Okanagan Nation cheers return of U.S. proposal to reintroduce grizzly bears to North Cascades

Photo: pixabay

The Okanagan Nation Alliance is applauding the restart of talks in the U.S. to reintroduce grizzly bears to the North Cascades range.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and National Park Service are currently taking comment on restoring and managing grizzlies to the area.

Perhaps thousands of grizzlies once roamed the mountain range between the Fraser and Similkameen Rivers, continuing south into Washington State. Present day, the population has been functionally extirpated, with only sporadic sightings over the past two decades.

An American proposal to relocate grizzlies to the region was killed in July 2020 by the Trump administration in response to pushback from residents and ranchers in the area.

The Biden administration has now picked the issue back up, something the Okanagan Nation Alliance has been calling for.

The Syilx word for grizzly bear—ki?lawna?—is the origin of the modern name for Kelowna, illustrating the integral part of Indigenous culture the species plays.

“Only within the last 150 years have ki?lawna? been absent from the North Cascades landscape- a result of persecution and overhunting by settlers,” said Chief Clarence Louie, Okanagan Nation Alliance Tribal Chairman.

“Much like our people, the tmixw (all living things) are resilient. The ki?lawna?, is a part of who we are, our nation has worked tirelessly to restore salmon, and now we continue the journey to bring ki?lawna? home to the North Cascades.”

The ONA since 2014 has been leading regional grizzly bear restoration efforts on the Canadian side of the border. But bears don’t acknowledge borders, meaning recovery efforts are needed in both countries.

Syilx Nation natural resources chair Jordan Coble says the announcement of the U.S. environmental review process on grizzly bear restoration “marks an important moment in time for recovery efforts on both sides of the border.”

"Many decades of work, by many committed people have led us to where we are now. From the Syilx Nation’s perspective, our partnership with BC on this work is a demonstration of implementing Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act in its’ purest form — we are collectively righting a wrong, and returning ki?lawna? to an ecosystem that depends on their presence.”

The U.S. government is accepting feedback on the issue until Nov. 13.