A letter campaign to demand the rescission of mineral exploration permits in the ḥaaḥuułi of the ƛaʔuukʷiʔatḥ ḥaw̓iiḥ

The Tla-o-qui-aht People have governed these lands and waters according to Indigenous law for thousands of years. The old growth that still stands on Meares Island, the salmon that still run through Clayoquot Sound, the herring, the orcas, the ancient forests — these are not accidents of geography. They are the result of active stewardship by a People who have never stopped caring for their ḥaaḥuułi.

In 2024, the Tla-o-qui-aht People declared the entire ḥaaḥuułi a Tribal Park. Not a designation — a declaration. A restatement, in plain terms, of what has always been true: this territory is governed. It has laws. And those laws have not changed.

What has happened

The BC provincial government has recently granted over 30 mineral exploration permits to Imperial Metals within the Tranquil Creek watershed — in the heart of Tla-o-qui-aht territory.

This decision came after two years of formal consultation with Tla-o-qui-aht First Nation, during which the Nation stated clearly and repeatedly that mining is not a permissible activity within their territory. The permits were issued anyway.

The proposed exploration includes 22 drill sites, three helipads, and six trenches on land that the Tla-o-qui-aht People have designated as a Tribal Park — an Indigenous Protected and Conserved Area — to ensure its long-term protection.

The corporation holding these permits is Imperial Metals — the company responsible for the 2014 Mount Polley mine disaster, in which a tailings pond breach released 25 million cubic metres of mining waste into the waterways of BC. It remains the largest mining disaster in the province's history.

Why this matters beyond the watershed

Free, prior, and informed consent is not a courtesy. It is law — enshrined in the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, which BC has adopted into provincial legislation.

The Tla-o-qui-aht People gave two years of clear, documented engagement. Their answer was no. Issuing these permits regardless is not a grey area. It is a direct violation of the rights of the Nation as rightful titleholders of this unceded territory.

tiičmis — the Tla-o-qui-aht word sometimes translated as biodiversity, but more accurately understood as the living forces that keep us all alive — is not a resource to be assessed and extracted. The Tranquil Creek watershed, like the whole of this ḥaaḥuułi, is part of a web of life that cannot be undone once it is broken.

What happens in Clayoquot Sound does not stay in Clayoquot Sound. hišukʔiš cawak — everything is one, interconnected.

What we're asking

The ƛaʔuukʷiʔatḥ Tribal Parks Allies program and the broader network of people who love and are changed by this place have a role here. Not as advocates speaking for the Tla-o-qui-aht People — but as people who understand what this territory is, what has been spent to protect it, and what is at stake.

We are asking you to write to your MLA, the Minister of Energy and Climate Solutions, and the Minister of Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation to demand the immediate rescission of these permits.

It takes five minutes. It matters.

How to write your letter

Step 1: Find your local MLA at BC MLA Finder

Step 2: Copy the template below into a new email or document

Step 3: Fill in your name, your MLA's name, and their contact information

Step 4: Send via email — and cc both ministers:

• ECS.Minister@gov.bc.ca (Minister of Energy and Climate Solutions)

• IRR.Minister@gov.bc.ca (Minister of Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation)

Letter Template

Copy and personalize the letter below. Adding your own words, even briefly, strengthens its impact.

[Date]

To: [Name of MLA], MLA for [Constituency Name]
[MLA email or office address]

Subject: Immediate Rescission of Mineral Exploration Permits in the ḥaaḥuułi of the ƛaʔuukʷiʔatḥ ḥaw̓iiḥ

Dear [Name of MLA],

I am writing to express my deep concern regarding the BC government's recent decision to grant over 30 mineral exploration permits to Imperial Metals within the Tranquil Creek watershed — in the territory of the Tla-o-qui-aht hereditary chiefs.

This decision was made despite two years of formal engagement with Tla-o-qui-aht First Nation, during which the Nation explicitly and repeatedly stated that mining is not a permissible activity within their territory. By issuing these permits, the provincial government has overridden the clearly expressed lack of consent from the rightful titleholders of these unceded lands.

The proposed exploration — including 22 drill sites, three helipads, and six trenches — represents a significant encroachment on a landscape the Tla-o-qui-aht People have designated as a Tribal Park and successfully stewarded for generations. Granting these rights to the corporation responsible for the 2014 Mount Polley disaster, one of the worst mining catastrophes in BC history, is an unacceptable risk to the ecological integrity of Clayoquot Sound.

True reconciliation requires that Indigenous rights and title be honoured in practice. This decision contradicts BC's commitment to the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), and it signals a serious disregard for Tla-o-qui-aht sovereignty.

I strongly urge you to advocate for the immediate rescission of these permits, and to insist that the province engage in a process that genuinely respects the authority and vision of Tla-o-qui-aht First Nation.

Sincerely,
[Your Name]
[Your Address]

ƛ̓eekoo ƛ̓eekoo to everyone who takes the time to write. Your voice is part of the web of life here too.