Community Perspectives on Bioeconomic Development: Eco-Cultural Tourism in Hartley Bay, British Columbia

The small community of Hartley Bay is located on the Northwest Coast of British Columbia. As members of the Gitga'at First Nation, the residents of Hartley Bay have strong relationships with the lands and waters of their traditional territory going back countless generations. Hartley Bay Gitga'at are committed to supporting the ecological integrity of their territory, as well as the vitality of their community and way of life, through carefully selected and implemented local development initiatives.;The project was developed through four trips to the study area. The data were collected in 2009. The primary data collection tools were participant observation, key informants, semi-structured interviews and focus groups. Over 30 members of the Hartley Bay Gitga'at community participated in this research, out of a potential pool of about 70 informants. It is their evaluations of the risks, benefits and potentials of this type of economic development that this thesis brings together. These insights help ground ideals often discussed within sustainability discourses in one community's experiences and priorities in the context of local tourism development.;The first objective was to describe aspects of the local context shaping research participant perspectives on the proposed tourism development project. I did this using the concrete example of the Gitga'at seasonal harvest camps and the possibility suggested in the tourism development proposal of linking a tourism experience with them. I found the practices surrounding the harvest camps have responded to changing socio-cultural and economic circumstances. Some of these changes are viewed positively, while others, such as declining community member participation at the camps, were highlighted as concerns. There were a number of concerns surrounding the proposal to link tourism with the camps. However, many research participants, including regular harvest camp participants, also saw potential in the proposition and in tourism development generally.;The second objective was to synthesise research participant perspectives on the appropriate use of resources from their traditional territory and on the appropriate application and sharing of local and elders' knowledge for such an eco-cultural tourism enterprise. Environmental, cultural and community integrity are deeply intertwined, essential, mutually dependent and non-interchangeable priorities that must be supported by any local development initiative. Tourism may strike this balance, provided that (a) it is developed in a manner that provides benefits across the community and (b) that the use and sharing of local knowledge and other resources is guided by chiefs, elders and other community leaders in consultation with the community as a whole, particularly those who may be the most impacted. An important step in building a tourism enterprise that supports local priorities includes developing mechanisms, such as protocol agreements, and regular monitoring and evaluation strategies, as well as determining geographical areas and knowledge domains that are considered off-limits to tourism, to ensure continued local control and benefits.;Tourism is a sector of the economy that many community members believe holds the potential to boost the local economy as well as support their broader vision for the future of the Hartley Bay community. Using a case study approach, this thesis explores Hartley Bay community member perspectives on a locally generated proposal to pursue ecologically supported cultural tourism. The focus of this research, particularly the possibility of linking tourism with the Gitga'at harvest camps, was directed by the Gitga'at Marine Use Planning Committee, as well as through consultations with community elders and other local leaders. The thesis is not intended to provide a financial feasibility assessment or a business plan. Rather, the purpose and value of this research is in providing a forum to explicitly identify the motivations, values and possible outcomes of this potential project, which the community may one day decide to move forward through feasibility studies, business plans, and other processes. The community perspectives gathered here, reflecting what Hartley Bay Gitga'at would like to see in local development, may provide a gauge to weigh some of the trade-offs and decisions surrounding if and how to move forward with tourism development considering local priorities and tourism sector realities.;Lastly, the third objective sought to identify the desired services from tourism for the community, and linkages with other institutions that the research participants considered important for an eco-cultural tourism business aligned with local development priorities. A number of services for the community were identified by participants as possible outcomes from this type of economic development. These ranged from local retail opportunities to supporting local harvest practices and strengthening cultural pride. Building connections between the proposed enterprise and members of the Hartley Bay Gitga'at community and local institutions (rather than seeking business partnerships outside the Gitga'at community) was suggested as the most desirable and affective way to support these outcomes. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)...