Kitasoo Xai’xais Nation

Klemtu

The Kitasoo Xai’xais Nation is an amalgamation of two distinct tribes – the Kitasoo, originally from Kitasu Bay, and the Xai’xais of Kynoc Inlet.

Kitasoo/Xai'xais Cultural Dancing. Photo by Cael Cook, courtesy of Spirit Bear Lodge
Kitasoo/Xai'xais Cultural Dancing. Photo by Cael Cook, courtesy of Spirit Bear Lodge
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The Kitasoo Xai’xias Nation’s main community is located in Klemtu on BC’s Central Coast

Kitasoo Xai’xais Nation

The Kitasoo, members of the Tsimshian group of nations, and the Xai’xais share their main community in Klemtu. Klemtu is located on Swindle Island on British Columbia’s Inside Passage and its name means “blocked passage.”

The Kitasoo and Xai’xais people settled in Klemtu thousands of years ago due to the abundance of sea kelp in the bay. Initially the location provided a camping site on trade routes but later developed in to a trading post for steamships travelling the Inside Passage.

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Kitasoo / Xai'xais community in Klemtu and Fiordland Conservancy. Photo by Brodie Guy
Kitasoo Xai’xais community in Klemtu and Fiordland Conservancy. Photo by Brodie Guy

The Kitasoo Xai’xais people have traditionally relied on the natural resources their territory provides and they continue to manage these resources in a sustainable way to ensure the abundance of forests, fish and wildlife will be there for future generations.

The Kitasoo Xai’xais Nation banned trophy hunting within their territory in 2012. The Nation has successfully developed Spirit Bear Lodge, an ecotourism bear-viewing business; Spirit Bear Research Foundation, a research organization that informs the management decisions of the Kitasoo Xai’xais; and a Guardian Watchmen Program, to patrol and protect the Nation’s territory.

Kitasoo Xai'xais Guardian Watchmen. Photo by Meaghan Hume
Kitasoo Xai’xais Guardian Watchmen. Photo by Meaghan Hume

The Nation uses the ecotourism, research and guardian programs to engage the youth of the community, creating informed and passionate leaders of the future. The Kitasoo Xai’xais has positively merged the conservation of their territory with sustainable economic development, supporting and improving the community well-being of the Nation’s members.

The Spirit Bear is a culturally important animal to the Kitasoo Xai’xais. The Kitasoo Xai’xais’s territory contains the largest protected area of Spirit Bear habitat known as the “Kitasoo Spirit Bear Conservancy.”

A Kitasoo Xai’xais legend tells us Raven made one in every ten black bears white to remind the people of a time when glaciers covered the world and to be thankful for the lush and bountiful land of today.

Kitasoo Xai’xais Nation Projects

In partnership with Coast Funds, Kitasoo Xai’xais Nation has invested in:

