The traditional governance system of S̲aik’uz̲ Whut’enne is rooted in a deep relationship with their Keyoh – their homelands that sustain all life, including the waters, rocks, mountains, plants and animals. Based in S̲aik’uz̲’s inherent Rights and Title, as well as the legal and political context of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and evolving Aboriginal case law, this research explores the key institutions and principles of S̲aik’uz̲ traditional governance. Alongside this, it challenges the ways that colonization has disrupted and eroded S̲aik’uz̲ traditional governance through its attempt to remove S̲aik’uz̲ Whut’enne from their Keyoh, impose a colonial Western system of land management, and outlaw their governance system, the Balhats. Informed by decolonizing and Indigenous methodologies, this research has been developed and carried out in collaboration with the S̲aik’uz̲ First Nation and uses qualitative methods including archive and document review, semi-structured interviews, and group review meetings. It offers insights about the persistence of S̲aik’uz̲ Whut’enne against colonial forces, and the ways that S̲aik’uz̲ traditional governance is alive, evolving across time, and of utmost relevance to the present and future.
