Photo credit: Amy Allcock
Our Homeland
North along the Columbia River main stem to the Big Bend (present-day Mica dam), South to Kettle Falls, Washington, West to the headwaters of the Kettle River and East to Kootenay Lake.
Take a tour of our beautiful territory of steep mountain forests, lakes and fast-running streams:
Water is everywhere in our ecologically rich home:
Lakes: Arrow, Box, Christina, Howser (now inundated by Duncan Dam), Slocan, Summit, Whatshan,Trout….and so many even smaller lakes and ponds in the high alpine
Rivers: the Duncan, Slocan, Incomappleux, Kettle, Lardeau, and lower Kootenay River (to its confluence with the Columbia).
Creeks: Countless year-round and seasonal waterways fill the air with life-giving energy, especially during spring snowmelt
Mountains: the Monashee, Selkirk and Purcell ranges are home to a unique inland temperate rainforest. Cedar, hemlock, white pine, fir, larch and even yew grow in a forest like no other in the world.
For us, the forest is alive, as are all the root crops and other medicine plants that have long shared their gifts with us. The Salmon are relatives. The caribou are relatives. All have homes in our territory, and all need our care.
These aerial views will help people understand the densely mountainous territory:
Google Earth Tour of our Territory
Here are some ways we are collaborating to protect and restore our homeland:
- Fish Restoration – including water quality
- Holding Canadian industry accountable
- Conservation Partnerships
- Old Growth Preservation
