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Clayoquot – Biggest Old-Growth Protected Areas Victory in Decades

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For Immediate Release
June 19, 2024

Biggest Old-Growth Protected Areas Victory in Years: Ahousaht and Tla-o-qui-aht First Nation and BC NDP Government Declare Protection of 76,000 hectares in Conservancies in Clayoquot Sound.

Conservationists are applauding the leadership of the Ahousaht, Tla-o-qui-aht First Nation and BC NDP government for yesterday declaring the protection of 76,000 hectares of land – an area about the size of Manning Provincial Park – in new conservancies in Clayoquot Sound near Tofino. Most of the lands committed for protection are comprised of some of the grandest and most intact coastal old-growth temperate rainforests on Earth, and the new protected areas will represent the largest old-growth forest protected areas victory in BC since the Great Bear Rainforest conservancies were announced in 2006. The historic milestone also includes major support from provincial, federal and conservation sources to facilitate sustainable economic development opportunities for the communities to facilitate their economic and social well-being.

Ahousaht Hereditary Representative Tyson Atleo looks toward an ancient redcedar deemed the “most impressive tree in Canada” on Flores Island in Clayoquot Sound.

“This is truly a historic and great day – it warms my heart and makes me feel a deep contentment inside to see this vision finally come to fruition. This is a huge old-growth victory for the people and ecosystems in Clayoquot Sound, and for the people of BC and for the world. We greatly applaud the Ahousaht and Tla-o-qui-aht leadership for moving forward with their visions to protect the old-growth ecosystems in their territories, while working to build sustainable economies, and we give great thanks to the BC NDP government, the federal Liberal government and organizations like Nature United for supporting their initiatives. I expect the Clayoquot conservancies will further inspire many other communities across BC and Canada to undertake increased protection of the ecosystems in their territories to support their cultures and their people’s well-being, while working to build sustainable economies”, stated Ken Wu, Endangered Ecosystems Alliance executive director.

“I extend my deepest gratitude to the leadership and people of the Ahousaht and Tla-o-qui-aht First Nation for bringing their incredible conservation visions to life in Clayoquot Sound. The embattled coastal rainforests of Clayoquot are famed for having some of the most impressive old-growth forests and trees on the planet, and it fills me with the greatest joy to know that the majority are now finally safe. The BC NDP government and the federal Liberal government also deserve credit for supporting this amazing initiative and bringing significant conservation dollars to the table. As we face the global climate and biodiversity crisis, conservation victories like these, which protect some of the grandest ecosystems on Earth while supporting the creation of more sustainable, conservation-based economies for local Indigenous people, are an inspiring model for other communities who may still be considering alternative paths forward and help buoy the heart. Today is a fantastic day”, stated TJ Watt, Ancient Forest Alliance photographer and campaigner.

More work remains to be done regarding potential mines in the remaining unprotected portions of Clayoquot Sound, while funding is needed for the long-term management of the protected areas.

An aerial view over the ancient forests of Meares Island in Tla’o’qui’aht territory, the site of the first blockades against old-growth logging in 1984 in Clayoquot Sound.

Totem Pole Ceremony – Opitsaht, Meares Island

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Last summer, members of the House of Ewos from the Tla-o-qui-aht Nation, and many invited guests, raised a totem pole at the ancient village of Opitsaht on Meares Island for the first time since 1993. Prior to colonization, each house in the village, located just across from Tofino, would have had up to four totem poles in front of them. Today, with the addition of this new pole, three now stand in total in the village.

The pole was created by Tla-o-qui-aht master carver Joe Martin and a team of helpers. The top crest is a female thunderbird, representing female ancestry & connection to the supernatural. Eagle down was placed in the talons and could be seen blowing in the breeze.

The totem also bears four ominous skulls representing the multiple pandemics and losses the Nation has faced. These include COVID-19, tuberculosis & smallpox, Missing and Murdered Indigenous Peoples, and the Residential School System and the children who never came home from them.

The population of Tla-o-qui-aht Nation was about 10,000 strong when the first Europeans arrived. In the year 1900, there were only 122 survivors. Without their consent, colonial governments used this to take control of the wealth of natural resources on their unceded territory.

Today, the logging industry has destroyed well over 90% of the old-growth forests with the biggest trees in BC and continues to aggressively target old-growth cedar in particular. Without monumental cedars, it’s impossible to make canoes and totem poles, resulting in a loss of Indigenous culture.

Known as the ‘Tree of Life’, there are thousands of ways cedar plays a role in the lives and culture of First Nations people. Trees would never be felled during spring or summer months as great respect was paid to any nesting birds or denning animals in the area.

Ensuring that old-growth forests are protected, while still allowing for select trees to be used for cultural purposes, will help preserve the diversity of life — both human and non-human — that depend on them.

? TJ Watt with support from the Trebek Initiative

Photos: 35-Year Anniversary of the Meares Island Tribal Park.

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Here are photos from the April 17th event celebrating the 35-year anniversary of the Meares Island Tribal Park, Wah’nah’juss Hilth’hooiss! In April of 1984, the Tla-o-qui-aht and Ahousaht First Nations and local environmentalists came together in an historic show of solidarity to protest the logging of some of Canada’s finest ancient forests by MacMillan Bloedel on Meares Island in Clayoquot Sound. The blockade marked the first protest against old-growth logging in Canadian history as well as the creation of BC’s first Tribal Park with the declaration of the Meares Island Tribal Park by Tla-o-qui-aht Chief Moses Martin.

Thanks to this collaborative effort, Meares Island’s extraordinary natural and cultural heritage remains intact to this day. It also inspired the expansion of the Tribal Park model throughout Tla-o-qui-aht territory and beyond with the establishment of Tribal Parks and other Indigenous Protected and Conserved Areas expanding across Canada.

For more info see: https://www.iisaakolam.ca/
Photos by TJ Watt