Traditional aboriginal societies in the Pacific region of Canada and the United States utilized salmon for thousands of years. Native peoples of the area relied heavily upon these fish for their well-being, and assigned value to salmon accordingly. When members of the dominant society began settling in the area, they captured salmon management decisions, separating First Nations from crucial elements of their traditional societies. These decisions inflicted environmental injustice upon aboriginal peoples by placing disproportionate burdens upon Native peoples, while allocating benefits derived from salmon management to members of the dominant society. During the past several decades, First Nations have intensified their efforts to [...]
