Who We Are
The Gitsegukla Huwilp
This map shows territories owned by the respective house groups (wilp). The territories are marked by the rivers and watersheds. A wilp is matrilineal. Its name is at once an ancient ancestor and the name of the leader (simgigyet) when they are appointed to both the position and the name.
Tsa Anwokgisxw
The ancient name for the Gitsegukla village on the Skeena River is Tsa Anwokgisxw, which means “a place to dig for root medicine”, like the pictured melgwexs (poison root). The network of Gitxsan house groups associated with Gitsegukla – the Gitsegukla Huwilp – have been sovereign owners of this lovely region for about 14,000 years, since the glaciers melted, revealing the land.
The Gitsegukla Garden and Water Caretaker Plan
The Caretaker Wilps of Gitsegukla are
Ganada (Frog) Clan:
- Gwaglo
- Sanoss / Duubisxw
- Gaxgabaxs / Weesedees
- Moolaxan / Haakaswx
Giskaast (Fireweed) Clan:
- Guxsan
- Weget / Yoobx
- Skagumlaxhaa / Niisnoolth
- Hanamuxw / Gwans
- Haxbagwootxw / Gwis Gyen
The Gitsegukla Watershed represented by these Wilp houses is vast.
Caretaker Responsibility
We hold caretaker responsibility for our garden lands and our waters. Water unifies all beings. It is the lifeblood of our nation. Our connection to our sustaining garden lands and waters are spiritual, emotional, historic, legal (Adowk and Canadian laws), and economic. Our caretaker ethos ensures survival of future generations.
As inclusive and consensus-driven knowledge keepers, we have valuable local knowledge, awareness, and ability to be resilient caretakers in the face of climate change.
Our Natural Planning Units
Our Wilp house map boundaries have evolved based on "biocultural" diversity, not on arbitrary administrative resource-management boundaries such as Timber Supply Areas. The Wilp system has demonstrated sustainable survival over hundreds of years within these boundaries. Thus the Wilp house boundary is a natural, time-tested caretaker planning unit.
Our Approach
Our approach is "water-first planning" (Blue Ecology). All else (e.g., real estate, urban planning, forestry, agriculture, mining, oil and gas extraction) depends on regular quality water.
Our Caretaker's Guiding Principles
Sustainable Survival with Dignity
- This includes a multigenerational planning horizon, and
- It excludes "exploitive sustainable development", which treats natural resources like commodities and services.
Blue Ecology Principles
- Spirit, Harmony, Respect, Unity, and Balance (SHRUB)
- Water is the lifeblood of the forest gardens
Cumulative healing
- Do not strain resources with over-development.
- Allow highly impacted forest and water to rest and heal.
Geoscience Gitsegukla
Geological prospecting and mineral exploration
The Gitsegukla Huwilp and related Wet’suwet’en have partnered with UBC Mining to obtain a comprehensive introductory background in geological prospecting and mineral exploration procedures, so that they can
- Collaborate effectively with local exploration companies
- Increase their educational opportunities, and
- Explore their own territories for critical minerals
The project will take place over 18 months, starting in the late spring of 2024.
Year One (2024): Includes an introductory workshop, ten short courses, an extended field excursion and a geological survey within the Gitsegukla watershed, with the establishment of and training in an XRF Analytical Lab.
Year Two (2025): Includes practice on analysis of samples using the XRF Analytical Lab and guided interpretation of results.
Note: Geochemistry exploration strategies include biogeochemical methods.
Amica is used in traditional Gitxsan medicine.
Land and community based learning
Eight candidate critical minerals to be investigated
Year One: The following approaches to learning about mineral exploration will be implemented:
- Through the huwilp sharing their knowledge of the laxyip (their territories), traditions and way of life with geoscientists to implement modern mineral exploration techniques, fostering alternate forms of land use.
- An educational program of a series of ten practically oriented short courses that provide a background to geology, basic mineral exploration techniques, and methods of mineral exploration, and data evaluation. These courses will be broadcast to other Indigenous Communities through WiFi.
- A field excursion to operating exploration camps, significant mineral deposits, and an operating mine in north-central British Columbia.
Year Two: Building on Year One fundamentals, Simgigyet intimate knowledge of the land together with geoscience will guide the following steps:
- Practical hands-on experience in a location selected in discussions with huwilp and geoscientists to design and implement a geochemical orientation survey utilizing geomorphology, and available geological and geophysical data.
- Development of, and training in a XRF analytical laboratory that provides cost-effective, in-house, chemical analyses by huwilp members.
- Collaborative interpretation of the data from the Orientation Survey between Gitsegukla Huwilp members and participating Geoscientists
This two-year program will enable huwilp members to
- communicate knowledgeably regarding technical details presented by mineral exploration companies operating within their laxyip that leads to collaborative undertakings,
- undertake basic prospecting on the lax’ii’yip, and
- choose to undertake additional education supplementing their current knowledge of the laxyip leading to self-directed mineral exploration.
Wild ginger root is used in traditional Gitxsan medicine.
