Co-facilitating the Estuary to Old Growth Gathering
Jessica Hum was invited to support engagement planning and co-facilitation of the Estuary to Old Growth Gathering, hosted by T’Sou-ke Nation in partnership with the Westcoast IPCA Support Program. This 3-day event brought together over 80 delegates from 19 First Nations along the west coast of BC. Elders, youth, hereditary and elected leadership, community members, Indigenous guardians, government representatives, and ally organizations identified shared responsibilities to the health and wellbeing of our interconnected biocultural systems.
Each Nation shared about the cultural and ecological conservation initiatives taking place in their territories, and how we can work together to augment the impact of these initiatives. Key themes raised during discussion include: Indigenous Protected and Conserved Areas (IPCAs) as sustainable models of stewardship and regional economic development; food security and the revitalization of trade relationships between First Nations; intergenerational knowledge sharing on the land; infrastructure and housing; and, collaboration and data sharing in ethical space.
An historic event was witnessed as the Kwikwasut'inuxw Haxwa'mis First Nation declared an IPCA, invoking their inherent rights and title and protecting over 41,000 hectares of their lands and waters. Additional opportunities to collaborate were identified by participating First Nations, furthering the long term vison for the Indigenous-led West Coast Stewardship Corridor, a project that seeks to connect and safeguard habitats to promote the well-being of both people and nature.