The Tsay Keh Dene Nation, a culturally and linguistically Sekani people, has a long and rich history in the north-central region of British Columbia. Historically, the Tsay Keh Dene occupied a well-defined territory that spanned over 175,000 hectares, including villages, graveyards, prime hunting and trapping grounds, fisheries, and other culturally significant sites.

In the 1960s, the creation of the Williston Reservoir and WAC Bennett dam resulted in the forced relocation of the Tsay Keh Dene people outside of their territory, causing devastating effects on their community, culture, and way of life. More than 50 years later, the social, cultural, and economic impacts of this event persist, including collective trauma and a deep sense of loss.

Despite threats made by the province and the department of Indian affairs, the Tsay Keh Dene Nation re-established a community along the Ingenika River, a river system with a watershed that spans over 5,000 square kilometers of old growth timber, rugged mountains, and pristine water bodies. The Ingenika is of crucial importance to the Tsay Keh Dene, both historically and ecologically, and is one of the last remaining refuges against widespread forestry, mining, and other industrial development in their territory.

Exercising their inherent rights, the Tsay Keh Dene Nation has proclaimed the establishment of an Indigenous Protected Area in the Ingenika watershed. Led by the Nation, work on an Indigenous Management Plan for this protected area is ongoing, with the aim of protecting its rich biodiversity by applying Tsay Keh Dene traditional values, management practices, laws, and traditional knowledge.

The struggle to protect and preserve the Ingenika watershed is well underway and gaining momentum. It is a testament to the resilience and determination of the Tsay Keh Dene Nation in preserving their culture and way of life against the impacts of unsustainable development.