The Tsay Keh Dene people have lived in the mountains of northern British Columbia for millennia. The Tsay Keh Dene have an unextinguished right to manage and preserve their territory, a right that is recognized by the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP). Despite these protections, the Tsay Keh Dene's ability to practice their culture and protect their land is being threatened by natural resource extraction and its cumulative effects.

To address this issue, the Environmental Stewardship Initiative is working to assess the risks to the terrestrial and aquatic species and ecosystems within the Tsay Keh Dene's territory. This government-to-government collaboration between the Tsay Keh Dene and the province of British Columbia seeks to build trust and understand the current condition of valued ecosystem components. Information generated by the initiative will be used to make informed decisions on land management in the territory.

To avoid irreversible impacts, both the Tsay Keh Dene and the province of British Columbia must work together to understand the current condition and risks to the ecosystems, develop solutions to mitigate the effects of natural resource extraction, and implement strategies to protect and manage these ecosystems. This will require a shift towards landscape-level resource management planning that balances environmental protection, indigenous rights, and economic interests. Recommendations may include the establishment of protected areas, increased protection for sensitive habitats, and the implementation of forest harvesting strategies that minimize the impacts to wildlife.

The Tsay Keh Dene and the province of British Columbia have a shared responsibility to work together to ensure the preservation of the Tsay Keh Dene's territory, its ecosystem components, and the rights of the indigenous people who have lived there for thousands of years.