We are excited to begin sharing the story of Saltchuk — an Indigenous-led coastal initiative focused on seaweed processing, skills development, and community economic opportunity.
This work is being supported in part through funding provided by the Indigenous Food Systems and Agriculture Skills and Training (ISAT) Program through the Investment Agriculture Foundation of BC. We are grateful for this support and for the opportunity to explore practical pathways for Indigenous participation in the growing seaweed sector.
The name Saltchuk comes from Chinook Jargon, a trade language historically used throughout the Pacific Northwest Coast. “Salt chuck” refers to the ocean — a place that has sustained coastal peoples for generations through food, travel, trade, cultural connection, and livelihood.
As we move forward, Saltchuk will focus on learning, training, processing exploration, and building practical knowledge around seaweed and coastal economic development. We believe there is significant opportunity for Indigenous communities to participate in this emerging sector in ways that are sustainable, community-based, and grounded in respect for the ocean.
An important part of this work is creating opportunities for Indigenous youth to reconnect with the ocean through hands-on learning, cultural relationship, environmental stewardship, and exposure to emerging community and economic development opportunities connected to the marine environment.
One of our commitments through this project is to openly share what we learn along the way. Through this blog, we will document our experiences, challenges, partnerships, lessons learned, and project developments so that others interested in this work may benefit from our journey as well.
We are still in the early stages, but we are excited about the path ahead and grateful to everyone who has shared knowledge, encouragement, and guidance so far.
If you are involved in similar work or would like to connect, we encourage you to reach out to us directly.