Ifoto: Taylor Roades
Iimbaza zebhotolo. Abancinci. Imiqhagi. Xa uJohn Elliott wayekhulela kwiSiqithi saseVancouver eBritish Columbia, usapho lwakhe lwaluthatha uhambo lwasentlakohlaza ukuya elunxwemeni ukuya kuqokelela iiclams kumaza aphantsi. 'Besisoloko sisitya ngolo hlobo,' utsho uElliott ( ngasentla ngasekunene ), umcebisi wabadala kwi IBhunga lobuNkokheli leWSÁNEĆ , Iqela labameli bomthonyama. 'Sayijikeleza intsimi yethu, sisemba iimbaza apho kukho unxweme oluhle lweeclam.'
Unxweme olulungileyo lweclam lususela kwiLizwana laseWashington ngasentla lugudle unxweme lwaseBritish Columbia ukuya eAlaska—kukho amawakawaka. Kwinkulungwane yekota eyadlulayo, izazinzulu zazizibuza ukuba kutheni uninzi lwezi lwandle zazizele ngeendonga zamatye akude nonxweme ezizifihle ngaphantsi komlambo wamanzi phantse unyaka wonke. Xa ekugqibeleni babuza inkosi yesizwe saKwakwaka’wakw (Kwakiutl), yachaza ukuba yayizizitiya zeclam, indlela entsonkothileyo eyayisetyenziswa ngabemi Bomthonyama abaninzi ukuze balawule iindawo ezihlala oonokrwece.
IiNdlela zokuSebenza zokuVuna ukutya kweMveli ziNcedisa ukuLondoloza umhlaba ukwenzela izizukulwana ezizayoIiclams ziyakhula kwaye zihlala kumanqanaba athile ommandla ophakathi kwamaza. Ubuncinci kwiminyaka eyi-3,500 edlulileyo, abantu beZizwe zokuQala baqengqele amatye amakhulu elwandle ukuze batshintshe ukuphakama kwamaza olwandle ngaphezulu kwalo. Amatye abangela ukuba intlenga iqokelelane, ishenxise ukuthambeka kwayo nokudala indawo enkulu, eyona ilungileyo yokusingqongileyo yeembaza kunye nendidi ebanzi yezinye iindidi ukuze zichume.
Abanini bolwazi abafana no-Elliott baye banceda izazinzulu ukuba ziqonde indlela yokunyamekela ezi zitiya-ukubuyisela iindonga zamatye, ukususa i-kelp kunye ne-lettuce yolwandle, kunye nokukhwela unxweme olunogutyulo ukususa inkunkuma kunye nentlenga enhle-kuvumela amanzi ukuba ahambe ngokukhululekileyo, ezisa izondlo kwi-bivalves. Kwaye kule minyaka ilishumi idlulileyo, iinkqubo ezininzi ezintsha ziye zaqalisa ukusebenza ukuphucula ukomelela kwezi ndawo zamandulo zaselunxwemeni. Enye yezona zinto zisebenzayo yiProjekthi yoBuyiselo lweGadi yoLwandle eRussell Island, iikhilomitha ezingama-30 kumntla weVictoria. Apho, abasebenzi baseParks Canada, i-ecologists kunye namalungu e-WSÁNEĆ neHul'q'umi'num Nations babuyisela iigadi zeclam kwaye bafundisa abafundi abancinci beZizwe zokuQala ukuba bangaqhubeka njani neli lifa lokulondolozwa kwendalo. 'Ezi ziindlela zokuphila abantu ebebezibandakanya kuzo kangangamawaka eminyaka,' uyacacisa uSkye Augustine ( umfanekiso ongasentla, ekhohlo ), isazi ngezinto eziphilayo zaselwandle kunye nelungu leSizwe saseStz'uminus ofundela lo msebenzi njengomfundi ogqirha kwiYunivesithi yaseSimon Fraser.'Inye into endicinga ukuba ibaluleke kakhulu kukufunda ngeendlela ezimbini phakathi kwezazinzulu kunye nabadala beZizwe zokuQala. Ndibona abantu abanomlinganiselo omkhulu wokuthobeka abasebenza nzima ukuze baphulaphulane ngenyameko noko sikubonayo emhlabeni.’
UElliott uthi wafundiswa ukuba iilwandle ezingafunwayo zeclam zinokufuthanisela. Ngokwenene, abembi bezinto zakudala abafunda izitiya zeclam eQuadra Bay, iikhilomitha ezingama-150 ukuya kumntla-ntshona, baye bafumanisa ukuba i-shellfish yalapho iye yancipha ngobungakanani kunye namanani ngexesha le-postcolonial, igxininiswe kukudityaniswa kokungahoywa, ukutshintsha kwemozulu kunye nongcoliseko.
Amanzi olwandle kunxweme olusemazantsi eBritish Columbia aye enyuka ngokuthe ngcembe kangangeminyaka eli-11 100, uAugustine uthi, nto leyo eyenza ukuba izitiya zembaza zibaluleke ngakumbi kuba zisebenza njengezikhuseli—ukukhusela unxweme, kwakunye neentlobo ngeentlobo zeeshellfish, ngenxa yokutshintsha kwemekobume. . Ubukho babo bunokuba nzima ngakumbi njengoko amaqondo obushushu olwandle , kunye namanqanaba, ukuqhubeka nokunyuka. Kanye njengokuba iNkonzo yeHlathi yase-US ibambisene neSizwe saseKaruk kwiCalifornia ethwaxwa ngumlilo ukuze ifunde ukutshiswa kwabo ngokwesiko, urhulumente waseCanada ufunda malunga nolawulo lwamanxweme alo kubantu abakhe bahlala, kwaye babakhathalele, ixesha elide. Kule minyaka mihlanu idluleyo, uAugustine sele ephawule amanani andayo ezona mbaza zincinane. 'Sijongene nemingeni yemozulu engazange ibonwe ngaphambili,' utshilo. 'Kwaye sifuna bonke ubulumko kunye neendlela zokwazi ukuze sikwazi ukuchonga nokuxhasa izisombululo ezihlala zihleli.'
