Network believes future lies in increased Indigenous-led forestry management
The Indigenous Resource Network (IRN) is pleased the Ḵwiḵwa̱sut’inux̱w Ha̱xwa'mis First Nation – along with its economic development company T'Se'kame' Forestry Limited Partnership – has successfully acquired a forest licence from Interfor.
The forest licence grants T'Se'kame' a volume-based licence for 50,000 cubic metres of timber per year. Since 2019, Ḵwiḵwa̱sut’inux̱w Ha̱xwa'mis and T’se’kame’ have worked to leverage their replaceable forest licence volume by partnering with BC Timber Sales and Interfor. This community has found forest management has significantly contributed to self-determination and rebuilding their communities.
This is not the first time a B.C. First Nation acquired a forest licence from a private company. In September 2024, Canfor completed the subdivision and sale of its forest license in the Mackenzie Timber Supply Area to the McLeod Lake Indian Band and the Tsay Keh Dene Nation.
Indigenous groups and communities across Canada are expressing an interest in fair access to forestry tenure so they can create sustainable Indigenous-led Forest ventures. Indigenous communities have come a long way in this regard. Indigenous management of forest resources has increased by 135% since 2003, now encompassing more than seventeen million hectares, or about 7.5% of Canada’s total managed forest area. There are many examples across Canada of Indigenous communities who have received tenure and timber and created successful ventures. Businesses and governments no longer see Indigenous ventures as “risky” in this area.
Indigenous peoples are already big players in the forestry sector, with the sector supporting jobs in over four hundred Indigenous communities, with about 1,400 Indigenous-owned businesses represented and employing 11,600 Indigenous Canadians. Forestry jobs offer stable and good paying jobs for Indigenous workers and their families.
To aid this transformation, governments across the country are recognizing the value of giving Indigenous groups and communities a fair shot at tenure and timber allocations. After all, the spirit of Indigenous economic reconciliation embraces economically empowering Indigenous peoples to control their own resources and economies.
The adoption of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples has also inspired governments to open forest tenure and timber rights to Indigenous people. For instance, in 2021 the B.C. government established a legislative framework to include Indigenous and small operators in new forest tenure. Many recognized this move was good economically for the forestry sector as it promoted more competition from smaller players. Commercial forestry in B.C. had become dominated by five large companies.
Thus, the government calls upon all provincial and territorial governments in Canada to establish frameworks for the speedy and fair inclusion of Indigenous communities in forestry tenure and timber allocations. Governments should set generous but realistic targets for distributing forest tenure to Indigenous parties. Governments should also follow B.C.’s lead in making it easier for private companies to sell and/or lease tenure and timber rights to Indigenous communities and operators. Finally, governments can help Indigenous communities and ventures build capacity in the forestry sector and expand training opportunities for Indigenous forestry workers.
In the end, Indigenous communities with expanded access to forest management opportunities are simply seeking the tools to advance their own communities and achieve self-sufficiency.
