Fish Traps
Fish Trap Experience Video by Fox and Bee Media
Visiting the Fish Traps
The SD71 Indigenous Curriculum Support Teachers, in continued collaboration with Guardians of the K’omoks First Nation, have a limited number of spaces to take classes who have been working on curriculum that would connect to this local wonder on site visit. Please be respectful of this culturally important place, and connect with the Indigenous Education Department if you wish to plan a visit. We liaise with the K’omoks First Nation Guardians, as the caretakers and stewards of this land, to inform and invite them to any booked School District field trips. If you have gone on this trip before with a SD71 Indigenous Education Staff member and would like to go again, please still inform us and we will keep a schedule of people attending so that we can inform the K’omoks First Nation Guardians.
This page has some great background information and lessons plans to prepare your class.
School District #71 staff, please see following link for low tide times that are compatible to school hours and for other pertinent booking and field trip information such as meeting place and appropriate clothing – Fish Trap Visit Times.
Found Artifacts and Repatriation
Before visiting the fish traps or on any field trip please review this pamphlet provided by K’ómoks First Nation Archeology Department. Thank you to Claire Everson for your work on this pamphlet to share with School District #71 staff and students.
SD71 – KFN Repatriation Pamphlet (print on both sides – flip on the short edge)
Caretaking of the Land – information for your visit
We have been graced permission and support from the K’omoks First Nation to teach about the fish traps to classes that come down to the harbour. Ideas to the K’omoks First Nation that are important and put into practice are sustainability, respect and care taking of the land. Could you please talk to your students about this same practice while visiting outdoor areas and while on this tour. If you could specifically ask students to tread lightly on the shoreline, leave everything in its place, especially the small crabs (leave them on ground, do not step on them or poke them with sticks) that they will see when on the harbour.
Also we find a reminder about what outdoor learning looks like and sounds like would be great and how that would look different than free beach time playing, which perhaps could be given before or after the fish trap tour with us.
Thanks all for helping to ensure that this is a successful and meaningful visit.
In most school libraries, you will find the book called, Orca Chief, by Roy Henry Vickers. It would be onew way start a discussion with your class about respecting the environment.
Supporting Pre-teaching Materials:
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- Boxing Strategy Fish Trap Think Notice Wonder
- Fish Trap Reflection
Includes:
Fishing Since Time Immemorial, Coast Salish Harvesting Methods, The introduction of canneries and a wage-based economy, The creation of an Aboriginal “food fishery”, Aboriginal fisheries in the courts: Sparrow, Van der Peet, and other legal challenges, Not a “race-based” fishery.
Kus-Kus-Um – Unpave Paradise Project
by Jessica Speck – a journey spearheaded by project Watershed to restore the old Fields Sawmill site back it nature to help preserve the Comox Valley estuary and it’s diverse eco-system.