A refuge for wild salmon, wildlife and people in the heart of the upper Skeena.
An ancient place for the future
Wilp Gwininitxw laxyip encompasses a large, intact and undisturbed landscape in the heart of British Columbia’s second-largest wild salmon watershed. In 2022, Wilp Gwininitxw protected their traditional territory under Gitxsan law and are working with Canada and B.C. to affirm this land-use vision.
Glacial waters. Wild salmon. Resilience in a climate change era.
The Gwininitxw Protected Area safeguards the ecosystems Skeena River wild salmon need to thrive and adapt to changing conditions.
Thousands of years of Indigenous stewardship.
Wilp Gwininitxw has stewarded their laxyip and its resources for millennia. The health and spirit of the ecosystem today is a testament to the Wilp’s respect for the land.
Simogyet Gwininitxw
Yvonne Lattie, Hereditary Chief Gwininitxw, has dedicated her life to the protection of lands and waters across northern British Columbia. For over three decades, she has provided a clear and consistent voice for the responsible assertion of Indigenous rights, title, and sovereignty.
“Through the eyes of my grandmother I have looked into the past. Through the eyes of my grandchildren I look into the future.”
— Gwininitxw (Yvonne Lattie)
Wilp
A Wilp is a house group, the fundamental unit of Gitxsan legal, social, economic, sustenance and governance systems.
Simogyet
A Simogyet (sim-oy-get) is a Gitxsan Hereditary Chief, responsible for the health of future generations of their Wilp.
Ayook
Gitxsan Ayook is the body of traditional Gitxsan laws that govern relations between people and with the land.
Gwalx Yee’insxw
The most overarching, sacred ayook, based on the inherent responsibility to pass on to future generations what was passed to us, ensuring cultural integrity, health and wellness for all living things.
Gwininitxw
Gwininitxw (gwin-nin-it) is one of the Gitxsan Wilps. The name Gwininitxw is currently held by Yvonne Lattie.
Laxyip
Laxyip is the territory. Gwininitxw is responsible for the stewardship and land use decisions on our spatially explicit Laxyip.