FIRST NATIONS and THE RACE ROCKS AREA The 13 MOONS of the Wsanec
				Marine resources, formed a fundamental component of traditional life ways, and remain important to contemporary First Nations people. The peoples of the Salish Sea recognized the close relationship between the land and the sea. They, have witnessed firsthand the impacts of development on the marine resources of the Strait of Georgia and Strait of Juan de Fuca. These impacts have directly and drastically altered their traditional life ways. Information obtained during community interviews of the REPORT OF THE FIRST NATIONS CULTURAL HERITAGE IMPACT, ASSESSMENT AND CONSULTATION COMPONENT; BAMBERTON TOWN DEVELOPMENT PROJECT in 1995 reveals a wide variety of fish, shellfish and other invertebrates, waterfowl and marine mammals were utilized throughout the seasons. Aside from their obvious use as food, marine resources also served as medicines and as ritual foods associated with ceremonial activities. The cultural significance of these resources is reflected in the place names associated with the procurement of marine resources throughout the Coastal Waters.
		The configuration of the rocks in several stone cairns at Race Rocks are suggestive of First Nations use of this area for Burial Mounds in the period AD 500. Investigation into sites on the lower part of Vancouver Island by graduate student Darcy Mathews of the University of Victoria, have shown that over 400 such sites exist on the nearby Rocky Point area. Interviews at RaceRocks in QuickTime Video with First Nations Elders on the Marine Resources used by the First Nations people of the Salish Sea. Link to a site for the KLALLUM language, and a story by the late Thomas Charles of Beecher Bay THE FIRST NATIONS PEOPLE AND RACE ROCKS- from the Race Rocks Ecological Overview Workshop, April,1999. Brian Thom's COAST SALISH Home page "Recommendations on Race Rocks reserve to be in minister's hands by month's end" . by Rachel Goldsworthy in the Goldstream News Gazette, March 15, 2000 The First Nations of the North West Coast-- Coast Salish; Connections to the Environment, Involvement in Conservation. With a Case Study of ,First Nations involvement in the development of a Marine Protected Area off Vancouver Island . (RACE ROCKS) MARINE PROTECTED AREA OFFICIALLY DESIGNATED ON SEPTEMBER 14, 2000 Coast Salish Council representative on the Race Rocks Advisory Board, Tom Sampson meets the federal and provincial ministers at the official designation of the MPA before singing an opening prayer. He addressed the gathering in the Lecture Theatre at Lester Pearson College, speaking about the importance of the new MPA to the First Nations people of the Salish Sea. Tom was instrumental in teaching us about the values of the Coast Salish people who lived in this area, and how these values could be worked into the new Marine Protected Area Proposal.
			The word written in the Klallum language means "swift water" , the area around Race Rocks. The late Thomas Charles of Beecher Bay First Nations provided this name for us in March of 1999. It was transcribed from the word written out in Klallum by his wife Mrs.Tom Charles .
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