Héen S’aatí -River Caretakers

Southeast Alaska Indigenous Transboundary Commission

Héen S’aatí -River Caretakers

Indigenous cultural land stewardship connecting people and place preserving intact watersheds

Juneau, AK, USA

United States

Nonprofit

Gaining equal rights at Indigenous People of Canada for the Tribes in Alaska that share the great transboundary watersheds and wildlife corridors that feed our communities and the last intact temperate rainforest in North American in order to steward these rivers as entire biological entities. Currently these watersheds are split by a colonial border and are subject to massive mining development on the Canadian side. The southeast Alaska Tribes have the right to consultation and consent on these rivers but is currently being denied that status by Canada.

Leverage our rights under R v Desautel (CAC-2021) as Participating Indigenous Nations with protections under s. 35(1) of the Canadian Constitution Act. Success will give each tribe the right to negotiate what consent looks like to them. The diverse and varied decision-making multiplied over dozens of watersheds on hundreds of actions across many years will allow the natural emergence of correct solutions specific to each river and time. This is the traditional form of land stewardship practiced here since time immemorial. A system that worked and built resiliency into a complex system still evident today.

Our Indigenous communities are isolated. Over 80% of all caloric intake is derived directly from the land and water. 30,000 Tlingit, Haida and Tsimshian citizens will regain thier voice.