Overview

As distinct fishing societies of great spiritual, cultural, and economic wealth, Indigenous peoples have always respected the resources of their rivers and oceans. But within their own lifetime, they have watched governments ​“manage” the fishery into a state of crisis. Filmmaker Barb Cranmer, a member of the ​‘Na̱mǥis First Nation, explores the rich fishing traditions of the Sto:lo, Heiltsuk, and ​‘Na̱mǥis peoples of Canada’s West Coast in Ƚaxwesa Wa—Strength of the River. With over fifteen years’ experience fishing Johnstone Strait with her father, Cranmer presents rarely heard stories of traditional fishing practices and documents Indigenous peoples’ efforts to build a sustainable fishery for the future.