First Nations' Cultures Rooted in Old-Growth Forests
The “Castle Giant” redcedar in the Upper Walbran Valley. Redcedar is particularly important to First Nations cultures.
As in Clayoquot Sound, one of the keys to protecting Vancouver Island’s remaining old-growth forests is to support enacting First Nations’ land-use planning initiatives into law.
For example, the Hul’qumi’num Treaty Group representing over 6,200 members from six aboriginal groups on southeastern Vancouver Island has developed a land-use plan that calls for the protection of the remaining old-growth forests in their territories. Similarly, the Hupacasath First Nation, one of the Nuu-Chah-Nulth tribes, has a land-use plan that includes increased protection for old-growth redcedars, yellow-cedars and the ecosystems they support.
An end to industrial logging of Vancouver Island’s old-growth forests will help guarantee a supply of ancient red cedars and other old-growth trees for First Nations’ cultural uses.
The Wilderness Committee believes that the BC government must establish a new Vancouver Island-wide land-use plan (the last one was in 1994) that incorporates all of the Island’s various First Nations land-use plans. First Nations’ rights to cut down individual old-growth trees for canoes and for cultural uses should be protected in areas closed to industrial logging. In addition, the Wilderness Committee supports First Nations’ management and co-management of protected old-growth forests.
