12/25/2025
x̌ast spúta (Merry Christmas)
As 2025 comes to a close, we'd like to reflect on the work that the Sinixt Confederacy Fish and Wildlife office in Nelson, BC has been involved with. Again It's been a year of partnering and cooperating with many groups to focus on fulfilling our responsibilities to the fish, wildlife, land, and water. To ensure effective resource management and ecological sustainability for all.
Some of the project highlights include:
- Partnering with the Arrow Lakes Caribou Society, Fraser Basin Council, and BC Ministry of Water, Land, and Resource Stewardship on the Mountain Caribou maternity pen at Nakusp;
- A second year of Chinook Salmon reintroduction studies this past summer and fall in the mainstem Columbia River with the help of Selkirk College, Upper Columbia United Tribes, and the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation;
- Involvement in the Slocan Lake and River Partnership with the Regional District of Central Kootenay;
- Working on a Community Forest Plan with the Village of New Denver;
- Working on a Guardians Strategic Plan with Parks Canada;
- Multi generational Sinixt Incomappleux journey; and,
- Conducting a Monarch Butterfly study in Sinixt Traditional Territory with CIER and ECCC.
We've also been involved at many resources management tables including:
- Upper Columbia White Sturgeon Recovery Initiative;
- Review of the Federal Mountain Caribou Recovery Strategy;
- Lower Columbia Ecosystem Management Program Working Group;
-International Joint Commission Kootenay Lake Board of Control;
- International Joint Commission Elk-Kootenay Reference; and,
- Mount Revelstoke and Glacier National Parks Mountain Caribou and Multi-Species Action Workshop.
Public outreach and education has also been a key focus of the office, and we've presented to many schools, public groups, environmental NGOs, and hunting and sportfishing organizations. We thank all those groups for welcoming us.
A specific shout out to the following organizations that have helped in 2025 to work on making this a better place for all (in no particular order). If we've missed anyone please accept our apologies.
FortisBC; Regional District of Central Kootenay; Regional District of Kootenay Boundary; BC Hydro; Salmo Watershed Streamkeepers Society; Slocan River Streamkeepers; Selkirk College; Arrow Lakes Caribou Society; Village of Nakusp; Mountain Water Research; Dam Helicopters; Village of Silverton; City of Nelson; City of Castlegar; The Capitol Theatre in Nelson; Teck Metals; City of Trail; The Save Record Ridge Action Committee; Village of New Denver; Village of Slocan; Nelson Museum, Archives and Gallery; Kootenay Lake School District; Kootenay Native Plant Society; Trail Wildlife Association; Nelson Rod and Gun Club; Columbia Mountains Institute of Applied Ecology; Parks Canada (Mount Revelstoke and Glacier National Parks); Environment and Climate Change Canada; Kokanee Creek Nature Centre; Whitewater Ski Resort; Alan Thompson; Eileen Delhanty Pearkes; Selkirk Tangiers Heli Skiing; Laura Stovel; City of Rossland; Brilliant Cultural Centre; Living Lakes Canada; Yellowstone To Yukon Conservation Initiative; Slocan Lake Stewardship Society; Dave Pehowich; Gary Munro; Nelson Star; The Valley Voice; Jeff Burrows; Interfor; Nakusp and Area Community Forest; ATCO Wood Products; Colville Confederated Tribes Fish and Wildlife staff; Inchelium Language and Culture Association; Salish School of Spokane; Bear Spring Eco Retreat; greta hamilton; Nelson and District Arts Council; West Kootenay Regional Arts Council; Community Futures Central Kootenay; West Kootenay Watershed Collaborative.
We look forward to further strengthening and building our partnerships in 2026 so we can all work cooperatively towards common resource management goals in this beautiful part of the province we all love.
Happy Holidays to all. We hope you have a restful and enjoyable time with family and friends. Please feel free to forward this on within your organization or share. I know we've missed people.
Sinixt Confederacy staff (James, Herb, Rick, Gavin, Remey, and Shelly)
