We cordially invite all Gitxsan community members to join us for an enlightening open discussion forum aimed at providing clarity on what Gitxsan Laxyip Management does and does not do. This forum will serve as an invaluable opportunity for you to gain insight into our operations while also allowing us to address any questions, issues, or concerns you may have. Our primary focus will be on fostering constructive dialogue and brainstorming viable solutions to any challenges that may arise. Your input is invaluable to us, and we believe that through collaborative efforts, we can enhance transparency and effectiveness in our endeavors. We look forward to your participation and the opportunity to engage in meaningful conversation together.

Please take note of our holiday closure:

Monday, December 18, 2024 – Wednesday, January 3, 2024

We would like to remind the Simgigyat and communities that the Gitxsan Laxyip Management Office “(GLMO”) does not make or authorize any decisions nor do we sign any agreements on anyone’s behalf as we are only the technical body that acts on the direction of the Simoogit/Simgigyat. 

The role of the GLMO is to be proactive in the consultation and engagement process, ensure that the consultation aligns with the Gitxsan governance and Wilp structure, and create implementation strategies under the provincial Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People’s Act (DRIPA). The GLMO can coordinate communication and negotiation with the BC Government and individual proponents as it relates to any activities that impact Aboriginal Rights and Title on the Gitxsan Lax yip upon request from each Simoogit.  All Simgigyat can utilize the technical services of the GLMO.

Over the past week, there have been questions posed to the GLMO office regarding the CGL/TC Energy negotiations and who at the GLMO is negotiating these deals. This agreement was negotiated over ten (10) years ago with those Simgigyat whose territory will be directly impacted. At the time, the negotiations were being done with the Gitxsan Development Corporation taking the lead on the coordination of meetings between the Simgigyat and Proponents.

GLMO is not privy to any information on this specific project nor the negotiations that have and continue to take place, we would encourage Simgigyat and community members to reach out directly to the Gitxsan Development Corporation for any questions.

Downloadable .PDF: https://www.gitxsanlaxyip.ca/PDFs/Xbiyuuwa-004.CGL-TCEnergy.pdf

Overview

The transition of the Executive Director and the selection of a new Advisory Committee.

Key messages

• Executive Director (ED) has decided to pursue other opportunities and his last day with GLMO will be June 23, 2023
• Board of Directors and staff would like to thank ED for his excellent work over the past two years.  His efforts have been essential in the creation and start-up of the GLMO. 
• The Board has asked the ED to assist in developing a transition process and assistance on stewardship projects as an advisor.
• Board of Directors is starting a search for a new ED immediately with the establishment of a new hiring committee (2 Board of Directors and 2 Simgigyat from the new Advisory Committee as per the Bylaws).
•  The GLMO Board acknowledges the hard work of the Advisory Committee. This committee was established on April 7, 2021 and the 2-year term has expired as per the Bylaws.
• The GLMO Board will be re-engaging a new Advisory Committee from the seven Watersheds: Babine, Kispiox, Upper Skeena, Upper Nass, Mid Skeena, Sustut and Suskwa.
• In the interim, Tracey Woods will be the acting ED.

For any questions or further information, please contact Tracey Woods or Kirby Muldoe at:
877-403-2401

On March 6 and 7, 2023, 42 experts and leaders gathered in Terrace to discuss the science and stewardship of four northern watersheds—the Taku, Stikine, Nass, and Skeena. Participants included people associated with many Bands, First Nations, and First Nations organizations, several universities, and many others.

The inspiration for this gathering derived from conversations with many people who are thinking and taking action towards climate resilience of the salmon watersheds of the north. What can be done to steward these changing systems for thriving people and salmon into the uncertain future? This question weaves together many topics that include watershed science, salmon management, land-use planning, and Indigenous Rights.

PATHWAYS FORWARD

An integrated vision of pathways forward.

Discussions revealed that there are diverse and interconnected opportunities and challenges to the vision of thriving and resilient watersheds. The following intertwined categories of opportunities were discussed:

• Challenge colonial policies. There is a continued need to engage with and pressure colonial policies that otherwise can enable short-term resource extraction and erode resilience.
• Uplift Indigenous governance. Indigenous Peoples and governments are leading revolutionary approaches for proactive management and decision-making of these watersheds, including new policies for industries, land-use plans, and Indigenous Protected and Conserved Areas.
• Advance collaborative science and knowledge. There is an opportunity for collaborative science to perform forward-looking assessments of risks and opportunities to help catalyze and support watershed stewardship. 
• Ongoing stewardship of salmon-people-place. There is a need to continue to build on the active stewardship of the interconnected relationships among people, place, and salmon such as through: Indigenous guardian programs, cultural activities that connect youth and elders, ceremonies, and being out on the land, salmon ecosystem monitoring programs, and active mitigation of climate change impacts.  
• Collaboration and connections. These different opportunities are interconnected and can help catalyze each other. In addition, across regions and groups, there is an important opportunity to learn from each other.

• Key Challenge and Opportunity: As different First Nations advance their stewardship of these watersheds, there is an opportunity for co-learning and sharing lessons and challenges, as well as continuing to pressure the Provincial government to support rather than impede these globally-important models for forward-looking stewardship.
• Key Challenge and Opportunity: Science that combines spatial analyses and forward-looking climate analyses can help identify oncoming shifts in salmon habitats, such as identifying the locations of habitats that represent future opportunities for salmon. This information could help support, inform, and catalyze forward-looking land-use planning or decision-making.

• Key Challenge and Opportunity: From Indigenous guardians to fisheries programs, there is a need for active and ongoing stewardship of salmon, people, and place and these relationships in this era of rapid change. 

• Key Challenge and Opportunity: Additional gatherings could help foster connections and collaborations, with a particular focus on actions for advancing proactive stewardship of northern watersheds.

RESOURCES AND LINKS

Workshop Materials

1. Science papers can be found at:  https://www.jonwmoore.org/northernrivers2023
2. Maps can be found at: https://maps.skeenasalmon.info/maps/?limit=5&offset=0
3. Backgrounder: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1U-wqwxB5a-3fFucg_dhvMHKVpHaW0Mab/view?usp=share_link 

Online Resources

1. Gitanyow land-use plan and governance structure
2. Taku River Tlingit announcement for IPCA

Videos

1. Gitanyow IPCA video
2. Yukon First Nations Youth Climate Action Fellowship
3. CBC True Survivors: this CBC episode of the Nature of Things includes collaborative work on the Taku
4. Smolt: a short film on juvenile salmon migration featuring the Skeena River

Upper Nass Watershed Facilitator
Dawaans
Linda Matthews