Latest news with #Tahltan
Hamilton Spectator
4 days ago
- Business
- Hamilton Spectator
B.C. and First Nations launch massive land-use planning project in northwest B.C.
Five First Nations in northwest B.C. have partnered with the Province to identify areas across 16 million hectares for both biodiversity conservation and natural resource development to boost Canada's economy. 'Partnerships like this will deliver the critical minerals the world needs while better protecting the air, land and waters that First Nations have stewarded since time immemorial,' said Jagrup Brar, minister of Mining and Critical Minerals, in a June 3 news release. In the release, the Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship announced that over the next year, it will collaborate with the Tahltan, Taku River Tlingit, Kaska Dena, Gitanyow, and Nisga'a Nations on fast-tracked, inclusive land-use planning. This process will also involve engaging with industry and other community partners to develop a world-leading land-use plan to provide greater certainty for investors and First Nations in the region, the ministry added. The planning process will assess an area covering 16 million hectares in B.C.'s north near the Alaska and Yukon borders. Partners will identify zones for conserving biodiversity, such as wild salmon, caribou, sheep, and other sensitive species. They will also outline areas for resource development, especially mineral exploration, along with clear sustainability safeguards to support more efficient permitting. Additionally, no new mining claims can be registered in about one-third of the planned area for one year. This pause will help with joint planning efforts. However, existing mining projects and claims can still get permits and continue exploring during this time. 'Ensuring our culturally sensitive land is off limits to development, that our air, fish, land, water and wildlife will be protected, and establishing co-management protocols for responsible resource development within Tahltan territory is not only in the best interest of the Tahltan Nation, but also in the best interest of all British Columbians,' said Beverly Slater, president of the Tahltan Central Government in northwest B.C. Land-use planning will map out an efficient way of accessing and developing valuable resources in northwest B.C. to support B.C.'s economic engine. It aims to create opportunities throughout the province for billions in investment and family-supporting jobs, according to the partners. 'Last week, Premier David Eby outlined government's vision for building prosperity centred on the pillars of economic growth, reconciliation and conservation in northwestern B.C.,' said the news release. This process involves prioritizing partnerships with First Nations under the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (DRIPA). 'These are foundations to establishing areas for Indigenous-led conservation for precious land and watersheds in some of the most pristine and rugged wilderness in Canada and for clearly identifying areas where critical minerals may be developed,' said the release. The engagement process will begin in the coming weeks. 'Safeguarding the heartlands of our territory in B.C. and building a thriving conservation economy will benefit future generations of Kaska and all people of the region,' said Chief Stephen Charlie of the Liard First Nation. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
National Observer
4 days ago
- General
- National Observer
A year of protection: BC First Nations secure mining pause on ancestral lands
First Nations in northern British Columbia have secured a one-year pause on new mining claims across a vast stretch of their traditional territory, a move Indigenous leaders called 'history-making' for Indigenous-led land management. Gillian Staveley, a member of Kaska Dene and director of culture and land stewardship for the Dena Kayeh Institute, said the agreement marks a big step forward. 'This is a really important beginning,' Staveley said. 'We're really focusing on the work that's moving us forward toward what we're striving for, where Kaska leadership is respected and reconciliation is honestly more than just a word.' The BC government announced Tuesday that for the next year, no new mining claims can be staked or registered in the region covered by the agreement. The pause will give the five First Nations, including the Tahltan, Taku River Tlingit, Kaska Dena, Gitanyow and Nisga'a Nations, and the province time to work together on a land-use plan and gather input on how the land should be protected, used and managed in future. Sensitive ecosystems, rivers, lakes and wildlife habitats in the area will be protected from new industrial disturbance while the pause is in effect. Salmon spawning streams, old-growth forests and areas important for caribou and moose will not face new mining impacts. Areas of cultural and spiritual significance to the Kaska — burial grounds, traditional hunting and gathering areas and sacred sites — will be protected from new mining while their importance is documented and considered in planning. Zones for different uses — such as protected areas, sustainable forestry, tourism, or potential future mining — will be mapped out. At the heart of the agreement is Dene Kʼéh Kusān, a vast wild area in northern British Columbia. In the Kaska Dena language, the name means 'Always Will Be There.' The region is one of the largest intact natural landscapes in the province, bigger than Vancouver Island, with no roads or power lines and home to caribou, moose and mountain goats. It also has thousands of Kaska cultural sites and ancient trails. "We're really focusing on the work that's moving us forward toward what we're striving for, where Kaska leadership is respected and reconciliation is honestly more than just a word," said Gillian Staveley, Dena Kayeh Institute. 'The farther north you get, there are no roads, there are no power lines, there are no train tracks. There's nothing there, but just the way that the creator intended it to be,' said Harlan Schilling, deputy chief of the Daylu Dena Council and the CEO of the First Nations Centre of Excellence with the BC Assembly of First Nations. "You go over anywhere in the world, and there's not many places like that left." Kaska leaders have been working for years to see Dene Kʼéh Kusān officially protected as an Indigenous Protected and Conserved Area (IPCA). The pause on new mining claims is seen as a key step toward making that vision a reality. By stopping new mining for a year, First Nations and the government have time to work together on a land use plan that could lead to long-term protection. 