SISȻENEM (Halibut Island)

In 2020, The Land Conservancy of British Columbia (TLC) and the W̱SÁNEĆ Leadership Council came to a partnership agreement to transfer the title of SISȻENEM (pronounced sees – kwun – num), a 9.67-acre island off the east coast of Sidney Island, from TLC to the W̱SÁNEĆ Leadership Council as an act of reconciliation.

Also known as Halibut Island, the island was purchased by TLC for $1.55 million. The transfer is historically significant as the agreement was the first of its kind between a land trust and an Indigenous community in Canada. TLC is currently working together with the W̱SÁNEĆ Leadership Council to draft and register a conservation covenant and develop a co-management plan that incorporates Indigenous land management principles that provide access for cultural, education, research, and monitoring purposes, prior to the land transfer.

TLC was able to acquire the island with the support of one major donor to protect the site’s cultural, ecological, and geological significance after the island and donor was brought to the charity’s attention by Dr. Tara Martin, UBC Faculty of Forestry’s Conservation Decisions Lab Head.

While not easily translatable to English as a whole, the syllables of the name SISȻENEM convey a vivid sense of place: SISḴ means “enjoying the sun,” ȻEN is a feeling of inner peace, and EM means a place where these things happen. Together, SISȻENEM means sitting out for pleasure of the weather. SISȻENEM is an important cultural place where the W̱SÁNEĆ people would fish for cod, collect traditional medicines, and harvest camas.

SISȻENEM supports Garry oak, arbutus, and Douglas fir woodlands, and open wildflower meadows. Garry oak associated ecosystems support many of Canada’s species at risk including the common nighthawk (Chordeiles minor) and popcorn flower (Plagiobothrys tenellus).  In the spring, the meadows are carpeted with ḰȽO,EL (Great Camas, Camassia leichtlinii), Fawn lily (Erythronium Oregonum), and Chocolate lilies (Fritillaria affinis). Due to the lack of deer browse on SISȻENEM, researchers have identified an abundance of native species with cultural significance such as ḴEXMIN (Indian consumption plant, Lomatium nudicaule) and ḰȽO,EL (Great Camas, Camassia leichtlinii).

Part of the same geologic formation as Sidney Island (Turonian), SISȻENEM is comprised of bedrock carved by the last glaciation, basal conglomerate, and sandstone outcrops containing exposed fossils of bivalves and mollusks including the beautiful ammonite fossils. This geologic formation on Sidney Island and along Island View Beach led to the discovery of mastodon and other prehistoric mammal fossils.

Scientific research and educational programming regarding the eco-cultural restoration of the island will continue in partnership with the W̱SÁNEĆ Leadership Council, TLC, and Dr. Tara Martin, University of British Columbia.

While the acquisition of SISȻENEM has been fully funded by a generous donor, TLC is raising funds to complete restoration work on the north end of the island including the removal of equipment left on the beach and submerged near the landing site. In addition, funds raised will support the drafting and registration of the conservation covenant, a baseline inventory, and ongoing monitoring of the site.