Tag Archives: Pacheedaht First Nation

Indigenous Nations, Parks

Canada takes steps to rectify land grab for Pacific Rim park with coastal First Nation

Editor’s note: Given the vast amount of land taken from First Nations without their consent and the amount of this that is now designated parkland, this article points to a trend we may see more of in the years going forward. There are three provincial parks (Mansons Landing, Smelt Bay and Von Donop) and a variety of Regional Parks (Blind Creek Boat Launch, Carrington Bay Park, Cortes Skate Park, Hank’s Beach Forest Conservation Park, Hayes Park, Gnat Park, Kw’as Park, Moon Park, Seascape Park, Siskin Forest Park, Siskin Forest Trails, Whaletown Commons) on Cortes Island.

Canada’s National Observer, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

The federal government and the Pacheedaht First Nation celebrated an agreement Wednesday to return stewardship control over territory taken without permission to create B.C.’s world-renowned Pacific Rim National Park. 

Continue reading Canada takes steps to rectify land grab for Pacific Rim park with coastal First Nation →
Animals, Rivers & Oceans

Deep-sea octopus nursery discovered in Nuu-chah-nulth waters

By Alexandra Mehl, Ha-Shilth-Sa, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Offshore of Vancouver Island, in Nuu-chah-nulth waters 65 kilometers west of Hesquiat Harbour, lives a nursery of deep-sea octopuses brooding their eggs. This is one of four known octopus nurseries in the world, said DFO researcher Cherisse Du Preez.

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Indigenous Nations, Rivers & Oceans

Canada, First Nations take first steps to protect massive swath of deep ocean on West Coast

 Canada’s National Observer, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

The federal government and coastal First Nations took a significant step towards establishing a massive marine protected area off the West Coast of Vancouver Island on Tuesday.

The proposed Tang.ɢwan — ḥačxwiqak — Tsig̱isMarine Protected Area (MPA) covers a 133,000-square-kilometre swath of open ocean 150 kilometres off the island’s west coast. The area harbours a unique concentration of hydrothermal vents, underwater sea mountains and rich deep-sea biodiversity hot spots found nowhere else in the world.

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Forests

Hibernation hits Fairy Creek blockade camps, but hunt continues for missing defenders

National Observer, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

The Fairy Creek old-growth blockade is heading into winter hibernation mode but the search remains ongoing for two activists missing in the remote region on southeast Vancouver Island.

The Rainforest Flying Squad — the grassroots coalition behind the old-growth blockades — recently broke down the last of its publicly accessible camps due to extreme winter conditions.

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Forests, Weather

Fairy Creek: Roadside camp closes down; Elder Bill Jones given environmental award

Roadside, one of the last remaining Forest Defender camps at Fairy Creek, officially closed down yesterday. In the end, it was severe weather rather than police actions that brought this about.

An unknown number of Indigenous folks remain at a nearby watch camp.

Continue reading Fairy Creek: Roadside camp closes down; Elder Bill Jones given environmental award →