Many environmental historians, and environmental humanists more broadly, seem captivated by a declension narrative, a story of how humans have steadily (inevitably?) made “natural” conditions worse. Does scholarship have to trend this way?
Historically, Coast Salish female identity depended upon water. Waterways provided women with countless economic opportunities, fostered family ties, created plentiful food sources, and encouraged female autonomy. Even as female maritime practices changed drastically throughout the pre-colonial and colonial periods, Coast Salish women imagined new ways to maintain connections to water.