A 550-year-old fish trap panel is now on display at Vancouver Island University’s Deep Bay Marine Field Station.
The university says the panel was made by Pentlatch ancestors of both the K’omoks First Nation and Qualicum First Nation, where it was one of 78 panels used in a single-winged chevron trap in a river to capture salmon.
It’s described as the largest and most complete of its kind on the Northwest Coast, measuring six meters long, 70 cm wide with 13 long laths and 9 vertical support laths, all bound together by cordage made from plant fibres.
Director of research operations and industry engagement for the university Carl Butterworth says they are excited to host the panel.
“The Pentlatch fish traps are a testament to the long history of sustainable aquaculture practiced in this region since time immemorial,” said Butterworth.
They say the panel was revealed to the community in 2017 in the K’omoks harbour, where to prevent it from deteriorating because of the air, a team of K’omoks guardians, community members, and archaeologists went to salvage it, taking care of it ever since.
Elected councillor for the nation Candace Newman says many community partners have put in time and resources to document, preserve, and safeguard the panel.
“We are proud of our cultural heritage and we’re taking the lead in protecting and preserving it,” said Newman.
“We’re also excited to share our cultural heritage from our own perspective, in our own words.”
The panel has been moved to the university’s Deep Bay Marine Field Station, where it will be staying for the next six months while members of the K’omoks Nation complete its conservation.
You can find the station on Crome Point Road in Bowser, open Monday to Friday from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm, and from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm on the weekends.
