Yaq̓it ʔa·knuqⱡi’it First Nation helps heal the land
”We hold a covenant with the Creator to be the caretakers and stewards of Yaq̓it ʔa·knuqⱡi’it lands,” says Nasuʔkin (Chief) Heidi Gravelle of Yaq̓it ʔa·knuqⱡi’it First Nation. “With that we have an obligation to restore, protect and be the voices of our lands.”
Restoring, protecting and speaking up for the land is at the heart of a five-year project being implemented by the First Nation, focused on the northern portion of Shottanana Lake. Located on its reserve in the southern East Kootenay, the aim is to restore a healthy, functional wetland that supports native wildlife and increases open water habitat for species like ungulates and the at-risk western painted turtle. The project is supported through the Trust’s Ecosystem Enhancement Program, which aims to have a measurable impact in supporting and strengthening ecosystem health in the Basin in a variety of ecosystems, including wetlands, fish habitat, forests and grasslands.
“Our lands provide us with an ecosystem where our waters, plants and animals work together to provide us with the sustenance to maintain our ways of life since time immemorial,” says Nasuʔkin Gravelle.
This northern portion of the lake is fed by groundwater, so a main objective has been to restore this connection so that surface water can return to this area of the landscape. To this end, excavators and bulldozers have deepened the basin and loosened compacted soils. Also, features that appeal to western painted turtles have been added, such as floating or partially submerged logs that provide places for them to bask.
In addition, the project team has worked on managing invasive plants, including Canada thistle, bull thistle, hound’s tongue and downy brome. The next step is to continue invasive plant management efforts, as well as revegetate with annual rye as a cover crop, followed by seeding and planting native vegetation. Finally, the area will be fenced to protect the newly seeded and planted vegetation from the large number of elk that can roam the reserve; this will be removed once the plants are established so that animals can fully enjoy the lake.
As of spring 2024, the project had restored 1.1 hectares of open water, 4.9 hectares of upland planting areas and 0.3 hectares of turtle-nesting habitat. Once completed, the lake will provide a water source for animals like elk and deer, habitat for western painted turtle, nesting habitat for waterfowl, and breeding habitat for things like frogs, toads and salamanders. It will also increase opportunities for hunting and observing wildlife.
Nasuʔkin Gravelle states that, for the ʔakanuxunik̓ people, this project accomplishes a lot. “Our culture is interwoven with our land and water. They thrive together, or die together,” she says. “The transformative action of reconciling our land is a pathway to healing, while honouring our culture, our creator and our ancestors. We believe this is a model for future land-reconciliation projects: ʔakanuxunik̓ land stewardship directed by ʔakanuxunik̓ people.”
Since 2017, the Trust has supported 31 ecosystem enhancement projects with $16.6 million. The Shottanana Lake wetland project is an example of a major on-the-ground environmental enhancement initiative that is maintaining and improving ecological health and native biodiversity in the East Kootenay.
