The Kitlope: A place that changes you
Sacred to the Haisla and known as Xesdu’wäxw (Huschduwaschdu), which means “blue, milky, glacial water”, the Kitlope is now the largest protected temperate rainforest on the planet.
Sacred to the Haisla and known as Xesdu’wäxw (Huschduwaschdu), which means “blue, milky, glacial water”, the Kitlope is now the largest protected temperate rainforest on the planet.
Like everyone else in 2020, we have had to adapt and explore our own resilience. From pausing multi-year field research programs, cancelling youth education and our usual travel throughout the coast, COVID has disrupted much. Yet we are grateful to have our health and play our part in protecting and supporting the communities, businesses, and individuals we work with…
Two generous donors have confirmed that they will step up to match half of the funds needed to get us to our final goal of $650,000. Now, the impact of every dollar you donate is doubled…
We’ve published the webinar video to our Youtube channel in case you want to watch it again or share it with a friend or network. The campaign video we played at the beginning of the webinar is also online if you want to watch it again…
Last Thursday, Raincoast hosted a sold out event in Victoria about the legacy of the Kitlope and Xenaxiala elder, Cecil Paul. Cecil was the last person born in the Kitlope and led the efforts to protect the Kitlope from extractive industries. Although Cecil could not join us, we were privileged to be joined by three…
This November we are inviting you to an evening conversation with author Briony Penn, Raincoast’s Brian Falconer, and photographer Alex Harris, hosted by CBC’s Bob McDonald. They’ll share stories about one of North America’s most important Indigenous leaders, Wa’xaid, Cecil Paul and the watershed he helped protect. Find this event on Facebook. November 21st, UVic…
We now have just two weeks to raise the remaining $15,000 of the $100,000 deposit we need to secure the purchase agreement for our 5th hunting tenure. This includes the commercial hunting rights in an area of over 5000 sq. km that encompasses the entire Kitlope…
Cecil Paul has told the story of that long journey in—what his granny called—the magic canoe. “Build a canoe and it will be supernatural and no matter how many people will come aboard to help you paddle to save your place of birth, it will never be full.” Raincoast is one of the many organizations who stepped into the magic canoe to support and learn from the traditional knowledge systems of the Xenaksiala…
Just days before being asked to go on a last-minute week-long trip to the Kitlope I had been glued to the pages of Cecil Paul and Briony Penn’s new book, Stories From the Magic Canoe. I was invited to visit as a guest aboard Maple Leaf, to capture visuals, to help with fundraising and awareness…
While Kitlope is protected from logging, and the current ban protects grizzly bears from hunting, there remains unfinished business in the Kitlope. Until now, commercial guides have been bringing trophy hunters into this place…