Youth Continued Revitalization of Reef Net Fishing in Summer 2024

For the fifth year in a row, W̱SÁNEĆ youth participated in the revitalization of reef net fishing (SX̱OLE) – a traditional fishing technology outlawed by the colonial government in the 1900s.

SX̱OLE is a highly effective fishing technology whereby two anchored canoes suspend a handmade net in between them to catch salmon. SX̱OLE was practiced freely by generations of W̱SÁNEĆ people before the colonial government banned the practice. 

According to reef net expert, W̱SÁNEĆ Elder, and UVic Indigenous Education advisor XEMŦOLTW̱ (Nick Claxton), “the reef net did two things – it distinguished our people as a nation because we were the only people who had this reef net technology – and it also brought us together.” This is echoed by W̱IĆKINEM (Tsawout Hereditary Chief Eric Pelkey), who observed, “W̱SÁNEĆ are Saltwater People. For thousands of years SX̱OLE, or reef net fishing, was central to our way of life and sustained our People.” Thus, when the colonial government banned SX̱OLE, it disrupted an important connection between W̱SÁNEĆ community and culture.

In 2014, XEMŦOLTW̱ – who wrote his PhD dissertation on the reef net – boldly reintroduced SX̱OLE to the W̱SÁNEĆ community by working with the Lummi Nation to create the first reef net to exist since the colonial ban. He did this as an assertion of the W̱SÁNEĆ peoples’ right to hunt and fish as formerly under the Douglas Treaty.

Since then, youth have picked up where XEMŦOLTW̱ left off, actively revitalizing SX̱OLE through the W̱SÁNEĆ Leadership Council’s (WLC) Youth Reef Net Program. The program was launched by WLC in 2020 and just completed its fifth year.

Each year since 2020, youth participating in the program have worked under the mentorship of Knowledge Keepers including XEMŦOLTW̱ to revitalize SX̱OLE. Through this process, the youth learn how SX̱OLE was traditionally practiced and how to make a culturally accurate net. Once the net is made, youth also learn about the cleaning and storage process, and ultimately deploy the net to catch salmon. This year’s reef net deployment took place on August 14th, 2024.

As in previous years, the deployment took place at SX̱IX̱ŦE – which, according to W̱IĆKINEM – is “the original SWÁLET or reef net site of our Family.” The reef net is supported by the village of QENEN,IW, which is located on the land that is currently occupied by Poets Cove Resort. This deployment location is significant because there is a longstanding connection between SX̱IX̱ŦE and QENEN,IW. The story of the connection goes as follows: 

A powerful SIÁWA (visionary) sought to take possession of the reef net at SX̱IX̱ŦE in defiance of W̱SÁNEĆ law. XÁLS, the creator, intervened and struck the SIÁWA with a bolt of lightning, turning her to stone which was witnessed by the people of the village.

XÁLS warned the people:

Greed is against the laws of the W̱ILṈEW̱ people, in order to survive you must share the wealth, none must go hungry.

You have all witnessed the consequences. From this day forward this place shall be known as QENEN,IW because of what you have witnessed!

Since then, according to W̱IĆKINEM, “The W̱SÁNEĆ People have maintained the connection between QENEN,IW and SX̱IX̱ŦE,” and the responsibility to restore this connection today remains as a means to reclaim the W̱SÁNEĆ worldview. Deploying the reef net each year at this site is a step towards this reclamation. 

Since the recent transfer of ȾIKEL (Maber Flats) back to the W̱SÁNEĆ people through the Ecological Gifts Program, the youth in the SX̱OLE program have also taken time to participate in the restoration of ȾIKEL. 

Before it was drained and used as farmland by settlers, ȾIKEL was an abundant wetland where W̱SÁNEĆ Peoples collected the main material traditionally used to make reef nets: SX̱ ELE,IȽĆ (pacific willow). By disrupting the natural ecosystem of ȾIKEL, the settlers significantly interfered with W̱SÁNEĆ ability to participate in their traditional economy of reef net fishing by reducing the ability to make reef nets.

By aiding in the restoration of ȾIKEL, the youth in the SX̱OLE program are making it possible to once again harvest SX̱ ELE,IȽĆ on traditional lands. This year, youth in the program participated by spending one and a half days removing invasive species from the land.

Each year, program participants spend over a month working on the project, including learning about the history of SX̱OLE, creating and deploying the reef net, and participating in the restoration of ȾIKEL. The project is funded by generous grants, including grants from First Peoples’ Cultural Council, and Goldstream Hatchery and Fanny Bay Hatchery, 

With each passing year since the initial launch in September of 2020, the youths’ skill at SX̱OLE increases, reflecting a critical reclamation and restoration of this cultural practice. In the words of Tsartlip Member and MLA for Saanich North and the Islands Adam Olsen, “It is a symbol that we are here and wanting to express ourselves in the way that we have always expressed ourselves” and also “an important signal to the rest of the world of the resurgence in Indigenous communities, and that it’s being inspired by the teachings of our elders and being done by our youth.”

This annual youth-led event is not only critical for the revitalization of a traditional practice but is an important leadership opportunity for youth. 

Those youth who serve as Coordinators for the project participate in learning sessions held by knowledge holders, receive canoe and paddling training sessions, engage in water safety training, and guide the other youth on the team. In the words of Edna Ellsworth, who served as a Co-Coordinator in 2023 and will serve as Co-Coordinator again in 2024, “It’s a really unique process where you get to have such young students, and you get to teach them all of the important teachings and practices that go along with this particular program.”

Past leaders and participants of the Youth Reef Net Program include Ellsworth, Laila Morris, acclaimed local athlete Landon Underwood, Desiree Jones, Penina Va’a, Julia Settler, Darian Claxton, Tavien Henry, Aleena Lano, Sarah Jim, Kerrie Charlie, Shawn Bartleman, Kristin Morris, Jacob Lazar, Trevor Horne, Kaleah Claxton, Maxwell Pelkey, and Charles Claxton among other talented youth.

Eric Pekley facilitating the Salmon Ceremony with Youth from the Reef Net Project, 2023.

This year’s crew included new and returning youth. Ellsworth and Laila Morris returned as Co-Coordinators and led a seven-person team including Travis James, Charles Claxton, Rose George, Lance Norris, Sakora Morris, Jorge Sam-Gates, and Jayshawn Jimmy.

According to WLC Director of Operations Gordon Elliot, this year’s crew did not catch any fish, but did achieve something much greater. In his words: 

“I am immensely proud of our youth for their dedication and hard work in successfully setting the reef net, a cornerstone of the W̱SÁNEĆ Youth SX̱OLE Project. Though we did not catch any fish, the real catch was far greater—enhanced leadership skills, sharpened problem-solving abilities, and a strengthened bond among our team and nation. This project is more than just about fishing; it’s a vibrant platform for cultural exchange and knowledge transfer, embedding traditional W̱SÁNEĆ practices into the hearts and minds of our youth. Their achievement in setting the reef net, under the guidance of our knowledgeable elders, marks a significant milestone in preserving our heritage and building a resilient community.”

W̱SÁNEĆ looks forward to supporting and celebrating the youth involved in the reef net project as they move forward with this important cultural revitalization effort. 

To learn more about SX̱OLE, check out this podcast by Eric Pelkey. To stay up to date on this story and others be sure to subscribe to the WLC newsletter.