Tla o qui aht Tribal Parks

Home
Canada
Tofino, BC
Tla o qui aht Tribal Parks

ƛayaaḥuɁał to the Tla-o-qui-aht Tribal Parks

🌲We are an Indigenous-led stewardship supported by our Allies in the haḥuułi of the ƛaʔuukʷiʔatḥ ha’wiih.

Learn More & Take the ʔiisaak Pledge here: https://www.tribalparks.com/our-story Tla-o-qui-aht Tribal Parks in theory and law are:

1) Traditional governance implementation and development exercises - applying the teachings of our ancestors in a modern natural resource management and regional economic development context

Note: language, culture and traditional governance are the heart and soul

of Tla-o-qui-aht Tribal Parks

2) Section 35 (Canada Act 1982) Assertion strategies with an emphasis on "responsibilities" that go hand and hand with "rights"

Note: Section 35 is a power tool available to our communities to apply our traditional governance principles in practice

3) Adherence measures to the 2001 UN Convention on the Responsibility to Protect (R2P)

Note: The 2001 UN R2P created a caveat on State Sovereignty - the protection of "Human Security". A precondition of adequate Human Security is Environmental Security... which is where a Tribal Parks approach comes in:

Tla-o-qui-aht Tribal Parks in practice are:

1) Indigenous Watershed Governance Areas (IWGA) which include environmental stewardship, cultural restoration/social justice and sustainable economic development objectives

Note: IWGAs are the intermeshing of traditional governance values and principles with present day land management methodologies for a long term view of socio-economic resiliency

2) Indigenous Peoples and Community Conserved Territories and Areas (ICCAs) connecting to a global movement of Tribal Park type initiatives moving forward on every continent

Note: ICCAs are internationally recognized protected areas by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN)

3) a management approach which functions as an international/intergovernmental conflict resolution processes geared towards fostering positive peace

Note: breaking down real and perceived barriers such as racism, mistrust, greed, discrimination, fear etc is the key to unlocking a regions sustainable development potential

4) Monitoring regimes to enable Nation guardian programs "boots on the ground", and built environment branding techniques to extend Nation territorial presence

Note: Boots on the ground is the funnest part!

06/10/2026

🏳️‍🌈 Tofino Pride is this weekend 🏳️‍⚧️

Saya Masso will be on stage at the Pride Welcome and leading the Pride March alongside Maria Clark and Nicki Love. Pride on this ḥaaḥuułi is grounded in Indigenous community, relationships, and belonging.

Hotel Zed Tofino is a proud Tribal Parks Ally and the home of this year's celebrations.

Here's what's happening:

Saturday, June 13
🏳️‍🌈 Pride March — 3pm, meet at Hotel Zed. All are welcome.
🎉 Pride Party — 3:30–7pm, vendor village, live music, drag performances with Vivian Vanderpuss, Woofie & Eddi Licious. All free.

Sunday, June 14
🎭 Drag Brunch at ROAR — 11:30am (sold out!)
🏄 Drag Après Surf — 3pm (reservations recommended)

Free community shuttle runs Saturday 2–8pm courtesy of Pacific Rim Navigators.

ƛ̓eekoo ƛ̓eekoo to Hotel Zed for hosting and to everyone celebrating with us this weekend. 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️

06/09/2026

In 1983, a group of volunteers in a small fishing village built a theatre. Not because there was demand for it. Because they believed that a community needed a place to gather around stories, and that belief was enough to pick up a hammer.

The Clayoquot Sound Theatre has stood at 380 Campbell St ever since, in the ḥaaḥuułi of the ƛaʔuukʷiʔatḥ ḥaw̓iiḥ, hosting plays, film nights, concerts, and decades of community life. The Tofino Jazz Festival. Late nights. First performances. The kind of room where something shifts between strangers in the dark.

Today the theatre is guided by Sophie L’Homme, who arrived from Montreal and found her creative home on this coast. Under her leadership, the space has been reimagined - retractable seating, new lighting, better access, while staying true to what it has always been: a gathering place.

As a proud ƛaʔuukʷiʔatḥ Tribal Parks Ally, the Clayoquot Sound Theatre recognizes that its work takes place on Tla-o-qui-aht territory. The arts, at their best, do what the ʔiisaak Pledge asks of all of us: bring people into relationship with this place and with each other.

Coming up Friday, June 19, that gathering takes a particular form. & perform original music made from the land itself. Tsimka singing and speaking in ƛaʔuukʷiʔatḥ, Michael weaving field recordings from the territory into live production: bull kelp, breaking ice, Frank Island frogs, a creek at Hiłwinʔis, ocean, rain, and mist. Doors open at 8pm.

ƛ̓eekoo ƛ̓eekoo, Sophie and the Clayoquot Sound Theatre, for four decades of holding space.

Tofino (n̓ačiqs) is situated on the tip of the Esowista Peninsula, within the traditional ḥaḥuułi of the ƛaʔuukʷiʔatḥ (Tla-o-qui-aht) First Nations and their Tribal Parks.

06/08/2026

Every day, Tla-o-qui-aht Guardians move through the ḥaḥuułi - on the water, on the trails, in the forest.

