​​​​Members of the First Nations Health Authority's Fraser Salish Region were invited to Boothroyd Indian Band to visit the Nahatlatch River and witness recent environmental impacts on Boothroyd's traditional territories.

Chief Mike Campbell and Health Director Terrie Davidson greeted the group along with band staff and community members. The day started with a tour of the band office while sharing some of the work that is underway. Vibrant pictures on the walls highlight the diversity of the territory:

• Grizzly Falls, a 150-metre-high waterfall
• The wetlands where 23 grizzly bears were collared and tracked
• A fish rearing channel where youth catch and identify salmon smolts as well as identifying the species

Photo: One of the many seedlings planted in the area.

Highlighting the recent negative environmental impacts, Terrie said Grizzly Falls has not returned to its previous state since a devastating wildfire in 2016 and only one collared grizzly bear survived the fire. Compounding that, access to the wetlands has been limited since the latest atmospheric river event. Fortunately, the fish rearing channel remains accessible.

The scars from last summer's Kookipi Creek wildfire are still visible as the group drives through a landscape of blackened trees against ashy earth. Unlike the dramatic news images of fire and smoke, the area is now eerily quiet and the enormity of losing fertile land that previously provided abundant traditional foods is starkly apparent.

The first stop was a fish rearing channel where juvenile salmon spend their time after hatching. While the roots of the burned trees continue to hold the slope together and over 220,000 seedlings have been planted, the fish struggle under the sun without shade from mature trees. The Department of Fisheries and Oceans is considering a grant allowing the installation of logs to provide some shade, but even then, the forest still lacks the greenery to support other animals like birds and insects. There are plans to place boxes in the forest to encourage their return, and funding is being sought to support the reintroduction of native plants. ​

Joining the group at the rearing channel is Councillor Lawrence Campbell, a natural resource worker and member of Boothroyd Indian Band. He shared how he supports youth, many with close family ties, to work on fish repatriation, forestry, transplanting, and other initiatives. Two little ones, Liam and Declan, planted the first seedlings in the area and they know exactly where those seedlings are located.

Photo: Youth skipping rocks into the water.

Terrie and Lawrence believe collaboration with the youth, government ministries and landowners is key. This collaboration helps to care for the land by seeking funding, sharing information and navigating guidelines.

Greener scenery slowly appeared as the journey continued down the road, providing a glimpse of the landscape as it used to be. Chief Mike acknowledges it has been a long year. There are still things which are unknown, like whether clusters of pine mushrooms will return, but he shares that it feels good to see projects getting started and land beginning rejuvenating. Councillor Lawrence speaks of the difficulty of returning to once familiar territories that are forever changed. “Look after the land and the land will look after you," he shared. “It is for us to pass down to the next generation."

For the Boothroyd Indian Band, the future is their focus. They concentrate on their responsibility to pass the wellbeing of the land to the youth, successors who are willing and ready.