First Nation Applicant Project Description Links Type Year Funding
Kitasoo Xai’xais Nation Kitasoo Band Council Kitasoo Stewardship Authority 2023/24 To support operations of the Stewardship Authority, including: land use planning and management (including forestry and protected areas planning and management), engagement and data management, science and research, Guardian Watchman and compliance monitoring, the Supporting Emerging Aboriginal Stewards (SEAS) program and youth development, and general resource stewardship. Conservation Fund 2023 $ 460,000
Kitasoo Xai’xais Nation Kitasoo Band Council Kitasoo Stewardship Authority – 2022/23 Operations To support operations of the Stewardship Authority program that includes: completing third year of baseline bear activity research; expanding the Guardian Watchmen program including hiring and Operations Manager and adding a new station in Khutze Inlet; continuing mountain goat and northern goshawk research projects; undertaking bio-cultural surveys to support land use planning; monitoring the marine environment as part of the Marine Planning Partnership; and finalizing various management plans. Conservation Fund 2022 $ 600,000
Kitasoo Xai’xais Nation Kitasoo Band Store Ltd. Kitasoo Band Store Construction and Expansion To construct a new, expanded, and modernized retail store to service the community of Klemtu, providing a larger selection of goods, increased sales, and additional employment opportunities to Klemtu community members Economic Development Fund 2021 $ 460,953
Kitasoo Xai’xais Nation Kitasoo Band Council Kitasoo Stewardship Authority – 2020/21 Operations To support operations of the Stewardship Authority program that includes: estimating baselines of bear activity in the near absence of humans as part of a multi-year investigation into the impacts of bear viewing ecotourism; restructuring the Guardian Watchmen program for year-round monitoring as well as certification in partnership with BC Parks; continuing mountain goat and northern goshawks research projects as well as various wildlife monitoring via wildlife cameras; processing tourism referrals and archaeology permit applications; monitoring the marine environment as part of the Marine Planning Partnership; and implementing the Mussel Inlet management plan. Conservation Fund 2020 $ 400,000
Kitasoo Xai’xais Nation Spirit Bear Adventures Ltd. Spirit Bear Lodge – Great Room and Guest Accommodation Expansion To invest in an infrastructure expansion at Spirit Bear Lodge including four additional guest accommodations and an extended great room to accommodate the increased guest capacity while providing additional employment opportunities for Kitasoo/Xai’xais members and opportunities to increase the profits earned by the lodge Economic Development Fund 2020 $ 470,000
Kitasoo Xai’xais Nation Kitasoo Band Council Klemtu Hydropower Facility – 1.7MW Modernization and Expansion To upgrade and modernize the existing Baron Lake hydroelectric power facility serving the 300 residents of the community of Klemtu; this will supply 100% of the communities electricity needs and is expected to displace over 1,300,000 liters of imported diesel fuel annually, reducing the cumulative greenhouse gases by approximately 145,966 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent over the project life, while also providing employment and training opportunities for community members during the construction and operation of the expanded facility. Sustainable Energy 2020 $ 4,600,000
Kitasoo Xai’xais Nation Kitasoo Band Council Kitasoo Stewardship Authority – 2019/20 Operations To support operations of the Resource Stewardship program that includes: research on population dynamics and spatio-temporal distribution of mountain goats and northern goshawks across the Nation's territory; monitoring human use to inform a tourism and recreation strategy; continuation of cultural feature identification surveys, updating the Forestry Strategy and developing a timber supply and harvest management framework that includes landscape reserve designs; complete conservancy management and operational plans in Mussel and Khutz inlet alongside a protected area model for Green Inlet; and continued funding of youth stewardship development via the Supporting Emerging Aboriginal Stewards (SEAS) program. Conservation Fund 2019 $ 315,000
Kitasoo Xai’xais Nation Kitasoo Band Council Resource Stewardship Program – 2018/19 Operations To support operations of the Resource Stewardship program that includes: research on population dynamics and spatio-temporal distribution of bears across the Nation's territory; salmon enumeration in 23 watersheds and non-invasive salmon DNA collection/analysis to inform marine resources management decisions; research into new forms of protected area governance; cultural feature identification surveys; new protocol agreements with forestry and tourism operators; and continued funding of youth stewardship development via the Supporting Emerging Aboriginal Stewards (SEAS) program. Conservation Fund 2018 $ 335,000
Kitasoo Xai’xais Nation Kitasoo Band Council Klemtu Hydropower Plant Expansion Plan To assess the viability of increasing the generation capacity of the existing hydropower facility on Baron Lake in order to meet the community's increasing energy demand and curb the use of diesel in power generation Economic Development Fund 2017 $ 34,365
Kitasoo Xai’xais Nation Kitasoo Band Council Resource Stewardship Program – 2017/18 Operations To support operations of the Resource Stewardship program that includes: research on population dynamics and spatio-temporal distribution of bears across the Nation's territory; a focus on completing protected area management plans for K'ootz, Fiordland, and Smithers Island; expansion of the program with four new positions for referrals management, anthropology, and research projects; and continued funding of youth stewardship development via the Supporting Emerging Aboriginal Stewards (SEAS) program Conservation Fund 2017 $ 650,000
Kitasoo Xai’xais Nation Kitasoo Band Council Stewardship Office and Accommodations Complex – Construction and Start-up To construct a new commercial office and accommodations facility in Klemtu that will be leased to Kitasoo/Xai'xais Integrated Resource Authority, Spirit Bear Lodge, and Kitasoo Forestry Ltd., supporting conservation, ecotourism, research, and resource management initiatives throughout the Nation's territory Economic Development Fund 2016 $ 1,250,000
