Wet’suwet’en Leadership Advancing Protection for the Upper Widzin Kwa
The Upper Widzin Kwa, located in the Bulkley–Morice sub-basin of the Skeena River watershed, is a culturally and ecologically significant headwater system that has sustained Wet’suwet’en communities since time immemorial. The area provides space for spiritual and cultural practices while supporting salmon populations through its cold, connected and stable freshwater habitats.
Climate Challenges for Salmon
Climate change is increasingly threatening these ecosystems. Rising water temperatures, changing river flow patterns and more frequent drought conditions are affecting freshwater habitats and placing growing pressure on salmon populations. Protecting climate-resilient headwaters such as the Upper Widzin Kwa has therefore become critical to sustaining salmon and maintaining the long-term health of the watershed.
Sockeye salmon within the Widzin Kwa ecosystem. (Photo Credit: Wet’suwet’en Treaty Office Society)
Advancing Wet’suwet’en Stewardship and Protection
To address these challenges, the Wet’suwet’en Treaty Office Society, with support from the Indigenous Stewardship Fund, is advancing a proposal to establish an Indigenous Protected and Conserved Area (IPCA) for the Upper Widzin Kwa. IPCAs are lands and waters where Indigenous governments have the primary role in protecting and conserving ecosystems through their own laws, governance and knowledge systems. This work contributes to Canada’s commitment to protect 30% of lands and waters by 2030 under the United Nations’ global “30 by 30” goal, while strengthening Indigenous stewardship and leadership.
ISF’s support is enabling foundational work, with the Wet’suwet’en Nation undertaking two key priorities:
- Community engagement across Wet’suwet’en governance structures, local communities and government partners to build alignment and shared priorities.
- Development of a Wet’suwet’en-led Stewardship Plan to guide monitoring, management and long-term protection of the proposed protected area.
These engagement efforts led to a key milestone: all 13 Hereditary Chiefs provided a formal mandate for the proposed IPCA to support the protection of the Widzin Kwa, reflecting strong Nation-level alignment.
Landscape views of the proposed project area within the Upper Widzin Kwa watershed. (Photo Credit: Wet’suwet’en Treaty Office Society)
“ISF support has been instrumental to this work. The funding enabled a meaningful start to the IPCA process, particularly in supporting Nation-wide engagement. The flexibility of the funding and reporting structure has been especially valuable, allowing the project to adapt to community needs and priorities as they evolved.”
— Samantha Vincent, Fisheries & Wildlife Manager, Wet’suwet’en Treaty Office Society
Resourcing the Unseen Work of Indigenous Stewardship
We invest in what others often overlook: the governance, engagement and Nation-led processes required to bring projects to life. While many funding streams prioritize visible, short-term outputs, Indigenous stewardship begins with relationships, consent and community direction.
This work, grounded in Indigenous laws, values, and ways of working, is essential, yet frequently falls outside conventional funding criteria. By supporting Nation-to-Nation engagement, community dialogue and planning, we help create the conditions for projects to be designed in a good way, with lasting support and legitimacy. This is not preliminary work; it is the foundation.
Together, these efforts are building the governance structures, community alignment, and long-term vision needed to establish and sustain IPCAs. Strengthening stewardship capacity over time is critical to their success. This foundational investment enables the Wet’suwet’en Nation to protect salmon habitats and care for the Upper Widzin Kwa for generations to come.
The Indigenous Stewardship Fund (ISF) works in close partnership with the First Nations Fisheries Council (FNFC), which serves as a frontline organization for collaboration with First Nations across British Columbia. FNFC leads relationship-building and engagement with more than 200 First Nations across the province, listening to and identifying Nations’ interests, priorities and perspectives. ISF complements this work by serving as the funding mechanism that helps turn those relationships and priorities into action. Together, FNFC and ISF ensure that the leadership, needs and priorities of BC First Nations are met with flexible and accessible resources that support Indigenous-led stewardship, habitat protection and long-term environmental resilience.
