Historic wildfire reforestation project takes root on Tłı̨chǫ lands

The Tłı̨chǫ Government hosted a ceremony on Saturday at the Behchokǫ̀ Culture Centre, to celebrate the launch of most ambitious reforestation project ever undertaken in the Northwest Territories, to replace trees lost in the devastating wildfires of 2023.

This summer, 1.4 million trees will be planted around Behchokǫ̀, Russell Lake, and James Lake. These trees — grown from local seeds harvested and grown into seedlings — are the first step in a six-year plan to plant 13 million trees across Tłı̨chǫ lands.

This historic project is an effort to push back against the effects of climate change, say officials, and is focused to supporting regeneration of the land and restoration of habitat for caribou and all people and animals that use the land.

“These trees will protect our communities through fire-smart planting, and help restore the forest that sustain various wildlife, including the caribou and all who rely on this land,” said Tammy Steinwand-Deschambeault, Tłı̨chǫ Government’s director of Department of Culture & Lands Protection, speaking for Grand Chief Jackson Lafferty who couldn’t attend.

“I especially want to acknowledge and warmly welcome the tree planters who have traveled from across Canada to join us in this important work. We are deeply grateful for your efforts and for your willingness to share your knowledge and skills with us, there is much work ahead to heal and restore our land.”

The Tłı̨chǫ Government is working with experienced forest industry partners this year, to gain experience and building local knowledge and capacity.

The project is funded in partnership with the Tłı̨chǫ Government, the Government of Canada’s Two Billion Trees program and Tree Canada.

Newly elected Behchokǫ̀ Chief Bertha Rabesca Zoe said in the summer of 2023, she had to manage the evacuation of residents.

“We weren’t sure we had homes to come to,” she told the audience in the community’s Cultural Centre. “Four families lost everything, and all of us watched as the land and forest we love were consumed by fire.

“We know fire is part of the natural cycle, but with the climate change, fires are burning hotter and more often than ever before. It’s been two years now, and we’ve lived surrounded by charred forests, a painful reminder of that unforgiving summer.

Advertisement

“Today we look forward. Today we take action. By planting over a million trees around our community, we are taking steps to help heal the land and better protect the chicken from future fires.”

The project is designed to accelerate natural regeneration, protect wildlife, and strengthen Tłı̨chǫ ties to the land.

Elder and former Tłı̨chǫ Grand Chief Joe Rabesca explained how important trees are to Indigenous people.

“I’ll just give you a few examples of the importance of the trees,” he said, holding a few of the seedlings.

“It’s our shelter — we can make house out of it. We can make boats of it. We can make snowshoes out of it. We can do anything with wood and the plants out there. I can tell you, every tree that you see has medicine power.

“That’s why some of our leaders were saying, ‘look, all of our country has been burned … look up all the medicine that we used to get that’s all burned.’”

In 2023, Grand Chief Lafferty signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Tree Canada and Let’s Plant Trees Ltd., to launch a three-year agreement to plant one million trees on Tłı̨chǫ land.

Working with Tree Canada, and Let’s Plant Trees Ltd., the Tłı̨chǫ Government began work in the fall of 2023 to harvest cones from local trees.

The cones were processed to extract their seeds, and the seeds were grown into saplings over 18 months before being planted this summer and next.

The project incorporates the Tłı̨chǫ philosophy of Strong Like Two People, as it is guided to a large extent by Tłı̨chǫ Traditional Knowledge and is supported by Western Science, stated project materials.

Advertisement

Community Elders, environmental monitors, and forestry and silviculture experts are working to identify priority planting areas and tree species best suited for Caribou Habitat reforestation.

FireSmart planting is a significant component of the project and help protect communities well into the future.