The Snail and the Bison: Stories of Biodiversity in Banff National Park

The connection between religious and spiritual communities and sustainability is well documented and is playing a growing role in environmental protection and conservation policy inclusive of cultures: languages, knowledges and practices. This paper weaves layered meanings from the story of the tiny, endangered Banff Springs snail, Physella johnsoni endemic to the Cave and Basin Historic Site in Banff National Park. Reintroduction strategies for this and other species efforts align with the increasing reinclusion of historically evicted Indigenous peoples in the park. Parks Canada’s sustainability strategy addresses biodiversity in part by engaging Indigenous peoples in the stewardship of their traditional lands, waters, and ice. Beginning with an overview of the history of the park, the Cave and Basin site, and the snail, the discussion considers the significance of the sacred status of mountains, waters and species with regard to biodiversity. As scientific conservation programs broaden collaborative scope to include Indigenous stewardship and scholars from varied disciplines, it suggests some resonance and alignments of concepts of sustainability. The case study of a current Indigenous mural project at the Cave and Basin anchors an analysis of the ecosystem as message and communication network carrying a range of meanings for Indigenous people, residents, tourists, policy makers and others in the context of reconciliation ideologies.