Land, Water, Air

Healing and Connection

Members want to reconnect with the land and with each other. They specifically want to build the youth’s connection to the land and engage in land-based spiritual healing practices.

• More time with the lands and waters in Squamish Valley

• Healing our traumas with time on the land

• More connection to each other through connection to the land

• Have spiritual and ceremonial programs for (re)connecting and honouring the land

• Go fishing with our youth

• More opportunities to be on the water and experience land-based learning

• Learn about our land’s history, traditional placenames, animal and plant names, and legends

 

Care for our Lands and Waters

Members are concerned about stewardship over their lands and waters. They want to ensure that lands, waters, and air is protected for future generations. They care about addressing environmental degradation and the impacts of climate change.

• Clean the rivers and drinking water supply, especially at Brackendale and in the Squamish Valley

• Train our community members to be Guardians, peacekeepers, and caretakers

• Clean up garbage from our lands and waters

• Create protected areas to preserve our remaining natural habitat

• Have more planning for the effects of climate change

• Teach our people to live sustainably

 

Access, Sovereignty and Protection

Members feel it is important to assert Squamish rights and control over lands and waters. They also feel it is important to build relationships and communicate with outside agencies and members about proper land access and protection.

• Create guides for proper access to lands for members living off-reserve

• Create more environmental bylaws to protect our lands

• Protect wild places

• Prevent non-Squamish people from accessing sacred spaces and our lands

• Build relationships with industry and municipalities to monitor access to lands 

• Prioritize the health of lands through preventing access and use

• Prevent the spread of invasive plant species

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Food Security

Members want to be self-sufficient with food, and have access to harvesting, fishing, and traditional foods. They feel it is important to support members through food production.

• Build a community food pantry and garden in the Squamish Valley

• Build food security through harvesting and preserving our own foods

• Have a wild food pantry and more community gardens

• Have a fish-cleaning station at Capilano River

• Plant more fruit trees and food forests

• Build farming and food production on reserve

• Build a sustainable Nation-managed fishery