Brian Thom

Your voice is crucial. HCA transformation needs thoughtful input, not alarmism. If you care about archaeology & heritage in BC, please add your constructive ideas to the conversation thru this BC Survey open to everyone: engage.gov.bc.ca/heritagecons... (6/6) #BCPoli #PublicConsultation #GetInvolved

Countries like Japan show that a modern economy and respect for deep history can coexist. It's not an "either/or" choice. These reforms offer a path to a more efficient, predictable, and respectful future for all of BC. (5/6) #BCPoli #SharedHeritage

The current permitting system is painfully slow. Modernizing it with a single, project-based permit will help.

We also need better data standards, bringing in Indigenous cultural landscapes, & abolishing fragmented site polygons. Data is a problem in the current system! (4/6)
#BCPoli #BCHeritage

MYTH: HCA reforms would give First Nations "veto" over private property.

FACT: The HCA has applied to private land for over 60 years. The goal now is to create a predictable 'dial-before-you-dig' system to provide better information to everyone before construction starts. (3/6) #BCPoli #BCHeritage

MYTH: The HCA reforms were drafted in secret.

FACT: I've been in the consultation room over 3 years alongside planners, developers, real estate agents & First Nations. The dialogue has been open & practical. No NDAs were required. This is about finding solutions together. (2/6) #BCPoli #BCHeritage

A recent VanSun column sparked fear over BC’s Heritage Conservation Act reforms. Let's look at the facts. The current system is broken for everyone—archaeologists, developers, & First Nations alike. The proposed changes are a pragmatic fix, not a radical NDP plot. (1/6) #BCPoli #BCHeritage #UNDRIP

@uvic.ca @uvicsocialsciences.bsky.social #backtoschool #anthropology

In September Brian will visit Jōmon period sites in Japan (where he worked for a summer as an archaeologist back in 1992!) with colleagues from Cowichan Tribes to see what we can learn from the amazing best practices in Japanese cultural heritage for the future of sites here in BC.

Our chair, Brian Thom, has been taking Japanese classes and coordinating with colleagues from Ritsumeikan University and Cowichan Tribes for a brand new joint project on Jōmon (Japan) and Coast Salish (BC) heritage site.

@b-thom.bsky.social

In the spirit of back to school, we wanted to share that even professors are always finding excitement in learning new things!

Was great to have meetings at Ye'yumnuts today; such a powerful, welcoming, Indigenous cultural space in Cowichan territories.

Without making too much light of a serious subject (or imposing a Sapir-Whorf kind of view on the nuance of culture-language-law), the word 'permission' does not exist in the Cowichan dictionary. 😄

Good one Sharon! The biggest available Hul'q'umi'num' dictionary has a word with the same root: thuyum'iilh [√thuy-m-iilh] "stay over at someone’s
place". Not sure how the /-θət-/ works in the word, though my sense is that it means something about 'say').

ined.sd79.bc.ca/wp-content/u...

Front page, top fold of Vancouver Sun, 14 Aug 2025

To help the public better understand the Cowichan title case on the Fraser River, a Vancouver Sun reporter asked me what daily life was like at Tl'uqtinus outside of the basics of fishing and berry picking. I painted a scene of vibrant, industrious community vancouversun.com/news/cowicha...

© CBC/Radio-Canada 2025. All rights reserved.

CBC Radio's On the Island always strives to ask great questions and engage key issues: www.cbc.ca/listen/live-...

YouTube video by CBC British Columbia Supreme Court needs to determine relationship between Aboriginal title and private owners: UVic prof

As UVic professor it's a responsibility to help translate complex issues for the public. I spent yesterday in a whirlwind of interviews trying to distill the Tl'uqtinus Aboriginal title decision. Navigating public discourse can be challenging. Here's a clip from CBC TV News:
youtu.be/hXgMvnqMW9M?...

A map highlighting demarcated Cowichan Title Lands of the Cowichan Nation communities on Vancouver Island and the Musqueam, Tsawwassen, and Squamish communities near Vancouver.

Today's Aboriginal Title decision for Tl'uqtinus village is a 863pg deep-dive into Coast Salish history, culture, law, ethnography, archaeology, anthropology, cartography.

