Tŝilhqot’in National Government Releases Findings on Tŝilhqox (Chilcotin River) Landslide

February 24, 2025

Today, the Tŝilhqot’in National Government (TNG) is releasing a full report containing findings and calls to action in relation to the Tŝilhqox (Chilcotin River) landslide that occurred during the summer of 2024. The report investigates responsibilities to land, threats to salmon, collaboration in emergency management, and protocols and jurisdiction in emergency response. Four distinct calls to action are outlined in the report findings. These are as follows:

The TNG calls on British Columbia and Canada to uphold and support the exercise of Tŝilhqot’in laws and jurisdiction over Tŝilhqot’in territory nen (land) and tu (water) resources, specifically by:

• Establishing core funding for a Tŝilhqot’in “Emergency Reserve Fund” (as originally called for in the Fires Awakened Us) and a Tŝilhqot’in “Nen Restoration Fund” to enable the Nation to implement urgent emergency response and recovery actions with less financial risk.

The TNG calls on British Columbia and Canada to:

• Prioritize reforms to their fisheries management regimes that ensure the survival and rehabilitation of ʔElhdaqox (Fraser River) ts’eman, jaŝ, and other lhuy, to uphold the inherent and constitutional rights of the Tŝilhqot’in and other First Nations to fish, and to support Indigenous jurisdiction over fisheries in policy and in practice.

In order to sustain and strengthen this success, the TNG calls on British Columbia and Canada to:

• Build on the success of the Emergency Salmon Task Force by transitioning the task force into a long-term arrangement for harnessing strong technical expertise in support of the exercise of Tŝilhqot’in jurisdiction, and by aligning relevant areas of provincial and federal regulation with Task Force work.

The TNG calls on British Columbia and Canada to:

• Integrate consultation, cooperation and consent-based protocols across all government departments to ensure Indigenous jurisdiction is respected even in urgent emergency response and regardless of which government entities are enlisted in response; and
• Support long-term integrated Tŝilhqot’in cumulative impacts recovery through planning, agreements and funding that advance holistically Tŝilhqot’in jurisdiction.

The Tŝilhqot’in National Government is the governing body for the Tŝilhqot’in people. The Tŝilhqot’in Nation is comprised of six communities located throughout the Tŝilhqot’in (Chilcotin) territory and is the only Nation in Canada with a court declaration of Aboriginal title (Tsilhqot’in Nation v. British Columbia).

“The Tŝilhqot’in Nation continues to face emergency situations within the Tŝilhqot’in territory. As an uncertain future of climate and economic insecurities continue across Canada, it is important to learn from our past. This report that we are releasing today is meant to inform future actions, record the experiences of our Nation, and push for needed change.”

— Nits’ilʔin (Chief) Otis Guichon, Vice-Chair, Tŝilhqot’in National Government

“The Tŝilhqox landslide was not unique to our people. We have seen landslides in this area before – just not to this scale. Our fish and wildlife don’t know boundaries. When the water stopped flowing in our territory, we knew there would be massive impacts upstream and downstream. The Tŝilhqot’in are stewards of the land and we call on B.C. and Canada to fully implement UNDRIP to ensure Indigenous jurisdiction and decision-making is put into practice. The cumulative effects of both natural disasters and human caused environmental damage are having major impacts on our salmon fishery and the life that salmon support.”

— Nits’ilʔin (Chief) Francis Laceese, Chief of Tl’esqox

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More information:

Media Release download PDF

Nagwentled – Changing Waters (2025): https://tsilhqotin.ca/publications/

Contact:

Myanna Desaulniers

myanna@tsilhqotin.ca
Cell  250 305 7885

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