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Topic

Everything is connected: Tracing multiple impacts to seafood access and adaptation assets in Skidegate, Haida Nation

School of Environmental Studies

Date & location

• Tuesday, March 31, 2026

• 10:00 A.M.

• David Turpin Building

• Room 255

Reviewers

Supervisory Committee

• Dr. Gerald Singh, School of Environmental Studies, ̽��ϵ�� (Supervisor)

• Dr. Tiff-Annie Kenny, Département de nutrition, Université de Montréal (Outside Member) 

External Examiner

• Dr. Kristian Dubrawski, Department of Geography, UVic 

Chair of Oral Examination

• Dr. Sherr Mattice, School of Business, UVic

   

Abstract

For thousands of years, coastal Indigenous communities like the Haida Nation have relied on community-led strategies to adapt to environmental changes. Today, however, the cumulative pressures of climate change and anthropogenic activities are rapidly transforming the ecosystems that sustain Haida food systems and way of life. In response, the Haida community of Skidegate has developed adaptation strategies that provide meaningful opportunities, particularly for food independence and security. This research aims to understand Haida perspectives and experiences with social-ecological systems under threat from cumulative impacts across four main ancestral harvesting areas by creating qualitative models of pathways of effects (PoE). It also explores how the community has been responding to these changes by co-developing adaptation plans to clarify the links among locally relevant and effective adaptation strategies. We used an interdisciplinary approach that included a literature review, semi-structured interviews, workshops, and community gatherings. This work also adopts an asset-based perspective, focusing on community strengths and the factors that enable communities to develop adaptive strategies aligned with their values, Traditional Laws, and priorities. The results demonstrates that access to seafood for the Haida’s involves factors beyond those discussed in Western food security literature. As a result, a framework was created based on the perceptions of Skidegate participants to describe these factors. All the harvesting areas examined were described as influenced by multiple interconnected factors. Most pathways of effects identified drivers such as climate change, commercial fishing, habitat loss, and the decline of traditional practices. Specific areas faced unique stressors impacting different aspects of accessibility, although many drivers of change were common across all regions studied. Our findings indicate that deficit-based models can restrict options and foster dependence on external organizations. Results also demonstrate that the Skidegate community responds to environmental and social changes through ongoing food programs that combine harvesting, sharing, teaching, and community coordination, rooted in Haida values. These efforts are based on local knowledge and relationships rather than external adaptation frameworks. Participants described adaptation as an everyday practice involving collective decisions and actions (e.g., supporting harvesters, maintaining access to harvesting sites, and preserving cultural practices essential for harvesting). Therefore, the most effective opportunities to bolster future adaptation efforts lie in strengthening current strategies rather than developing new ones. The research process highlighted the importance of bottom-up approaches that actively involve community members in interpretation and analysis. This research promotes broad community support and expands the range of adaptation strategies by prioritizing Indigenous-led solutions and integrating reconciliation and Indigenous Knowledge. Ultimately, it underscores the vital role of community-driven efforts in addressing environmental challenges caused by cumulative impacts.