Our Territory, Our Rights & Title

Kitselas people have always valued a close spiritual and physical connection to the land and environment. Careful management of our natural resources is therefore essential in protecting not only our health and well-being, but also protecting our culture. Whereas there was once a wealth of resources, today, our environment faces many complex challenges. Now more than ever, Kitselas must continue the stewardship of our Territory and protect its resources despite the impacts of development, climate change and other pressures.

The eastern boundary of Kitselas Territory is located on the Skeena River approximately 45 kilometres from Terrace, BC; it stretches south towards the town of Kitimat and west to the pacific coast at Prince Rupert. Our culture is deeply intertwined with the resources found throughout our Territory. Our ancestors were part of complex trade and social networks that were built on the exchange of harvested marine and freshwater resources.

Like a beating heart, the Skeena River - the second largest river in British Columbia – lies in the center our Territory and provides life to our people. The Skeena contains many important resources that our Nation depends upon, the most important of which is salmon. There are five different species of salmon that call the Skeena River home: misoo (sockeye), yee (spring), üüx (coho), sti’moon (pink) and gayniss (chum).

Rights & Title

For millennia we have protected and sustainably harvested the resources of our Territory. After settlers came, our relationship with these resources and our capacity to take care of them were deliberately and systematically disrupted. Despite this, our people and our administration, along with our neighbors, are working together to build a future in which our Nation and culture continues to thrive.

The Federal Government and all provincial governments in Canada, are subject to the Constitution and for a long time, there was nothing recognizing the rights of Aboriginal people. When Canada changed its Constitution in 1982, Section 35 was added, which recognizes and affirms the existing Aboriginal and treaty rights of Indigenous peoples in Canada. Section 35 provides legal affirmation of Indigenous rights and title for all Canadians to abide by and recognize. We, the Kitselas people, indelibly know our rights and title and our right to fish is crucial to our culture. Stewardship, which includes the preservation and protection of this Right, is paramount.

Salmon provides life to our community, territory and culture. This booklet is designed to provide quick, high-level, information on our Fisheries Policy and how to properly assist in the its preservation and protection of our food fishery. In the next section we will outline some guidance regarding fishing for salmon in our territory.