Learn more about the Kitasoo Xai’xais Nation and their leadership in conserving lands and waters in the Great Bear Rainforest. Go to https://www.keepersofthelandfilm.com to read about the new Marine Protected Area recently declared by the Nation; the Guardian Watchmen who monitor environmental, cultural and ecological values in their territory; how the Nation is revitalizing their languages; and so much more. Subscribe to their newsletter for regular updates.

To learn more about salmon, spirit bears and the collaborative research being conducted by the Kitasoo/Xai’Xais Nation and conservation scientists, visit the Spirit Bear Research Foundation (https://spiritbearfoundation.com/).

The other half of this functioning coastal rainforest is the Great Bear Sea, a globally rare and productive ecosystem that provides habitat for pods of orcas, breaching humpbacks, and a kaleidoscope of sea stars, corals, urchins and other marine life. For millennia, Indigenous peoples have used their knowledge of ecosystems and seasons to sustain the abundance of foods such as salmon and eulachon, to support transportation and trade, and to build strong communities and cultures. Today — to address challenges such as overfishing, increased shipping traffic, and climate change — First Nations have developed an action plan to create a network of marine protected areas and develop a project finance for permanence (PFP) initiative to help fund stewardship and sustainable economic development in coastal communities. Learn more: https://coastfunds.ca/great-bear-sea/

To learn more about the Kitasoo Xai’xais nation and their land stewardship go to their website: https://klemtu.com/stewardship/.

Learn about the tribes and Indigenous People in your area: https://www.whose.land/en/ and https://native-land.ca/ are two resources to see whose land you’re on. Colorado is the traditional homeland of 48 different tribes. Prominent groups include the Ute, Cheyenne, and Arapaho Nations. Due to colonization and forced removal, there are only two federally recognized tribes in Colorado, the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe, and the Southern Ute Indian Tribe. The Ute Indian Tribe was forcibly moved to Utah.

Visit the History Colorado Museum to learn more about the Ute, Cheyenne and Arapaho people, along with the Sand Creek Massacre to gain a deeper understanding of one of Colorado’s most tragic events, the mistreatment and dispossession of the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes and the resounding impacts still felt today (Native American History & Heritage | History Colorado).

Tribal Websites to Visit: Catch a glimpse into the resiliency and strength of these Tribes (list does not include all the tribes with historic ties to Colorado)
– Southern Ute Indian Tribe – Southern Ute Reservation, Colorado (https://southernute-nsn.gov)
– index (https://utemountainutetribe.com)
– Home (https://utetribe.com)
– The Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes | Homepage (https://cheyenneandarapaho-nsn.gov)
– Northern Cheyenne Tribe Homepage (https://cheyennenation.com)
– Northern Arapahoe Tribe, WY | Official Website

The Nature Conservancy (TNC) is a global environmental nonprofit working to create a world where people and nature can thrive. Founded in the US through grassroots action in 1951, TNC has grown to become one of the most effective and wide-reaching environmental organizations in the world. Thanks to more than a million members and the dedicated efforts of its diverse staff and over 400 scientists, TNC impacts conservation in 79 countries and territories:37 by direct conservation impact and 42 through partners. TNC’s mission is to conserve lands and waters on which all life depends. To learn more about what TNC does and their approach to supporting Indigenous and local community authority and capacity in natural resource management and decision making, please visit the websites: https://www.nature.org/en-us/ & Homepage – VCA Framework 2.0 (https://tncvoicechoiceaction.org). For information on what TNC is doing in Canada with the Indigenous People, please visit the following part of the TNC website: https://www.nature.org/en-us/about-us/where-we-work/canada/. The Nature Conservancy has a project working in the Great Bear Rainforest in Canada. For more information on that project visit: https://www.nature.org/en-us/get-involved/how-to-help/places-we-protect/great-bear-rainforest/?tab_q=tab_container-tab_element

For twenty-five years, Trees, Water & People (TWP) has been a leader in the design and implementation of programs that produce tangible benefits for people and the planet. TWP work is guided by two core beliefs: that natural resources are best protected when local people play an active role in their care and management and that preserving local ecosystems is essential for the ongoing social, economic, and environmental health of communities everywhere. Trees, Water & People’s mission is to improve people’s lives by helping communities protect, conserve and manage the natural resources upon which their long-term well-being depends. TWP works in Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, El Salvador and on tribal lands in the United States. Please visit the TWP website for more information on TWP programs: https://treeswaterpeople.org. And to stay up to date with all their events, sign up for the TWP Newsletter.

The Spirit Bear Foundation: You can donate or even sponsor a bear cam and receive exclusive footage of wildlife in this globally significant coastal temperate rainforest (https://spiritbearfoundation.com/).

The Nature Conservancy is a non-profit. To donate visit the TNC webpage and there is a donate key in the upper right hand corner: https://www.nature.org/en-us/.

Trees, Water People is a non-profit that depends on donations. To support the programs of TWP visit: https://treeswaterpeople.org/give-a-gift

To find events to attend that are put on by The Nature Conservancy, go to the TNC website on events: https://www.nature.org/en-us/get-involved/how-to-help/events/. Learn more about TNC’s work in Colorado and local events at https://nature.org/Colorado. For The Nature Conservancy, there are many ways that you can help. Visit the TNC website: https://www.nature.org/en-us/get-involved/how-to-help/ for suggestions to: volunteer, attend events, take action, calculate your carbon footprint, explore the places TNC protects.

To get involved with the work of Trees, Water & People, the website lists out ways to get involved: Ways to Give, Give a Gift, Carbon Offset, Volunteer and Internships and Corporate Partners: https://treeswaterpeople.org/ways-to-give.