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SALMON WATERSHEDS LAB
Ecology & Conservation of Aquatic Systems
Jonathan Moore and Team
Art by: Amie Chaotakoongite
Glacier Futures
Climate change is transforming watersheds, raising unprecedented challenges for local communities and the lands and waters they rely on. Glacial retreat in northern BC, southern Yukon, and Alaska is a powerful and important example of climate change. This region is changing very rapidly, with profound consequences for local communities, lands, waters, fish, and wildlife. As they change, these ecosystems are also facing pressures from industries such as mining. While some mines can provide minerals critical to society, there is a long history of poor mining practices that have caused profound harm in the region.
Across this region, there is a need and opportunity to share learnings and paths forward. Local experts and scientists from various First Nations and collaborating organizations are studying how their lands and waters and their fish and wildlife are responding to rapid climate change.
The glaciers, people, and ecosystems of this region have interwoven stories, yet different cultures and histories have had fundamentally different perspectives. In her book “Do Glaciers Listen?”, Cruikshank states that: “The historical and cultural crevasses separating Indigenous oral traditions from narratives of geophysical science seem so deep that they rarely intersect." There is work to be done to bridge ways of knowing and to take positive steps in crossing these crevasses.
We aim to support forward-looking and proactive stewardship of these rapidly changing watersheds that advance climate adaptation and resilience for ecosystem and cultural health. Here we, a group of academic and Indigenous experts, united by a common goal of considering glacier futures, share some resources and links associated with a Whitehorse gathering in May 2026. This gathering will bring together Indigenous leaders, community members, and researchers to share and inform collaborative stewardship across regions. More to come post-event!
Featured Initiatives
Featured Film: "Healing Across the Waters"
A story of healing between the National Park Service (NPS) and the Hoonah Indian Association (HIA). As seen at the Glacier Futures Public Event on May 19th, 2026
Dakhká Khwáan Dancers
Check out the Dakhká Khwáan Dancers who are performing at our public evening event at the Kwanlin Dün Cultural Centre on May 19th!
Reconnect Vision
"The Reconnection Vision (RV) is the Yukon First Nation’s (YFN) unified approach to climate action." Click the image to learn more.
Setting the Record Straight on B.C.'s 30 x 30 Target
This report assesses whether the areas identified by AME as protected meet Canadian and international criteria for Other Effective Area-Based Conservation Measures (OECMs), using independent spatial analysis of mining tenures, permits, and development projects.
1 / Taku Salmon Resiliency Initiative
This initiative, led by the TRTFN in partnership with various academic and other institutions, are working to understand climate change in their watershed. This work supports proactive stewardship of the lands and waters of the Taku for long-term resilience, for salmon and people. I think best to have no link about Salmon Resiliency.
Learn more about how SkeenaWild is taking steps to understand the impacts and develop solutions to mining activities.
The Chilkat Indian Village Environmental Department completed a resilience plan for the village of Tlákw Aan (Klukwan) in 2023. The plan addresses climate change impacts to critical infrastructure, culturally important species, and community well-being in Tlákw Aan. Click the link to learn more.
Kluane Climate Futures is a collaborative initiative that brings together Kluane First Nation, researchers, and community members to explore climate change impacts through Indigenous knowledge, science, storytelling, art, and youth engagement to support future planning in the Kluane region. Click the link to learn more.
Learn more about how the Gitanyow Nation is asserting Indigenous sovereignty over the Meziadin watershed through land stewardship, salmon conservation, and climate adaptation in order to protect culturally and environmentally significant territories.
"A recording of the Y2Y-hosted ethical space workshop "Dene K’éh Kusān – Indigenous Led Conservation and the Kaska Dena’s Vision for the Stewardship of Dena Kayeh" with Gillian Staveley, Director of Land Stewardship and Culture of the Dena Kayeh Institute."
Learn more about how researchers and local partners are working together to support the stewardship of the Yukon Headwaters. One initiative within this program is to understand how glacier loss is impacting downstream rivers and lakes, and their aquatic ecosystems.
Explore Ice&Life, an innovative project at the intersection of science and nature conservation, dedicated to studying the rapidly emerging ecosystems revealed by glacier retreat in the Alps, caused by climate change.
Click the link to explore the collection of one-page summaries of research conducted by Simon Fraser University's Glaciology Group in the Kluane region.
Additional Initiatives...More to Come!
Research
1 / Glaciers and Climate Change
2 / Whole Watershed