FIRST NATIONS RESOURCES
This page brings together information, shared learning, and resources relevant to First Nations engaged in flood resilience, watershed planning, and collaborative work in the Lower Fraser. It includes themes emerging through dialogue, reference materials, forum reports, and links to information that may support community-led priorities and shared learning.
Message from Tyrone McNeil
"When we walk into a room, we are bringing our title with us, our rights with us, our thousands and thousands of years of history with us, our culture, our tradition, our spirituality. We bring everything with us all the time, because we can’t let it go, it’s too important, we have too many obligations to our future generations, to put it down at any time.
…I know that a lot of you are like us, where this is so much more than human interests. We are really interested in that broad ecological footprint, the broad natural landscape. Not only was it a lack of recognition of our rights, it was a lack of recognition of the need to do things as resilience as possible, as nature-based as possible"
Tyrone McNeil, Stó:lō Tribal Chief & Chair of the Emergency Planning Secretariat
Community-led priorities need sustained support
Discussions have pointed to the importance of long-term investment, capacity support, and implementation pathways that enable community-led resilience priorities to move forward.
This includes interest in support for planning, infrastructure, disaster preparedness, and practical projects on the ground.
What this tells us
First Nations are not calling for one single solution.
Priorities raised through dialogue point to the importance of Indigenous-led planning, stronger coordination, sustained investment, and approaches to flood resilience that support communities, ecosystems, and future generations.
This resource page is intended to bring together information relevant to those priorities.
*More Resources coming soon - please check back.
Through regional forums, dialogue processes, and shared work across the floodplain, several common priorities have emerged.
Flood resilience and reconciliation are connected
Dialogue has consistently emphasized that flood management cannot be separated from Indigenous rights, governance, and long-term relationships with land and water.
Discussions have highlighted the importance of approaches that advance flood resilience while also supporting reconciliation and respect for Indigenous laws, knowledge systems, and decision-making.
Protecting lands, waters, and salmon remains a core priority
Regional discussions have emphasized that healthy watersheds, functioning floodplains, and thriving salmon ecosystems are foundational to long-term resilience.
Many conversations have highlighted interest in approaches that reduce flood risk while also supporting ecosystem health and the productive capacity of lands and waters.
Meaningful collaboration requires early and ongoing involvement
Dialogue has consistently raised the importance of collaboration that begins early, builds relationships over time, and supports shared problem-solving around flood risk and watershed challenges.
There has been strong interest in approaches that move beyond reactive consultation toward stronger coordination across governments and communities.
What We’ve Heard from First Nations