'It's just one year, and it's a strategy,' Staveley said. 'It was done strategically so that we can support the meaningful land use planning that needs to happen on the land base within the next year, so it doesn't impact existing projects.' Leaders say some areas are sacred and must be protected, while others may be open to responsible development, but only with their consent. 'Regardless of what happens here, the Kaska will never stop trying to protect that region, but there are always opportunities to sit down and discuss what responsible resource development can look like in other areas of our traditional territory. But that can obviously never be done without Kaska's consent,' Staveley said. The process behind the agreement reflects years of dialogue with the provincial government, neighbouring First Nations and local stakeholders. Kaska leaders said the collaboration is a model for how governments and Indigenous nations can work together, even amid geopolitical tensions and debates over consultation. 'The whole world economically changed … when the Trump administration had gotten in,' Schilling said. 'But we're very grateful we had a team working on this for years. So, even with the slowdown in staking, the talks and negotiations started months, if not years, ago.' The stakes go beyond economic and environmental benefits but also help future generations restore and inherit their language, traditions and land. 'My six-year-old little girl speaks Kaska way better than I do now,' Schilling said. 'This IPCA is going to help us as Kaska re-identify some of the things that were lost to us during the generations of the residential schools.' First Nations and the province will work under a tight timeline to finalize a land use plan. Existing mining projects and claims can continue to get permits and continue exploring until the planning is complete. As the First Nations and province continue on this process, the pause is being closely watched as a possible model for reconciliation and Indigenous-led stewardship across Canada, leaders say. 'This is about showing there are ways to do this right,' Staveley said. 'We call this land – Dena Kayeh, which means the people's country, and it's really an area for all people to enjoy, and it's a very inclusive and forward-thinking approach to how we can steward our land better.'
Hamilton Spectator
07-05-2025
- General
- Hamilton Spectator
Students learn to lead on the land in ground-breaking university program
Canada's first Indigenous land stewardship degree puts Indigenous law, governance and connection to land at the heart of environmental education. Hayley Toderian, 29, waited two years to enrol. Now, she's part of the inaugural class in a groundbreaking undergraduate program at the University of British Columbia, the first of its kind. The four-year degree was created in response to growing recognition of the need for Indigenous-led approaches to land management and environmental challenges, land reclamation and environmental policy. For Toderian, who is a member of Sts'ailes First Nation (also known as Chehalis First Nation in BC), the program offered something she had been searching for a long time. She began post-secondary studies in 2019 at Langara College in general studies, but found herself drawn to courses focused on Indigenous topics. In 2021, she transferred to the Native Education College to enroll in a one-year certificate program in Indigenous land stewardship — at the time, the only one of its kind in the country. That's where she first heard UBC was developing a full undergraduate degree in the field. The program hadn't launched, but she decided to wait. 'Not everybody gets told that their dream school program will be happening in two years,' she said. The program, housed within UBC Forestry, goes beyond ecological practices to include the political, legal and ethical frameworks of Indigenous land stewardship. 'A lot of peoples' minds automatically go to using fire to shape nature, or how you hunt or fish or gather,' said Garry Merkel, a Tahltan forester and the director of the Centre for Indigenous Land Stewardship at UBC Forestry. 'But what we're talking about here is: how do you build practical land stewardship systems that can function effectively in today's world?' Merkel said students explore Indigenous systems of land tenure, resource allocation and dispute resolution — frameworks developed and maintained by communities over centuries. Their goal is to equip graduates with the tools to implement stewardship strategies in collaboration with governments, industry and, most importantly, Indigenous communities. With the ongoing implementation of the DRIPA in British Columbia and answering the Calls to Action from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's report, Indigenous stewardship is at the forefront of many nations' agendas, said Carrie Anne Vanderhoop, who is Haida of Old Massett, director of the Haida Gwaii Institute and a sessional lecturer in UBC's Indigenous Land Stewardship program. As many First Nations sign co-management agreements with provincial and federal governments, the program aims to prepare students to take on these responsibilities. 'It is important that we have these younger people coming up and taking leadership, preparing themselves for leadership roles and being at these tables and making decisions about what happens in their territories,' said Vanderhoop. The program is grounded in an earth-centred worldview that challenges dominant Western paradigms. That includes understanding how oral Indigenous legal traditions, deeply rooted in specific territories, can be applied in contemporary contexts such as co-management agreements or negotiations with industry. 'Our assumption is that most Indigenous communities believe you are one equal part of land, and everything else has just as much right to be here as you do,' said Merkel. 'We are not in control. We are not dominant. Nature is not there to serve us.' He said this philosophy extends to how decisions are made — through consensus, respect for diverse perspectives and recognition that human well-being is inseparable from the health of the ecosystem. The program was co-developed with Elders, knowledge keepers and community members and is taught by Indigenous lecturers. 