Celebrating 25 Years of Success with Coastal First Nations

Coastal Nations Fisheries was a proud sponsor of the Coastal First Nations-Great Bear Initiative (CFN) 25th Anniversary Celebration, held in Vancouver on December 11, 2025.

While Coastal Nations Fisheries is the economic hub of the Fisheries Resources Reconciliation Agreement (FRRA), CFN is a political alliance of the eight Nations that own CNF, with a mandate to advance collaborative governance as an important facet of the FRRA implementation.

The anniversary celebration took place at the Arras Ballroom with 300 people in attendance, mainly citizens and leadership from the member Nations but also trusted allies and partners from NGOs and provincial and federal governments.

The guests had some time to mingle, strengthen existing bonds and form new ones before the program. Kiefer Collison, Haida artist, filmmaker, actor and podcast host, emceed through the evening with poise and his trademark humour. The Squamish Ocean Canoe family welcomed guests to their territory and generously shared numerous songs and dances with the audience, even getting them up on the dancefloor at one point.

A particularly poignant moment during the night took place during a tribute to Leona Humchitt, a Haíłzaqv matriarch, powerhouse and long-term Climate Action Coordinator for her Nation with the Indigenous Climate Action Network (ICAN).

Leona’s niece and Haíłzaqv council member Jacquelyn Nadrazky addressed the audience with a moving homage to her aunt Leona and her mother Valerie, who so tragically lost their lives in March of last year. The love for those two amazing Haíłzaqv women was palpable in the room.

ICAN team members then announced that a new $5,000 annual award is being established to honour Leona’s legacy—the Leona Humchitt - Youth in Climate Action - Memorial Bursary—to support Indigenous youth to learn about and advance climate action in their communities. Dani Warren of the Montreal Lake Cree Nation and team member of Great Bear Carbon closed the ceremony with a moving bagpipe performance that brought many in the room to tears.

CFN’s great success over the last 25 years was brought about by the collaboration of many brilliant people. The 25th Anniversary Celebration uplifted and honoured some of those seminal people. Yím̓ás Wígviłba Wákas Harvey Humchitt, a hereditary chief of the Haílzaqv Nation, received the lifetime leadership award; Yím̓ás Qlaquamoot U Kelly Brown, longtime Haíłzaqv stewardship leader and hereditary chief of the Haílzaqv Nation, received the legendary leadership award; Gaagwiis, President of the Council of the Haida Nation, received the outstanding leadership award; Muq’vas Glaw Doug Neasloss, former Kitasoo Xai’xais Chief Councillor and current Council member and Stewardship Director, received the visionary leadership award; and Garry Wouters and Darcy Dobell, both respected conservation leaders, received allied partner awards.

It was CNF’s great honour to support such a special event. We want to congratulate our friends and colleagues of Coastal First Nations for a legacy of success. We are looking forward to many more years of working together for the benefit of the Nations we serve.

Written by Sandra Manow