They are not park rangers. They are not enforcement. They are the continuation of a relationship between a People and their territory that has never been interrupted.
They notice things. The return of the herring. The health of the kelp. A trail being loved too hard. A visitor who needs orientation.

They hold the whole picture.

ƛ̓eekoo ƛ̓eekoo to our Guardians - for the work that makes this place what it is.

06/06/2026

ʔiisaaksinḥiʔin — let us be respectful of Natural Law.

This is the first of four teachings encoded in the ʔiisaak Pledge. Indigenous laws that have shaped and protected this territory for thousands of years.

What does it ask of you? Observe. Appreciate. Act accordingly.

When you visit the tidepools, look without touching. When you walk the trail, move at the pace of the forest. When you feel that something is alive here, trust that. It is.

Take the ʔiisaak Pledge at the link in our bio.

📸 Jérémy Mathieu |

06/05/2026

You are in the ḥaḥuułi of the ƛaʔuukʷiʔatḥ ḥaw̓iiḥ.

The feeling you notice when you arrive here, that something is different, is not random. It has roots.

In 2024, the Tla-o-qui-aht People declared the entire ḥaḥuułi a Tribal Park. The forests. The waters. The shorelines. The deep ocean. The skies. This place has been cared for across generations, and you are a guest within it.

ƛ̓eekoo ƛ̓eekoo for visiting with care.

📸 Jérémy Mathieu |

05/27/2026

Two ƛaʔuukʷiʔatḥ phrases to know when you're in Tla-o-qui-aht territory:

ƛ̓eekoo (kleh-koh) ~ thank you
čuu (choo) ~ see you later / bye / done talking

Saying ƛ̓eekoo and čuu here is like saying "aloha" in Hawai'i — it's part of local culture. It makes everyone feel welcome and shows you've learned something by being here.

The English language doesn't have direct translations for Indigenous languages. Words in ƛaʔuukʷiʔatḥ carry deep meaning and ways of knowing that can't be simply translated. That's why we have so much gratitude for language speakers and the work they do.

05/25/2026

We've updated the Tribal Parks Allies logo to include "Tla-o-qui-aht."

Going forward, please refer to the program as Tla-o-qui-aht Tribal Parks Allies — it helps people understand they are in the ḥaaḥuułi of the Tla-o-qui-aht ḥaw̓iiḥ (hereditary chiefs) and the responsibilities that come with being welcomed here.

Your old merch is still great to wear! New designs coming soon.

05/22/2026

An entire book about Tla-o-qui-aht Tribal Parks is here! 📖

"Belonging With Indigenous Lands" (edited by John Reid-Hresko) explores the Tla-o-qui-aht Tribal Parks Allies program and its reception by settler communities in the ḥaaḥuułi of the ƛaʔuukʷiʔatḥ ḥaw̓iiḥ, also known as Tofino.

ƛ̓eekoo ƛ̓eekoo to the contributors and Knowledge Keepers who dedicated their time and shared their experiences to create this work.

Learn more: https://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/distributed/B/bo265680290.html

05/21/2026

In 1974, Maureen Fraser arrived in Tofino from Toronto on her way to South America. She was searching for a cinnamon bun. The small fishing village had no bakery, so she returned the following year and built one herself—teaching herself to bake in the process.

The Common Loaf Bake Shop opened its doors in the mid-1970s in the ḥaaḥuułi of the ƛaʔuukʷiʔatḥ ḥaw̓iiḥ, and for five decades, it has been more than a bakery - it’s a true gathering place where community, conversation, and collaboration come together. The bakery’s packed bulletin board is testament to its enduring role as a community hub.

Known for whole-foods baking and warm atmosphere, the Common Loaf reflects the spirit of Tofino: independent, community-minded, and deeply connected to the land and people who call this coast home.

Throughout its history, the bakery has acted as a meeting space for dialogue, creativity, and activism. During the Clayoquot Sound protests of the 1980s and 90s, Fraser was deeply involved in the environmental movement alongside Tla-o-qui-aht First Nation to protect old-growth forests and the watersheds that sustain the region. The Common Loaf became an integral gathering space for people working toward a shared vision.

Today, the bakery continues that legacy as a proud Tla-o-qui-aht Tribal Park Ally, supporting Indigenous-led stewardship and a conservation economy rooted in respect for culture and environment.

Fraser’s commitment extends beyond baking: she’s also President and Founder of the Tofino Arts Council, helping nurture creative expression and cultural exchange throughout the region.
For residents, visitors, and fellow businesses, the Common Loaf stands as an example of how a local business can become a powerful community hub in support and allyship of Indigenous practices and policies.

ƛ̓eekoo ƛ̓eekoo, Maureen, for creating space for gathering and for decades of stewardship. Tofino (n̓ačiqs) is situated on the tip of the Esowista Peninsula, within the traditional haḥuułi of the ƛaʔuukʷiʔatḥ (Tla-o-qui-aht) First Nations and their Tribal Parks.

Address

Tla-o-qui-aht Tribal Parks
Tofino, BC
V0R2Z0

Website

https://linktr.ee/tlaoquiahttribalparks

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Tla o qui aht Tribal Parks posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Want your organization to be the top-listed Non Profit Organization in Tofino?