Haisla Nation leads Kitlope victory
12/5/94
OVERVIEW, SOURCE & COMMENTARY by EE
Another victory, this time in the Haisla Nation of British
Columbia where the indigenous people have worked to save most of
the million-acre Greater Kitlope Ecosystem--the "largest known,
intact, coastal, temperate rainforest watershed." This was posted
by Rainforest Action Network in econet's rainfor.general
conference.
With all these efforts to save Gaia that are occurring all over
the world, and the vast ecological internet as the messenger,
there is no need for biocentric folks to think they are alone in
their struggle any longer.
g.b.
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** Written 5:48 PM Dec 5, 1994 by rainforest in
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From: Rainforest Action Network
/* Written 5:39 PM Dec 5, 1994 by rainforest in igc:ran.news */
/* ---------- "Haisla Nation leads Kitlope victory" ---------- */
Haisla Nation leads Kitlope victory
We have a solemn, sacred duty to keep faith with those who came
before us, who guarded and protected this land for us: we must do
no less for ourselves and for those who come after.
--Haisla Nation, Kitlope Declaration, 1991
The Haisla Nation of British Columbia led indigenous peoples and
environmentalists to a great victory in 1994. Their work saved
most of the million-acre Greater Kitlope Ecosystem, the world's
largest known, intact, coastal, temperate rainforest watershed.
The Haisla and Henaaksiala people have worked for years to ensure
protection of the cultural and ecological integrity of the
Kitlope. They achieved a critical first step when West Fraser
Timber voluntarily relinquished logging rights to 800,000 acres of
the Kitlope without seeking compensation. On August 16, the Haisla
Nation and B.C. Premier Mike Harcourt announced permanent
protection of the Kitlope Valley, three-fourths of the Greater
Kitlope Ecosystem.
The Kitlope wilderness extends from estuarine marshes to lower,
riparian, old-growth, spruce and cedar forests to alpine meadows.
It provides habitats for all six species of Pacific salmon and
populations of North America's largest vertebrates--black and
grizzly bears, mountain goats, moose, and wolves.
The area is also the last part of traditional Haisla territory
to remain intact and is a continuing source of cultural and
spiritual inspiration for them. In this spectacular wilderness
setting, children can see traces of old village sites,
pictographs, and still-living cedar trees from which bark and
planks were harvested. They can also visit the sites of legends--
the ancient teachings that guided the way that people lived here.
The Haisla Nation Rediscovery Society holds camps in the Kitlope
to help children from Canada, the U.S., and other countries to
gain self-esteem and cultural and cross-cultural awareness.
To protect the Kitlope, the Haisla worked with Ecotrust, a
nonprofit organization dedicated to conservation-based development
in North America's coastal rain forests. Together, they focused
scientific attention on the Kitlope, developed a wilderness-
planning framework, established the Nanakila Institute to foster
protection and stewardship, and held public workshops. The Haisla
also met repeatedly with the provincial government and West Fraser
Timber.
Instead of creating a provincial park, the Haisla are taking an
innovative approach. They are managing the Kitlope jointly with
the B.C. government. The Nanakila Institute is already developing
programs of scientific research and nature- and culture-based
tourism, and it will monitor the effects of these activities.
--Erin Kellogg, Ecotrust
What You Can Do
Rainforest Action Network is asking you to take positive action
this holiday season by thanking the Haisla for a job well done.
Sample letter:
Chief Councillor Rob Robinson
Kitamaat Village Council
Haisla P.O. Box 1101
Kitamaat Village, British Columbia
V0T 2B0 CANADA
Dear Chief Robinson:
I would like to express my appreciation for the leadership the
Haisla Nation has taken in protecting part of the world's largest,
coastal, temperate rainforest ecosystem. I am greatly inspired by
the courage and resolve of the Haisla and Henaaksiala to protect
the integrity of your traditional territory. You have set an
example for the world and helped to sustain a vital part of the
planet we all share.
-------------------------------------------------------
From Action Alert #103, December 1994
Published by:
Rainforest Action Network
450 Sansome St., Suite 700
San Francisco, CA, 94111, U.S.A.
Automatic info: ran-info@igc.apc.org
E-mail: rainforest@igc.apc.org
Tel: (415) 398-4404
Fax: (415) 398-2732
Rainforest Action Network is a non-profit
activist organization working to save the world's
rainforests and support the rights of indigenous
peoples. Begun in 1985, RAN works internationally
in cooperation with other environmental and
human-rights organizations on major campaigns to
protect rainforests.