The mountains, forests, fjords and waterways of central and north coastal British Columbia make up some of the world’s most spectacular landscapes. But while these lands are wild, they are not an unpeopled wilderness. The Great Bear Rainforest and the archipelago of HaidaGwaii echo with the history and presence of coastal First Nations.

First Nations’ history in this region extends beyond human memory. Archaeological evidence dates settlements ; from the end of the most recent Ice Age, more than 10,000 years ago. First Nations’ oral traditions connect modern communities with the mythic time when the Ancestors donned the personae of plants, animals, humans and both natural and supernatural forces to participate in the creation of the world.

Today the region remains home to First Nations peoples whose histories, identities and spirituality are inextricably linked to the lands and waters of the rainforest.

The coastal First Nations are not a single people. Each First Nation has distict traditions as well as unique circumstances and aspirations. At the same time, their languages, oral histories, and ecological knowledge reflect the shared philosophies that underlie a deeply-rooted ethic of conservation and a millennia-old commitment to the sound stewardship of coastal ecosystems.