The Gwa’sala-‘Nakwaxda’xw First Nations (GNN) held a protest outside of the Ministry of Forests office in Port McNeill at 11:00 a.m. on Monday, July 7.
The Nations noted in a media release the protest was in direct response to Interfor Corporation’s attempt to "sell timber harvesting rights within GNN’s unceded Traditional Territory—without GNN’s consent, participation, or recognition of its rights and interests."
"In 1964, the Gwa’sala and ‘Nakwaxda’xw peoples were forcibly removed from their ancestral homelands along the central coast of British Columbia. Displaced by federal policy and relocated to Port Hardy, our communities endured cultural disruption, disconnection from our lands, and inter-generational trauma that still lingers today. Now, more than 60 years later, we face a renewed form of dispossession, this time through economic exclusion."
Buses transported GNN members and representatives from allied Nations to the Ministry of Forests building, where GNN elected chief Leslie Walkus, GNN hereditary chiefs Gary Walkus, Willie Walkus, and 'Maxwa Paddy Walkus, GNN councillor Darryl Coon, and Chief Darren Blaney from the Homalco First Nation all spoke in solidarity.
"Interfor Corporation, one of B.C.’s largest forestry companies, is attempting to sell timber harvesting rights in areas that lie entirely within our unceded Traditional Territory," stated Leslie. "Despite putting forward a fair and well-supported offer to purchase the tenure, Interfor rejected GNN’s bid and is now marketing access to our forests to outside buyers. This is not merely a business transaction. It is a direct continuation of a colonial pattern — where Indigenous land is used, sold, and profited from, while the rightful stewards are ignored."
According to GNN's media release, Interfor is marketing up to 95,034 m³/year of Annual Allowable Cut (AAC) in the Great Bear Rainforest South Timber Supply Area, including volumes from forest chart areas entirely within GNN’s traditional lands, which have never been surrendered, sold, or ceded, and remain under the stewardship and governance of GNN.
The release also noted Interfor is currently seeking third-party buyers, ignoring both the ecological constraints of the 2023 Great Bear Rainforest Land Use Objectives Order and the constitutionally protected rights of GNN.
"This situation is unfolding with the full knowledge of the Province of British Columbia, which has the legal and moral duty under section 35 of the Constitution Act, 1982 and the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (DRIPA) to ensure that Indigenous Peoples are not excluded from decisions about their lands and resources," states the release.
GNN noted they are calling on Interfor and the Province of British Columbia to:
Immediately halt all timber tenure transfers that ignore Indigenous governance and ecological realities;
Uphold GNN’s rights and interests over its unceded Traditional Territory;
Establish a government-to-government negotiation process that aligns with DRIPA, supports Indigenous-led stewardship, and ensures long-term ecological integrity; and
Reject the colonial logic that continues to treat Indigenous land as a commercial asset without the consent of the affected Nations.
"This is a principled stand to defend land, law, and future generations. GNN will not remain silent while our territories are marketed without our participation."
The North Island Gazette reached out to the Ministry of Forests for comment, and was given a brief statement.
"We respect people’s right to peaceful protest," stated the ministry. "The Province is committed to working with First Nations, communities, and industry partners to make forestry in B.C. work for everyone. Our approach to long-term forest management is guided by balancing cultural, economic, and ecological values; we will continue to do this work to ensure there is certainty in the land base to support a sustainable forests sector."
