Tŝilhqot'in National Government calls for change to land, water management in wake of 2024 B.C. landslide
July 30 landslide blocked Chilcotin River for 6 days. Effects on salmon remains unclear
The Tŝilhqot'in National Government (TNG) is calling on the B.C. and Canadian governments to uphold and support Tŝilhqot'in knowledge, laws and jurisdiction over its own territory, among other things, in the wake of a landslide last summer.
In late July, a landslide in Nagwentled, also known as Farwell Canyon, blocked the Chilcotin River in B.C.'s Interior, a vital stream for salmon, for six days.
The effect the slide had on salmon remains unclear, though the Department of Fisheries and Oceans said in September that very few had passed the landslide area.
A new report from the TNG looked at the response from the Tŝilhqot'in and the provincial and federal governments, in an effort to find out what worked and what should happen moving forward.
The TNG is made up of six Tŝilhqot'in communities working together to advocate for the Tŝilhqot'in people. Among them is Tl'esqox Chief Francis Laceese, who pointed out that managing the land and water within the TNG's territory is part of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
"Governments have to change their legislation and their way of thinking," he said.
The TNG says the slide signified a "changing of the waters," and a realignment of the relationships between the TNG and other governments.
The report touches on the fact that the Tŝilhqot'in Nation is in charge of emergency management when it comes to fires in its territory — but the landslide response was a different story.
It says the landslide revealed shortfalls in communication and co-ordination of the emergency response from provincial and federal governments.
The TNG says it had to overcome "jurisdictional confusion" and that the province "struggled" to share information about the slide, and as a result, the First Nation's own emergency management was "largely hamstrung" when trying to help residents due to a lack of up-to-date information.
Key among the complaints, the report says, was the lack of information sharing.
"While the provincial government helpfully arranged helicopter viewings for chiefs and senior staff, the province was reluctant to share monitoring data on a government-to-government basis with the [Tsilhqot'in National Government]," the report says.
'They know what they're doing'
The Nation says it wants to ensure it is leading on emergency management within its own territory.
Jenny Philbrick, TNG Executive Director, said that while the Tŝilhqot'in started work on the landslide right away, the provincial and federal governments also got involved.
"Tŝilhqot'in people and a lot of other Indigenous people have jurisdiction in their own lands, and they know what they're doing," Philbrick said during a news conference on Monday.
"Indigenous people should be taking the lead in their own lands."
Funding needed
Among its four calls to action is money for emergency reserve and restoration funds.
The First Nation says the uncertain and delayed funding from the federal government forced it to move forward with "urgent and vital actions to steward the salmon" without a guarantee of support from Ottawa.
Philbrick said ongoing funding is necessary, as two subsequent landslides happened after the initial slide, and another is expected.
"Another reason why this is so important [is] to make sure that those relationships are good and that there's still funding flowing for future landslides."
The TNG also says that given its historical knowledge and expertise in the area and in terms of salmon, it's in the best position to lead on salmon recovery. It's calling on the province and feds to transition the TNG's Emergency Salmon Task Force to a long-term project.
The federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans was unable to provide a response to the report before publication.
In a joint statement, the ministries of emergency management and water, land and resource stewardship, said the province is reviewing the report. The province said First Nations contributed greatly to the response and recovery efforts at the slide site.
"We brought together traditional knowledge and modern technology to understand what was going on every step of the way.
"We recognize this was a unique event, and many governments including First Nations and local authorities, are looking to take learnings from experiences through Chilcotin landslide emergency response and recovery. We will continue to work closely with our partners at all levels to keep people and communities safe."
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With files from The Canadian Press