This Place Is Who We Are profiles Indigenous communities in central and northern coastal BC that are reconnecting to their lands and waters—and growing and thriving through this reconnection.

Indigenous peoples and cultures are integrally connected to the land. Well-being in every sense—physical, social, environmental, economic, spiritual and cultural—depends on that relationship, which is based on a fundamental concept: when the land is well, so are the people.

With increasing strength, Indigenous peoples in this vast region of BC—which spans the homelands of more than two dozen First Nations and one of the largest remaining coastal temperate rainforests in the world—are restoring what has been lost through environmental depredation and healing what has been devastated by colonization.

This volume is a collection of ten of these inspiring stories. X̱aayda voices explain how their Rediscovery camps are healing and empowering their youth; Dzawada̱’enuxw Hereditary Chief Maxwiyalidizi K’odi Nelson shares the story of building a healing centre and ecolodge; Wei Wai Kum Chief Christopher Roberts describes the challenges and opportunities for an urban First Nation looking to prosper while protecting the environment and ancient Ligʷiłdaxʷ history and living cultural values; and many more Indigenous leaders share their own experiences of growth, strength and reconnection.

Thoughtful and inspiring, This Place Is Who We Are illustrates what can be accomplished when conservation and stewardship are inextricably intertwined with the prosperity and well-being of communities.

Katherine Palmer Gordon is the author of five books of non-fiction, including several BC Bestsellers: The Slocan: Portrait of a Valley, The Garden That You Are, and Made to Measure: A History of Land Surveying in British Columbia, for which she was awarded the 2007 BC Haig-Brown prize. She is also an award-winning freelance journalist and lives on Gabriola Island, BC.

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Dallas Smith has roots from all four corners of the Kwak̓wala speaking peoples with his mother coming from Haxwa’mis (Wakeman Sound) and Tsakis (Fort Rupert) and his father coming from G̱wayasdums (Gilford Island) and Qalagwees (Tourner Island). He’s spent the majority of his career working to bring greater well-being and capacity to the Nations of the Great Bear Rainforest (GBR). As one of the architects of the GBR agreements and as the Founder and President of Na̲nwak̲olas Council he has built positive working relationships with all levels of government, industry, and the philanthropic community to find balance between conservation and sustainable economic development. He lives in Duncan, BC.

Dallas Smith's profile page