Sacred Headwaters
The source of 3 salmon cultures and ecosystems
Photo by Vance Culbert
Tucked away in the Stikine Plateau of northwest British Columbia, the Sacred Headwaters cradles the birthplace of three celebrated wild salmon rivers: the Stikine, the Skeena and the Nass. A vital landscape of glacial valleys lined with rolling meadows, the Sacred Headwaters supports diverse downstream networks of wildlife and rich First Nations cultures. Despite its importance to the people and ecosystems of northern BC, this treasured place is threatened by multiple non-renewable energy projects.
The Stikine, Skeena and Nass watersheds collectively cover over 126,000 square kilometers. They are central to the cultures and health of the Tahltan, Tlingit, Gitxsan, Nisga'a, Tsimshian, Wet'suwet'en and other interior and coastal First Nations. These river networks provide travel corridors and trading networks, from the coast to inland systems such as the Finlay River, that have created a dynamic and complex history for both traditional land stewards and a myriad of visitors over the centuries.
Katrina Jakesta in the Klappan, at the headwaters of the Stikine River. Photo by Jan Shepard.
The Sacred Headwaters area is a busy boreal landscape. Thousands of migratory birds visit the lakes and marshes every year. Fire plays a major role in boreal ecology, and charcoaled spruce and pine blanket the carved mountain slopes. Caribou, moose, sheep and mountain goat are all found here and have been a sustainable food source for indigenous peoples for thousands of years. Traditional camps are still present throughout the Sacred Headwaters where the abundance is shared with grizzly bears, black bears, wolves, wolverine, and lynx. These watersheds not only provide food and habitat, but also provide jobs in fishing, forestry, mining, and ecotourism sectors, supporting a diverse and prosperous economy.
However, coal, coalbed methane, power production, transmission lines, and other industrial developments are poised to destroy the Sacred Headwaters. Such changes will fragment and pollute the land, wildlife habitat and downstream waters, while contributing the global warming crisis.
Sacred Headwaters Gathering, August 2006. Photo by Carrie Slanina.
In early 2006, territorial Elders and families declared the area the Sacred Headwaters Tribal Protected Area. Last summer, the Sacred Headwaters Gathering hosted by the Klabona Keepers Iskut Elders Society and the Iskut First Nation brought together many concerned First Nations and citizens of northwest BC to recognize and celebrate this declaration. They gathered in the Sacred Headwaters for a water-mixing ceremony and a day of meeting. A united commitment was made to protect the Sacred Headwaters and the rivers that so many cultures and livelihoods rely upon for future generations. To date, however, the Province of BC and energy development companies have chosen to ignore these actions.
