What we do
Work that begins
where the land meets the sea.
- Youth
- Food systems
- Kelp
- ISAT skills
- Blue economy
Our approach
Small in scale, deep relationship.
We’re an emerging initiative — and we move at the pace of trust. Each stream of work begins with the same starting point: listening to the people, places, and tides that shape what’s possible.
Community-led
Land & water-based
Intergenerational
Long horizon
Five streams of work
Where the work lives right now.
01 Youth
Youth engagement & pathway exploration
Creating space for Indigenous youth to spend meaningful time on the water — building confidence, curiosity, and a sense of belonging to the salt chuck.
02 Food
Marine food systems & harvesting
Learning from Elders and harvesters about traditional foods, harvesting protocols, and the seasonal rhythms that sustain coastal communities.
03 Kelp
Kelp harvesting, processing & product learning
Hands-on work with kelp from shore to product — exploring sustainable harvest, drying, processing, and the small-batch products it can support.
04 Skills
Skills development through ISAT
Delivered through the Indigenous Food Systems and Agriculture Skills and Training program — practical training that prepares people for ocean-based work.
05 Economy
Pathways into the blue economy
Exploring entrepreneurship, partnerships, and emerging opportunities so Indigenous communities can lead and benefit from the blue economy.
Shore → harvest → product
Spotlight · Kelp
A keystone species, and a keystone of our work.
Kelp connects almost every part of what we do — food systems, stewardship, entrepreneurship, and the wider blue economy. It’s a species the coast depends on, and it’s where many of our learning experiences begin.
We work with partners and harvesters to explore sustainable practices, hands-on processing, and small-scale product development — so the knowledge and the value both stay in community.
100%
Community-led
5
∞
Spotlight · ISAT
Skills, training, and time on the water.
Saltchuk’s early development is supported through the Indigenous Food Systems and Agriculture Skills and Training (ISAT) Program — a foundation for practical, community-rooted learning.
Working alongside youth, educators, and knowledge holders, ISAT helps build the skills, networks, and confidence needed to participate in — and lead — ocean-based work.
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Mentorship from harvesters and Elders
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On-the-water field experience
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Food systems & stewardship learning
→
Entrepreneurship & blue-economy literacy
In the field
Looking ahead
Charting Indigenous participation in the blue economy.
The blue economy is growing quickly — and Indigenous communities have always been at the centre of life on the coast. Our work explores how that leadership can shape what comes next.
We map opportunities, build relationships with partners, and create learning pathways so the next generation can step confidently into roles across stewardship, food, harvesting, and ocean-based enterprise.
Work with us