Kitasoo Xai’xais Nation Kitasoo Band Council Stewardship Office and Accommodations Complex – Construction and Start-up To construct a new commercial office and accommodations facility in Klemtu that will be leased to Kitasoo/Xai'xais Integrated Resource Authority, Spirit Bear Lodge, and Kitasoo Forestry Ltd., supporting conservation, ecotourism, research, and resource management initiatives throughout the Nation's territory Conservation Fund 2016 $ 250,000
Kitasoo Xai’xais Nation Kitasoo Band Council Resource Stewardship Program – 2016/17 Operations To support operations of the program, research on population dynamics and spatio-temporal distribution of bears across the Nation's territory, a focus on completing protected area management plans for K'ootz, Fiordland, Smithers Island, expansion of the Guardian program with two new positions for marine use plan implementation and research, and continued funding of the Supporting Emerging Aboriginal Stewards (SEAS) program Conservation Fund 2016 $ 665,000
Kitasoo Xai’xais Nation Kitasoo Development Corporation Stewardship Office and Accommodations Complex – Predevelopment Planning To undertake a comprehensive pre-development phase that will enable Kitasoo/Xai'xais to tender a request for proposals and raise funding to construct and commence operations of a new Kitasoo/Xai'xais Integrated Resource Authority stewardship office and accommodations complex in Klemtu Economic Development Fund 2015 $ 25,000
Kitasoo Xai’xais Nation Kitasoo Band Council Resource Stewardship Program – 2015/16 Operations To support operations of the program, research on population dynamics and spatio-temporal distribution of bears across the Nation's territory, completion of four conservancy management plans spanning 120 hectares, and the Supporting Emerging Aboriginal Stewards (SEAS) program Conservation Fund 2015 $ 465,000
Kitasoo Xai’xais Nation Spirit Bear Adventures Ltd. Spirit Bear Lodge – Commercial Kitchen Expansion and Youth Guide Training To invest in infrastructure improvements at Spirit Bear Lodge including a commercial kitchen expansion, transportation equipment upgrades, and culinary, small vessel operator, hospitality and bear viewing guide training for Kitasoo/Xai'xais youth Economic Development Fund 2015 $ 327,000
Kitasoo Xai’xais Nation Kitasoo Band Council Protecting and Registering the Spirit Bear Trademark To assert the Kitasoo/Xaixais Nations as the sole holders of the Spirit Bear brand and to register the Spirit Bear trademark in Canada Economic Development Fund 2014 $ 45,000
Kitasoo Xai’xais Nation Kitasoo Band Council Cultural Resource Management and Research-Related Equipment To expand the scope of the program in 2014/15 to develop a plan for management of cultural resources, create a cultural data catalogue, and to invest in research and monitoring related equipment Conservation Fund 2014 $ 100,000
Kitasoo Xai’xais Nation Kitasoo Band Council Resource Stewardship Program – 2014/15 Operations To support operations of the program, field-based research projects, land use and conservancy management planning, and the Supporting Emerging Aboriginal Stewards (SEAS) program Conservation Fund 2014 $ 530,000
Kitasoo Xai’xais Nation Kitasoo Band Council Resource Stewardship Program – 2013 Operations To support operations and expand the program to function as a multi-disciplinary, multi-faceted resource stewardship program including regional monitoring, building a resource development referrals system, conducting grizzly and black bear research in partnership with academic partners, and completing conservancy management plans Conservation Fund 2013 $ 115,285
Kitasoo Xai’xais Nation Kitasoo Band Council Watchman Program – 2013 Operations To support seasonal operations of the program including monitoring patrols throughout the territory and maintaining a seasonal presence at Mussel River in the Fiordland Conservancy, accompanying all commercial, private and incidental bear viewing visits Conservation Fund 2013 $ 306,167
Kitasoo Xai’xais Nation Kitasoo Band Council Expansion of Kitasoo Seafoods Ltd. into Wild Fisheries To expand the Nation's existing salmon processing facility in Klemtu to enable wild harvested seafood processing of herring, spawn on kelp, sea cucumbers, prawn, halibut and other species Economic Development Fund 2012 $ 660,000
Kitasoo Xai’xais Nation Kitasoo Band Council Spirit Bear Research Foundation – Grizzly and Black Bear Research Partnerships To undertake research partnerships with the University of Victoria and the University of Cumbia to examine spatio-temporal impacts of both grizzly bears and tourism on black bears and Spirit Bears in Kitasoo territory and to enlarge the scope of a current longitudinal study in Heiltsuk territory on spatio-temporal distributions of grizzly bears to include their distributions in Kitasoo/Xaixais territory Conservation Fund 2012 $ 222,450
Kitasoo Xai’xais Nation Kitasoo Band Council Watchman Program – 2012 Operations To support seasonal operations of the program including monitoring patrols throughout the territory and maintaining a seasonal presence at Mussel River in the Fiordland Conservancy, accompanying all commercial, private and incidental bear viewing visits Conservation Fund 2012 $ 143,162
Kitasoo Xai’xais Nation Kitasoo Development Corporation Expansion of Spirit Bear Lodge To double the available accommodations and expand guest services at Spirit Bear Lodge in Klemtu and to undertake a targeted marketing campaign offering high-end destination packages internationally Economic Development Fund 2010 $ 727,000
Kitasoo Xai’xais Nation Kitasoo Band Council Watchman Program – 2010 Operations To support seasonal operations of the program including monitoring and protection from Klemtu throughout the Nation's traditional territory, and installation of remote monitoring cameras on the Canoona River or Disju in partnership with Pacific Wild Conservation Fund 2010 $ 75,000
Kitasoo Xai’xais Nation Kitasoo Band Council Collaborative Due Diligence for an Area-Based Forestry Tenure To collaborate with three other Nations to jointly conduct negotiations with the Province of BC for a large area-based forestry tenure and to undertake comprehensive due diligence for the acquisition of a major tree farm license supply block Economic Development Fund 2009 $ 78,000
Kitasoo Xai’xais Nation Kitasoo Band Council Watchman Program – 2009 Operations To support operations of the program including weekly patrols of the Nation's entire territory, collecting standardized data on habitats, wildlife, and human use, undertake public outreach and education with visitors, and report illegal activities to designated authorities Conservation Fund 2009 $ 79,000
Total Projects 28 Total Invested $ 14,388,382

Total Projects: 28

Total Invested: $ 14,388,382

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