Other Fire Stewardship Projects
Potato Mountain + Food Security
Gathering Voices Society provided support for Xeni Gwet’in to protect the wild potato, through fencing and cultural burning.
Potato Mountain sits above the shores of Tŝilhqox Biny (Chilko Lake). The name comes from the wild potatoes that grow on its slopes. Wild potatoes are an important and beloved food for Xeni Gwet’in. As part of our Fire Stewardship program, four enclosed plots were built, two of which were burned, and two others left as controls, to evaluate how fire affects the growth of the wild potato, without the impact of grazing by wild game, horses and cattle.
Video: Cultural burning and Protecting the Wild Potato
White Bark Pine Conservation
Gathering Voices Society is exploring long term stewardship solutions to health threats facing the endangered the Whitebark Pine with the Xeni Gwet’in Nation
The Whitebark pine, or ʔes’igwel in Tŝilhqot’in, (Pinus albicaulis), is an important food species for people and Grizzly bear in high elevation forests across western North America (from California to BC). Whitebark pine is now classified as Endangered in Canada, due to climate change and blister rust. There are important stands of Whitebark pine in Xeni Gwet'in territory.
Gathering Voices Society is working with elders and knowledge keepers from Xeni Gwet'in to assess the threats to Whitebark pine and possible strategies to protect and maintain the species. In April 2022, Gathering Voices Society ED, William Nikolakis worked with Norman William and Rocky Quilt to discuss management options, such as cultural burning, to support Whitebark pine in Xeni Gwet'in territory. This work will provide the foundation for a Whitebark pine stewardship strategy in the area.
Protecting Whitebark Pine: The Potential for Cultural Burning
Video Work
Gathering Voices Society works with community to document these projects through video, to share knowledge and build understanding. Both short and long videos have been produced to highlight different aspects of the projects. These can be accessed on our Vimeo page and also viewed on our instagram.
