129 M arine mammals (pinnipeds, ceta- ceans, and sea otters [ Enhydra lutris]) have been important to First Nations people in coastal British Columbia for millennia, but their ar- chaeological distribution is poorly known. While archaeological evidence of marine mam- mal hunting is known for numerous locations over the past 10,000 years of human occupa- tion on the British Columbia Coast (e.g., Carl- son 2003; Cannon 1991; Fedje et al. 2005; Mat- son 1976), it is remarkable that few studies have examined archaeological evidence of mamma- lian hunting traditions on broad regional and/ or temporal scales. Considering the impor- tance of these animals to the modern marine ecosystem, understanding the long-term hu- man use and past distribution of marine mam- mals can add considerable perspective to con- temporary knowledge of these ecologically important species and this highly valued ma- rine ecosystem (cf. Jackson et al. 2001; Lotze and Worm 2009; Pitcher 2005). The occurrence of marine mammal bones in archaeological contexts reflects the direct use and long-term occupation of this region by coastal First Nations people. Such occurrences indicate that humans have been participants in this ecosystem for at least the past 10,000 years and as such, likely directly and indirectly af- fected the distribution, growth, behavior, and relative densities of marine mammals and their prey (cf., Crockford et al. 2002; Etnier 2002a; Gifford-Gonzalez et al. 2005; Lyman 2003a). In this chapter, we compile archaeological data on the distribution of pinnipeds and sea otters from archaeological assemblages along the coast of southern British Columbia. We evalu- ate the spatial and temporal extent of human hunting and explore the possible influence hu- mans may have had on this aspect of the ma- rine environment and, conversely, discuss the potential significance that hunting these ani- mals had to First Nations cultures in the region. Drawing on archaeological and ethnographic 7 Toward a Historical Ecology of Pinniped and Sea Otter Hunting Traditions on the Coast of Southern British Columbia Iain McKechnie and Rebecca J. Wigen Human Impacts on Seals, Sea Lions, and Sea Otters: Integrating Archaeology and Ecology in the Northeast Pacific, edited by Todd J. Braje and Torben C. Rick. Copyright © by The Regents of the University of California. All rights of reproduction in any form reserved.