'We're trying to build a movement with the program,' Merkel said. Their vision is to be part of a globally recognized standard for environmental management by 2050 that integrates Indigenous knowledge and other sciences. The program's first cohort of 12 students began in September. UBC designed the program to be accessible — it is mostly remote, allowing students across the country to stay in their communities or territories while pursuing their degrees. Financial support, including $8.5 million from the Mastercard Foundation, is available to Indigenous students. The funding helps cover tuition, relocation and work support, making it easier for First Nations, Métis and Inuit students to pursue the program without losing cultural and geographic ties. Toderian, who grew up in Port Coquitlam without a connection to her band, said she felt a 'strong sense of longing' for culture. Over the past decade, she's been rebuilding that relationship, a journey that the program has helped deepen. 'This program changed my relationship with Canada,' she added. 'It helped me understand not only my culture but also how I can help my community and the land that sustains us.' Sonal Gupta / Local Journalism Initiative / Canada's National Observer
National Observer
06-05-2025
- General
- National Observer
Students learn to lead on the land in ground-breaking university program
Canada's first Indigenous land stewardship degree puts Indigenous law, governance and connection to land at the heart of environmental education. Hayley Toderian, 29, waited two years to enrol. Now, she's part of the inaugural class in a groundbreaking undergraduate program at the University of British Columbia, the first of its kind. The four-year degree was created in response to growing recognition of the need for Indigenous-led approaches to land management and environmental challenges, land reclamation and environmental policy. For Toderian, who is a member of Sts'ailes First Nation (also known as Chehalis First Nation in BC), the program offered something she had been searching for a long time. She began post-secondary studies in 2019 at Langara College in general studies, but found herself drawn to courses focused on Indigenous topics. In 2021, she transferred to the Native Education College to enroll in a one-year certificate program in Indigenous land stewardship — at the time, the only one of its kind in the country. That's where she first heard UBC was developing a full undergraduate degree in the field. The program hadn't launched, but she decided to wait. 'Not everybody gets told that their dream school program will be happening in two years,' she said. 'We're trying to build a movement with the program,' said Garry Merkel, a Tahltan forester and the director of the Centre for Indigenous Land Stewardship at UBC Forestry. The program, housed within UBC Forestry, goes beyond ecological practices to include the political, legal and ethical frameworks of Indigenous land stewardship. 'A lot of peoples' minds automatically go to using fire to shape nature, or how you hunt or fish or gather,' said Garry Merkel, a Tahltan forester and the director of the Centre for Indigenous Land Stewardship at UBC Forestry. 'But what we're talking about here is: how do you build practical land stewardship systems that can function effectively in today's world?' Merkel said students explore Indigenous systems of land tenure, resource allocation and dispute resolution — frameworks developed and maintained by communities over centuries. Their goal is to equip graduates with the tools to implement stewardship strategies in collaboration with governments, industry and, most importantly, Indigenous communities. With the ongoing implementation of the DRIPA in British Columbia and answering the Calls to Action from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's report, Indigenous stewardship is at the forefront of many nations' agendas, said Carrie Anne Vanderhoop, who is Haida of Old Massett, director of the Haida Gwaii Institute and a sessional lecturer in UBC's Indigenous Land Stewardship program. As many First Nations sign co-management agreements with provincial and federal governments, the program aims to prepare students to take on these responsibilities. 'It is important that we have these younger people coming up and taking leadership, preparing themselves for leadership roles and being at these tables and making decisions about what happens in their territories," said Vanderhoop. The program is grounded in an earth-centred worldview that challenges dominant Western paradigms. That includes understanding how oral Indigenous legal traditions, deeply rooted in specific territories, can be applied in contemporary contexts such as co-management agreements or negotiations with industry. 'Our assumption is that most Indigenous communities believe you are one equal part of land, and everything else has just as much right to be here as you do,' said Merkel. 'We are not in control. We are not dominant. Nature is not there to serve us.' He said this philosophy extends to how decisions are made — through consensus, respect for diverse perspectives and recognition that human well-being is inseparable from the health of the ecosystem. The program was co-developed with Elders, knowledge keepers and community members and is taught by Indigenous lecturers. 'We're trying to build a movement with the program,' Merkel said. Their vision is to be part of a globally recognized standard for environmental management by 2050 that integrates Indigenous knowledge and other sciences. The program's first cohort of 12 students began in September. UBC designed the program to be accessible — it is mostly remote, allowing students across the country to stay in their communities or territories while pursuing their degrees. Financial support, including $8.5 million from the Mastercard Foundation, is available to Indigenous students. The funding helps cover tuition, relocation and work support, making it easier for First Nations, Métis and Inuit students to pursue the program without losing cultural and geographic ties. Toderian, who grew up in Port Coquitlam without a connection to her band, said she felt a 'strong sense of longing' for culture. Over the past decade, she's been rebuilding that relationship, a journey that the program has helped deepen. 'This program changed my relationship with Canada,' she added. 'It helped me understand not only my culture but also how I can help my community and the land that sustains us.'
