Forestry

Overview

Cody van Buskirk of Brunswick House First Nation's Lands and Resources department on how forestry changes the land people depend on, and what responsible planning looks like.

About this video

Forestry doesn't only happen "out there": it changes habitat, water, wetlands and access to the places families hunt, trap and gather. Cody explains the values Brunswick House First Nation asks forestry to protect, and why community knowledge matters.

Consultation, he says, is a responsibility rather than a box to check: protections belong in the plan from the start, and have to be monitored in practice.

Transcript

Hi everyone, my name is Cody van Buskirk. I work with Brenzico First Nation in the Lands and Resources department. I want to tell you a story about forestry because forestry isn't only something that happens out there. It becomes a part of the way the land behaves. And when the land changes, people feel it. Especially when they rely on it for food, for travel, and for staying connected to tradition.

For Brenzico First Nation, the forest is not just a resource, it's a living home. It's connected to the animals, the people that harvest it, the plants and the people that gather them. And the places families return to year after year. When forestry happens in a way that doesn't consider these connections, the effects can last a long time.

It can change habitat, it can change the water, and it can change the wetlands. It can affect access to how easy it is to reach places for hunting, trapping, and gathering. And it can affect the timing and availability of things our community depends on. So when we talk about forestry, we ask a clear question.

How do we protect the values that matter to Brenzico First Nation? Those values include protecting habitat for wildlife, protecting water in sensitive areas, and protecting traditional land uses, as well as harvesting areas. And respecting community knowledge, because local experience matters.

People know where things are found, and they know what patterns keep the land healthy. This is also where relationships are important. Consultations shouldn't be treated like a box to check. It's responsibility.

We need partners to listen, understand our priorities, and follow through with protections that are built into planning, not just promised. When values are protected early, and when protections are monitored in practice, forestry can happen with less harm.

But when values are ignored or treated like an afterthought, the impacts can ripple through many seasons. We want forestry that supports the land, and supports the people who depend on it. We want decisions today that don't cut off choices tomorrow. Miigwech.