. This dissertation may not be reproduced in whole or in part, by photocopy or other means, without the permission of the author. SUPERVISORY COMMITTEE Informing Disaster Resilience through a Nuu-chah-nulth Way of Knowing By Emily Dicken MSc, Oxford University, 2007 BSc, University of Victoria, 2004 Supervisory Committee: Dr. Denise Cloutier, Department of Geography Supervisor Dr. Jim Gardner, Department of Geography Department Member Dr. Mark Seemann, Department of Geography Department Member Dr. Jeff Corntassel, Indigenous Governance Program Outside Member ii ABSTRACT Over the course of history, and to this day, Indigenous peoples around the world have used their traditional knowledge to prepare for, cope with, and survive disasters (Hasan, 2016). For Indigenous communities, this locally bound knowledge is acquired from intergenerational experience, study, sharing and observation, and as such, it becomes a critical component in the development of a strategy for disaster resilience (Chakrabarti, 2009; Resture, 2009; Rotarangi and Russell, 2009; Trosper, 2003). The purpose of this dissertation is to work with the Nuu-chah-nulth First Nation, which consists of several Indigenous communities on the west coast of Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada to understand Nuu-chah-nulth knowledge and strategies for disaster resilience, and how they can inform a shift in cultural understanding within the field of practice of emergency management. Given the exploratory nature of this research project, a descriptive approach is used based upon Indigenous methodologies and the methodologies of narrative analysis to explore: a Nuu-chah-nulth way of knowing that informs disaster resilience as well as the impacts of colonialism on the disaster resilience of the Nuu-chah-nulth people. From oral histories to traditional governance, and to the impacts of colonialism, the findings of this research describe the ways that a Nuu-chah-nulth way of knowing informs and reflects their own capacities towards disaster resilience. Ultimately, this dissertation supports a call to action for emergency management practitioners to embrace an Indigenous approach to emergency management when working with First Nation communities. By advocating for the inclusion and the importance of bringing an Indigenous worldview into the lexicon of emergency management practices and the iii dialogue on disaster resilience, this research supports the Nuu-chah-nulth First Nation recognizing that their own knowledge is a powerful tool for supporting and enhancing their communities’ resilience to disaster. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS Supervisory Committee .................................................................................................... ii Abstract ............................................................................................................................. iii Table of Contents .............................................................................................................. v List of Tables .................................................................................................................. viii List of Figures ................................................................................................................... ix Acronyms ........................................................................................................................... x Acknowledgements .......................................................................................................... xi Dedication ....................................................................................................................... xiii Chapter 1 Introduction Introduction ................................................................................................................................ 1 Rationale .................................................................................................................................. 4 Purpose .................................................................................................................................... 5 Research Questions .................................................................................................................... 5 Dissertation Format ................................................................................................................... 5 Chapter 2 Research Context Introduction ................................................................................................................................ 7 Nuu-chah-nulth First Nation .................................................................................................... 8 Nuu-chah-nulth Pre-Contact History ..................................................................................... 11 Nuu-chah-nulth Colonial History .......................................................................................... 14 Hazards and Disasters that Affect Nuu-chah-nulth Communities ........................................ 18 Colonialism in Canada ............................................................................................................ 20 Contemporary Governance Frameworks ............................................................................... 25 Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada ........................................................................... 25 United Nations Declaration of Rights for Indigenous People ......................................................... 26 Reconciliation ........................................................................................................................ 27 Emergency Management and Disaster Resilience ................................................................ 29 Emergency Management ....................................................................................................... 29 First Nations Emergency Management in British Columbia ................................................ 35 Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction ................................................................... 38 Disaster Resilience ................................................................................................................ 40 v Indigenous Resilience ...................................................................................................................... 42 Chapter 3 The Research Design: Philosophical Framework, Methodologies and Methods Introduction .............................................................................................................................. 45 Philosophical Framework ....................................................................................................... 46 Researcher Positionality ........................................................................................................ 47 Indigenous Research as a Paradigm ...................................................................................... 50 Philosophically Framed Ethical Considerations .................................................................... 55 Methodology ............................................................................................................................. 58 Indigenous Methodologies .................................................................................................... 58 Storytelling as a Method of Narrative Analysis .................................................................... 61 Methods..................................................................................................................................... 63 Study Area ............................................................................................................................. 64 Study Participants and Recruitment Strategy ........................................................................ 65 Ethical Considerations ........................................................................................................... 67 Data Collection ...................................................................................................................... 68 Data Interpretation ................................................................................................................. 73 Coding and Narrative Thematic Analysis ....................................................................................... 73 Chapter 4 Findings: Part 1 Informing Disaster Resilience through a Nuu-chah-nulth Way of Knowing A Thematic Analysis of a Nuu-chah-nulth Way of Knowing that Informs Disaster Resilience .................................................................................................................................. 76 Hunting, Gathering, Food Preservation and Storage ............................................................. 77 Oral Traditions and Histories ................................................................................................ 79 Environmental Connections and Cues................................................................................... 80 Healing, Health and Wellness ..............................................................................................