Gitxsan hereditary chiefs have announced they are no longer allowing non-Indigenous people to fish in their territory.
In a statement, the chiefs say this is because the province has not returned to the table with the Gitxsan Crisis Management Team. The CMT is a committee of the Gitxsan government, and held monthly meetings with both the provincial and federal governments to discuss a variety of issues.
Gwiiyeehl Brian Williams, Chair of Gigeenix (Up River Chiefs), says the meetings stopped when the COVID-19 pandemic began, but when they wanted to restart the meetings, the province declined to attend.
In response, the Gitxsan chiefs are barring non-Indigenous people from fishing in their territory without the prior consent of their hereditary chiefs.
The length of the Skeena River that is impacted is from Flint Creek to Boulder Creek. The chiefs want the province to honour the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act and return to the meetings.
A spokesperson from the Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations, and Rural Development tells CFNR News, “the focus of the team is salmon harvest management and these are matters that fall under federal jurisdiction,” adding, “FLNRO will continue to provide technical support to the crisis management team where discussion involves areas under provincial regulatory control.”
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