
William Housty's grandparents taught him the sacred duty of welcoming the salmon each year by ensuring waterways were ready so the salmon, ecosystem and community could thrive together. Housty is director of the Heiltsuk Integrated Resource Management Department, which is using traditional knowledge along with modern scientific approaches to monitor wildlife, count salmon, and maintain the health of waterways. They use a fish weir made from locally harvested cedar logs to capture and tag around 500 sockeye salmon each year, and take genetic samples so scientists can later identify the salmon's population of origin. "Our goal is to live sustainably, so we can ensure an abundance of resources not only for my generation but for those to follow," Housty said.
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