Raincoast Chronicles 25: M̓am̓aɫa Goes Fishing

This 25th edition of Raincoast Chronicles intertwines Alan Haig-Brown's experiences of his formative years as a deckhand on a We Wai Kai seiner with the historical and cultural context of BC's commercial fishing industry.

In Raincoast Chronicles 25, Haig-Brown recounts his formative years as a deckhand in the 1960s and early '70s on a fishing boat run by the We Wai Kai family he married into as a teenager. The history of commercial fishing and of British Columbia itself, in all its twisting relations with Indigenous peoples, is mirrored in Haig-Brown's vivid account of life aboard, where "there are no typical days" despite the tightly choreographed tasks and immense local knowledge required by this ever-risky business.

Recalling dancing fingers deftly untangling purse seine nets, the delicious salmon stews and huckleberry pies Mitzi Assu whipped up from a cramped galley, and the crew's navigation skills in facing dangerous tide rips, Haig-Brown beautifully captures the daily rhythms, challenges, and camaraderie of life on the fishing boat from a decade spent immersed in the traditions of the We Wai Kai people under the remarkable skipper Herb Assu. It was the Assu family that gave Haig-Brown the experience that has led him to understand the harmony and sustainability of the traditional Indigenous approach to the environment.

Now an experienced international marine journalist, Haig-Brown adds historical context to the narrative, providing a nuanced view of the interplay between Indigenous communities and the commercial fishing industry. Illustrated with black and white photographs, mostly by Vicki Assu, his wife at the time, this account not only portrays a young man's journey but also serves as a tribute to the enduring spirit and resilience of the We Wai Kai family and their deep connection to the coastal waters of British Columbia.

Alan Haig-Brown learned to swim in the 1950s, among the humpback salmon in the Campbell River. He seined salmon and herring until 1973, and served for eleven years as coordinator of Indigenous education in the Cariboo-Chilcotin. Haig-Brown became editor of the West Coast Fisherman in 1986 and later founded The West Coast Mariner and The West Coast Logger. His award-winning books for Harbour Publishing include Fishing for a Living and The Fraser River. He lives in New Westminster, BC, and Bangkok, Thailand.