Keynote speaker: Chief Qwatsinas

In the past few months I've been speaking with Chief Qwatsinas, (Ed Moody), a hereditary chief in the Nuxalk Nation. Qwatsinas and the House of Smayusta - Nuxalk traditionalists in Bella Coola - were the driving force behind the campaign to protect the Great Bear Rainforest in the 1990's. But the House of Smayusta did not sign on to the Great Bear Rainforest Agreement last year. Qwatsinas told me about his problems with the Great Bear deal while I was researching an article on the subject. Qwatsinas and a group of other traditional Nuxalk folks will be traveling to Wild Earth this year to discuss protecting Nuxalk territory and spirit bear habitat on the central coast.

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