Douglas Treaty

Remembering the battle for Saanichton Bay; celebrating the 35th anniversary of a groundbreaking victory. Saanichton Bay, where the Tsawout village sits, was the site of a public battle between developers and W̱SÁNEĆ people over traditional fishing grounds. This case drew out over 15 years and culminated in a groundbreaking legal victory for Tsawout First Nation. Shown above: 1985: Tsawout community members protest an attempt to dredge Saanichton Bay by climbing onto the bucket in a frigid snowstorm.  In 1974, a proposal for the Saanichton Marina Development was put forward by Bob Wright and George Wheaton to establish a 1,256 berth [...]

W̱SÁNEĆ Douglas Treaty Hunters Conference April 21, 9:00 am to 3:00 pm Tsawout Gymnasium In attendance will be lawyers presenting on court cases that pertain to the Aboriginal and Treaty Rights of W̱SÁNEĆ Hunters. A panel will be available to answer questions from W̱SÁNEĆ hunters. As well, an open mike will be available for any who wishes to make a statement. This meeting will take place on April 21st, from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm in the Tsawout Gymnasium. RECENT POSTS How are we doing? Leave Us Your Feedback Here

The WLC has begun a community-led process to reclaim the traditional fishing territory.  Brief Historical Overview of W̱SÁNEĆ Mariculture For thousands of years, W̱SÁNEĆ existence, economy, cultural practices, and laws revolved around the ebbs and flows of the Salish Sea and its bounty of fish and resources. Traditionally, families served as custodians of the SX̱OLE (Reef Net) and related fishing and harvesting locations. As such, the responsibility of managing fishing rights and looking after the health of the sea belonged to the W̱SÁNEĆ people. However, since the assertion of Canada’s authority over fisheries, the W̱SÁNEĆ people’s ability to continue [...]

This February 11th, 2022 marks the 170th anniversary of the signing of the Douglas Treaties. The Douglas Treaties are a complex topic that affects the lives of W̱SÁNEĆ people every day. While W̱SÁNEĆ people know what really happened, we have to consider both the written and oral versions of the Douglas Treaties. The pages of one of the Douglas treaties, this one covering lands from Esquimalt Harbour to Point Albert along Juan de Fuca Strait. The written version of the Douglas Treaties recognizes specific W̱SÁNEĆ rights, they have been used by W̱SÁNEĆ people to win many legal battles, [...]

On January 8th 1987 the Chiefs of Pauquachin, Tsartlip, Tseycum and Tsawout came together to sign the Saanich Indian Territorial Declaration. January 8th 2022 marks the 35th anniversary of this historic event. Shown above: the Saanich Indian Territorial Declaration. Click to enlarge The declaration explicitly asserts W̱SÁNEĆ people’s absolute rights and title to the W̱SÁNEĆ Territorial Homeland. Despite the attempts of the Provincial and Federal governments to impose dominion over these lands for the past 170 years, our Chiefs declared that these rights are irrevocable. The declaration also makes clear the expectations for all levels of government and establishes [...]

W̱SÁNEĆ Leadership Council and District of Saanich sign ÁTOL,NEUEL MOU News release For immediate release December 3, 2021 Saanich, BC – The W̱SÁNEĆ Leadership Council (WLC) and the District of Saanich formalized their commitment to reconciliation and are pursuing opportunities for collaboration with the signing of an ÁTOL,NEUEL (“Respecting One Another”) Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). “The District of Saanich get their name from our people, and they make decisions about our lands and water without our participation. This MOU is a first step toward changing this relationship and creating a welcoming feeling for W̱SÁNEĆ people in our homelands,” said Tsartlip [...]

The WLC is currently in discussions with Transport Canada and the Victoria Airport Authority to pursue economic opportunities for W̱SÁNEĆ people, a meaningful role for W̱SÁNEĆ decision-making, and improved care for the environment on lands currently occupied by the Victoria International Airport. The large parcel of land in the middle of the Saanich Peninsula (blue) is owned by Transport Canada and leased by the Victoria Airport Authority.  The nearly 1200 acres of land owned by Transport Canada lies directly between the W̱SÁNEĆ villages and prevents W̱SÁNEĆ people from exercising their rights and sacred responsibilities in this region. Many [...]

WLC Requests Commercial Herring Fishery Moratorium and Calls Government to Task for Failing to Uphold Douglas Treaty Rights Recently, DFO admitted that herring populations in the Salish Sea declined by 60% between 2016 and 2020. The loss of herring poses serious threats to the survival of Indigenous people and the entire marine food chain. The sharp decline in herring populations is unsurprising to the WLC. While DFO claims that recent herring population numbers are some of the highest they have been since 1951—when DFO began collecting data—oral history and the archaeological record tell a different story:  Herring populations [...]

The WLC is pleased to announce that progress has been made toward reclaiming W̱SÁNEĆ deer hunting practices throughout the W̱SÁNEĆ territory. Training and mentoring workshops with both classroom and hands-on outdoor portions started this September. Attendees are provided with the skills, certifications, and knowledge needed to hunt safely in accordance with W̱SÁNEĆ cultural practices. Traditionally, for the W̱SÁNEĆ people, deer hunting would occur during PEXSISEN (the Moon of Opening Hands from mid-March to mid-April) and SXÁNEL (the Bullhead Moon from mid-April to May). During these moons, deer and elk hunting occurs alongside other W̱SÁNEĆ harvesting activities, such as: gathering [...]