Forestry Value Chains Told Through the Story of Salmon Community, and Survival
For First Nations, salmon are more than food. They are survival, knowledge, economy, and responsibility. The way salmon is harvested, used, shared, and protected offers a powerful lesson for how forests and forest products should be managed today.
Salmon hold deep meaning for many Nations across BC. They are central to the health of the land and waters, which is why they are so highly respected. Salmon often represent renewal, abundance, and the cycle of life, and are closely connected to our ancestors and the Creator.
The cedar in this design connects the story back to the land. Salmon help sustain cedar forests, and cedar itself has always been sacred to coastal Indigenous peoples. It has long been used for clothing, medicine, longhouses, carvings, totem poles, and regalia, making it one of the most important gifts of the land.
About the Artist: Bayja Morgan-Banke
Bayja Morgan-Banke, an artist Toquaht, Nuu-chah-nulth Nation, and Bonaperte Nations, grew up in Tofino in a family where creativity was a way of life. Her grandmother painted and sang, while her father and grandfather were skilled carvers.
With an educational background in film and animation, Bayja now works as an illustrator at Indigenous Marketing Solutions. She’s passionate about preserving Indigenous languages and tells stories through her art, blending traditional techniques with animated styles. Each piece she creates honours her cultural heritage and connects the past with the present.
Bayja’s art is both heartfelt and hopeful, celebrating Indigenous traditions while imagining a future where these stories continue to thrive.
Strong partnerships begin with relationships. This module brings together tools and spaces that support connection between First Nations, First Nation owned businesses, and potential partners in value added manufacturing. It includes networking events, conferences, forums, and mapping tools that help identify who is active in the sector, where opportunities exist, and how Nations prefer to be engaged. This module is most useful for Nations in the early stages of exploring value added opportunities or seeking to build new relationships.
Module 1A: Networking Events and Conferences
Support: The BC First Nations Forestry Council supports and provides services to First Nations to increase participation and leadership in the forest sector.
Resources include:
Annual conference
Monthly newsletter
Events calendar
BusinessConnect tool for business opportunities, partners, and funding
Funding and Capacity
General Resource
Events and Networking
Case Study or Learning Resource
Support: BC Wood is a not for profit trade association that supports BC businesses that manufacture wood products and represents the value-added wood manufacturing sector.
Resources include:
Lunch and learn seminars
Newsletters
Member access to an extensive resource library
Case Study or Learning Resource
General Resource
Events and Networking
Purpose: Forums hosted by the Province in partnership with the BC First Nations Forestry Council, the BC Value-Added Wood Coalition, and the Council of Forest Industries to bring together First Nations, manufacturers, and forest licensees.
Purpose: Governance information and a searchable map of First Nations in BC.
Resources include:
Interactive map
Economic Development Centre of Excellence newsletter
Regional economic development forums
General Resource
Events and Networking
Module 1B: Tools to Identify Who, Where, and How
Purpose: Federal government profiles providing general contact information, governance details, reserve information, funding, geography, and population data.
Module 2 . Building Relationships and Partnerships
The Journey
Movement requires trust, timing and shared direction
Partnerships work best when expectations are clear and grounded in shared understanding. This module provides practical tools that support First Nations led partnership development. It includes examples and templates for relationship agreements, confidentiality agreements, impact benefit and benefit sharing agreements, and joint ventures. The resources in this module are intended to help Nations prepare for discussions, ask informed questions, and shape agreements that align with community priorities, rights, and long term goals.
Example: Nicola Watershed Pilot Memorandum of Understanding
Learning from the experiences of other First Nations can support stronger decision making. This module highlights examples of First Nations led and First Nations partnered initiatives in forestry, manufacturing, and related sectors. These case studies demonstrate different approaches to ownership, collaboration, innovation, and community benefit. The examples are shared for learning purposes and can support discussion within communities.
Purpose: Supports investment and trade opportunities, including Indigenous economic development and the mass timber sector.
Building capacity is an ongoing process. This module brings together additional toolkits, guides, and organizations that support First Nations economic development, governance, workforce development, and technical knowledge. Resources from forestry and other sectors are included where they are relevant to value added manufacturing. This module is intended to support continued learning over time and can be revisited as Nations’ priorities and opportunities evolve.
Purpose: Supports Indigenous business through tools, training, awards, and national events
Case Study or Learning Resource
General Resource
Funding and Capacity
Events and Networking
Purpose: National association supporting First Nation Economic Development Officers. Includes: Community Economic Development Toolkit.
