Mount Edziza Conservancy in northern B.C. has officially been renamed Tenh Dẕetle Conservancy (Ten-thet-luh) to reflect Tahltan First Nation’s history and heritage.
Tenh Dẕetle translates to Ice Mountain, which was historically what the 3,526-hectare conservancy was called because of its cover of glacial area.
Last year in March the conservancy, adjacent to Mount Edziza Provincial Park, was established to protect wildlife and the environment through joint efforts of the province, Tahltan Central Government (TCG) and Skeena Resources Ltd. among other stakeholders.
The conservancy was also established as a response to Tahltan Nation’s concerns about balancing mineral development with conservation interests.
It was suggested back then that it would be renamed to reflect Tahltan heritage.
READ MORE: New conservancy protects sacred Tahltan land in northwest B.C.
The new name was provided from the collective input of elders, language keepers and knowledge holders from the three main Tahltan communities of Dease Lake, Iskut and Telegraph Creek.
“The Tenh Dẕetle Conservancy renaming not only better reflects our heritage, but it is yet another example of the Tahltan Nation asserting our rights and title, the Tahltan Nation establishing greater self-determination and the Tahltan Nation leading the way in the new world of the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act in which we are now living,” TCG president Chad Norman Day said in a statement.
In the same statement, B.C.’s environment minister George Heyman called the renaming of the conservancy another step forward on the path of reconciliation as it provides everyone more understanding more about the Tahltan Nation’s culture, history and values.