Remembering all the Elders I've heard speak passionately about Tl'uqtinus. They got it back!

www.bccourts.ca/jdb-txt/sc/2...

Coast Salish totem pole in front of BC Legislature.

The newly amalgamated BC didn't join Canada until 1871. The fact that Vancouver Island is not a province like PEI is just a fluke of the geo-politics of those days.

Of course all of these colonial machinations were oblivious to Indigenous sovereignties.

#IndigenousSovereignty #CanadianHistory

Queen Victoria's bronze statue reigns above the BC Legislature.

Locals at the time were concerned about threats and intimidation of US expansionism, imperialism, and the ideologues pushing American manifest destiny. (#whatelseinnew). Together these colonies could better resist.

#Geopolitics
#CanadianSovereignty
#BCHistory

The original flag of the colony of Vancouver Island flying in Victoria Harbour on Canada Day

The flag of the Colony of Vancouver Island is flying prominently down at Ship Point today, Canada Day.

Vancouver Island was its own British colony until 1866 when we joined the colony of British Columbia, just months before Canada's initial confederation.

#VictoriaBC
#CanadaDay
#VancouverIsland

Our work to create a map showing the historic, modern-day, and non-treaty areas of the Salish Sea, was profiled by @uvic.ca today. We hope to open up discussions about Indigenous rights, title and justice beyond territorial acknowledgements.

@uvicsocialsciences.bsky.social
@uvicanthro.bsky.social

The vast majority of TC readers will come away thinking "geez, it's a double standard, First Nations are ruining nature, and they're not even using stone tools". IndigiNews needs to do a feature and tell the story properly!

Rare permanent position alert! UVic Anthropology is looking for a Senior Lab Instructor (MA/PhD) in Socio-Cultural Anthropology. We need someone passionate about experiential learning & adept at multimodal methods (sound, visual, maps) uvic.mua.hrdepartment.com/hr/ats/Posti... #anthro #academicjobs

YouTube video by University of Auckland - Website video repository Marine mystery of octopus riding shark

Octopus rides a shark. Most important video you will see this week.

I have heard about octopus climbing onshore trees to eat pitch on Vancouver Isl.

Outstanding researchers at University of Auckland documented this crafty cephalopod in transit.

@aucklanduni.bsky.social

youtu.be/3cYlBarkmDY?...

Professor Brian Thom standing in front of 20' long 6' tall map of Treaty Relations in the Salish Sea

Thrilled to unveil the Treaty Relations in the Salish Sea display at McPherson Library @uviclibraries.bsky.social! 20' of maps & text, unpacking treaty complexities. I hope it sparks real conversations & deepens our understanding of treaty nuances in our region. Come take a look! #SalishSea #UVic

Minister Diana Gibson and Professor Brian Thom in MLAs office, Canadian and BC flags behind them.

BC Legislature Building draped with a giant Canadian flag

Minister Gibson @dianagibson.bsky.social & her @bcndpcaucus.bsky.social colleagues are working hard, with an eye to our values & priorities. These are good people rising to the moment, caring for our collective futures.

Honored to visit the BC Legislature & offer my support for the good work ahead.

1. D&D Basic Set (Holmes rules, Blue box)
2. D&D Basic Set (Mentzer rules, Red box)
3. D&D 3.5
4. Pathfinder 1e
5. ShadowDark
6. Cairn 1e
7. D&D 5e

Topic outline includes ✨
- Early Net dreams & realities
- Commercialization & surveillance
- Digital rights & resistance
- 🇨🇦 & Indigenous perspectives
- Retro computing (Gopher!)
- Decentralization (Fediverse!)
- AI: past, present, future
- Building a better digital world!

What essential topics/readings/activities would you include in a course like this? #anthropology #digitalculture #internethistory #retrocomputing #pedagogy #syllabusdesign #digitalhumanities #STS

We'll tackle contemporary issues like AI, surveillance, and digital rights, all through an anthropological lens, with Canadian & Indigenous perspectives, and work to connect that history to today's challenges (AI, surveillance, etc.) and envision a more equitable digital future!