| "We were the first sanctuary in the national system that regularly interfaces with federally recognized tribes with treaty rights." | |
| Carol Bernthal, Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary |
|
Protecting cultural and historical resources is one of the mandates for National Marine Sanctuaries. For many, this may bring to mind images of shipwrecks and ancient archaeological sites, but for coastal resource managers in Washington State, it means co-managing natural and cultural resources with sovereign governments and helping perpetuate thousands-year-old cultural traditions that are alive and well.
The Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary is located within the traditional fishing areas of four coastal Indian tribes, the Makah, Quileute, Hoh, and the Quinault Nation. Treaties negotiated with the tribes prior to Washington's statehood "set the context we work under today," says Carol Bernthal, Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary superintendent.
Bernthal notes, "We were the first sanctuary in the national system that regularly interfaces with federally recognized tribes with treaty rights. It creates a situation where we co-manage certain resources. They are not interest groups. They are sovereign governments with a distinct set of rights," as well as their own regulations, expertise, and interests.
The tribes play crucial roles in shaping Olympic Coast Sanctuary policy, research, and education programs through ongoing consultations and joint projects, and as members of the sanctuary advisory council.
Thousands of Years
The Olympic Coast has been home to human communities for at least 6,000 years, and possibly much longer, says Robert Steelquist, Olympic Coast Sanctuary education and outreach coordinator.
Steelquist explains that when Washington's territorial governor negotiated treaties that would exchange Indian claims to much of their ancestral land in return for reservations and support from the U.S. government, significant rights were reserved by the tribes. Those rights include the right to fish, gather shellfish, and hunt in "usual and accustomed places."
In addition, the Treaty of Neah Bay guarantees that the Makah Tribe would retain its right to hunt seals and whales.
Nearly 150 years after the treaties were signed, the documents still bind U.S. and state governments and the tribes. When the Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary was designated in 1994, the U.S. government pledged that the sanctuary would honor treaty rights.
Common Ground
Bernthal says that in addition to having a strong legal standing to use the resources, the native tribes have a "long relationship with the ocean, and their reliance on and connection to place is very distinct."
These legal and cultural differences have "forced us to thin k through the very basic issues of equity, constitutional law, and long-standing treaty law. It forces us to think thoroughly about the things we do, or don't want to do," says Steelquist. "We've got a very skeptical group of critics to satisfy when we make decisions, and I think our decisions in the long run are better because of that fundamental requirement."
Bernthal notes that tribes maintain a strong traditional identity, but "their management of the resources has a very modern context. They have developed an amazing capacity to apply traditional knowledge using scientific methods, tools, and programs. They are very interested in engaging in modern resource management, and a lot of times they are on the cutting edge of how it's applied."
The sanctuary and tribes are successfully collaborating on a number of management issues, such as preventing oil spills along the Olympic Coast's rural and rugged coastline and developing a long-term research and monitoring agenda regarding harmful algal blooms.
Moving into the Future
While the tribes have embraced modern technology and science as part of their resource management, they are as actively engaged in keeping their ancient traditions alive. One of these traditions is the revival of the Canoe Culture, which Steelquist points out is not a re-enactment but the perpetuation of ancient tribal traditions.
Each year, Steelquist explains, tribes from Vancouver Island, Georgia Strait, Puget Sound, Strait of Juan de Fuca, and the Olympic Coast form canoe teams that "travel to old villages and reconnect the threads of their relationship to place."
The sanctuary staff plays a supportive role in these events, including creating a video documentary of the journey, which was presented as a gift to the tribes, and using the sanctuary's research vessel to provide safety and logistical support.
The sanctuary's unobtrusive support is a show of respect for the participating tribes—an attitude that both Bernthal and Steelquist say is required when working with Native Indian cultures.
Gaining Trust
"You have to be respectful," Steelquist emphasizes. "The tribes have a long relationship with the coast, and they have been here a lot longer than we have. You have to demonstrate who you are, that you are of good will, and are capable of showing the appropriate respect. If you can do that, then gradually you will start accomplishing important work together."
"I think that kind of relationship phase is critical," Steelquist adds, "but it's not something that figures into the bureaucratic timeline of things because you have to go slowly."
Bernthal agrees. "We run into this all the time when we're told things like we need to get comments on something back in seven days. Those are challenging because we have these cultural constructs overlaying one another."
Who Talks to Whom
Another part of being respectful is following the appropriate line of communication, which may mean first going to the tribal councils with issues and ensuring that the person asking the question is at a high enough level in the sanctuary's or state government's hierarchy.
"Protocols are very subtle, which essentially means you need to think it through very carefully," Steelquist says.
Another lesson the sanctuary staff members have learned is not to "lump all the tribes together," Bernthal says. "You must ask for the opinion of that tribe and that tribe alone. It's more time consuming, but it makes for a richer experience. It's really a fundamental aspect of how we do business."
In working with native tribes and other cultural entities, Steelquist advises developing the "notion that you are in this together. Listen to their needs, and work creatively to satisfy those needs."
He adds, "I'm not saying we always agree [with the tribes], but we always try and come to the table with mutual respect and a willingness to look at things in a different light."
More information on how Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary works with native tribes can be found at http://www.ocnms.nos.noaa.gov. You also may contact Robert Steelquist at (360) 457-6622, ext. 19, or Robert.Steelquist@noaa.gov. Carol Bernthal can be contacted at Carol.Bernthal@noaa.gov.
