“Our work in Wuikinuxv territory (Rivers Inlet) generally finds us there in the spring months, where we collaborate with the Guardian Watchmen to monitor coastal black and grizzly bears as they emerge from hibernation. While we have come to know and love springtime there, last week we had the pleasure of being in Wuikinuxv village at a very different time of year – amid cold glacial outflows, ice on the river, and a low snow line in the rainforest. It was spectacular. This gave us the opportunity to invest time in meeting with colleagues and plan for the upcoming field season. We shared walks by the river and food with dear friends. We were also able to spend a morning with the youth and check nearby wildlife cameras, discovering when the latest local grizzly bear was up before hibernation (mid November) and what the wolves look like that have been nearby the village in the past months.
Doing work with and for communities is as much about doing the work itself as it is about the times in between the work – the time spent outside of the field season in conversation and planning, witnessing and collaborating. We are grateful to Wuikinuxv for this beautiful wintery visit and cannot wait to return for the 2017 field season! Già nakci.” –Megan Adams
