Darcy Mathews

I am an Archaeologist and Ethnoecologist working primarily via UVic with the Songhees Nation. We are working collaboratively at Tl’ches (Chatham/Discovery Island), looking at the ways in which the Lekwungen peoples there managed their ecosystems through time. This includes plant foods, such as blue camas, and Springbank clover. We are also looking at the archaeological record of the islands, including three large village sites. These are places where we can bring together community knowledge and science to co-discover the deep history of the islands and the ways in which its inhabitants so successfully and sustainably managed their home over hundreds and thousands of years.

As a father and community-focused person, I particularly enjoy working with youth as part of the Living Lab Program. I have been asked by Songhees elder Sellemah/Joan Morris, to work towards getting the youth back to the islands, and back to the land. I also love archaeology and gardening, and this is an excellent opportunity for us to all get our hands dirty caring for culturally important plants, and also work with village sites to learn more about traditional foods, history, and ways of life.