Bringing visibility to the resource pressures on S’ólh Téméxw (Stó:lō traditional territory): an analysis of referrals from 2008

As the Aboriginal people of the Lower Fraser River watershed in southwestern British Columbia, the Stó:lō people hold Aboriginal title to their traditional territory and the Aboriginal right of self-government. Inherent to both these rights is the right to make decisions on how the land and resources of their traditional territory are used. This research project contributes to the Stó:lō people’s ongoing efforts to assert their Aboriginal rights through cultural resource management. Stó:lō Nation receive referrals from the government detailing applications by proponents to carry out activities on their traditional territory. By categorizing these referrals and adding them to a Geographic Information System, this research project creates a landscape-level picture of the resource pressures on the Stó:lō people’s traditional territory and the threats these pressures pose to Stó:lō cultural resources. The resulting aggregate picture assists the Stó:lō people in decision-making and strategic planning around referrals management and culture resource protection.