The Gwininitxw Protected Area was established under Gitxsan Law on August 7, 2022 through a traditional Gwalx Yee’insxw feast in the Gitanmaax Feast hall on Gitxsan territory.

The formal declaration of the Gwininitxw Protected Area was publicly witnessed, affirmed through Gitxsan Law and traditional governance, and recognized under Gwininitxw's Section 35 Aboriginal Rights and Title.

The Gwininitxw Protected Area secures permanent protection for an ancient place-based cultural legacy and one of the largest unfragmented wild salmon ecosystems remaining in BC.

For thousands of years, Gwininitxw territory has supported a traditional economy that was based on highly valued travel corridors, village sites, fur trade and an abundance of year-round fish and wildlife habitats.  The Protected Area secures a sustainable economic future which will continue to deliver climate-adaptive ecosystem services to Skeena wild salmon, guide outfitting & world-class recreational tourism, retreats for mental health, wellness & cultural activities and ongoing collaborative research programs.

The Protected Area encompasses 170,000 ha (420,000 acres) of globally significant biodiversity, non-renewable and undisturbed place/story based cultural heritage resources, critical wild salmon ecosystems and resilient climate refuges in the upper Skeena River watershed, for the benefit of all future generations.