On July 25 and 26, Indigenous leaders from the North Pacific Coast gathered together in Heiltsuk Territory for the Coastal Strong Symposium. The event was hosted by the Heiltsuk Nation and held in the Big House in Bella Bella.
During a series of meetings and presentations, leaders from CFN member Nations, alongside their neighbours and allies, reaffirmed their shared commitment to protect BC’s North Coast. Conversations focused on affirming the federal oil tanker ban, upholding Indigenous rights and responsibilities to steward their lands and waters along the coast, and advocating for long-term marine protection and management strategies that favour proactive “master planning” over isolated industrial projects, such as pipelines, that undermine our sustainable vision.
The Symposium had been conceived initially as an urgent gathering to discuss strategies in a potential fight against Alberta’s proposed oil pipeline to the North Coast. After an earlier announcement moved that threat further south, coastal leaders decided it was still crucial to meet and plan for any future pressures on the ocean.
“We felt it was really important to come together when we’re not in a place of duress or threat, to talk about what’s important,” said Marilyn Slett, Chief Councillor of the Heiltsuk Nation and President of Coastal First Nations. “We’re also mindful of the battle that’s in front of our southern neighbours and Nations.”
Gaagwiis, President of the Council of the Haida Nation, described the gathering as “empowering” for all those who attended. He said the symposium provided an opportunity for First Nations leaders to “work together more closely, and learn from each other’s experiences in upholding our commitments to our homelands and our communities.”
Coastal leaders recognize that the fight to protect their coast isn’t over. They also recognize that Nations are stronger when they work together. That’s why leaders leveraged the symposium to begin drafting a joint declaration—grounded in Indigenous laws—while advocating for stronger local economies that emphasize stewardship and development initiatives informed by those who call the coast home.
The hope is for the Symposium to become an annual gathering where leaders can focus on proactive governance in the face of increasing ocean pressures, and on enforcing Indigenous laws rather than reacting defensively to individual threats.
