A conversation with the Leey’squn First Nation’s Hereditary Chief Shana Thomas on the Cowichan Decision and the West Coast Oil Pipeline
Leey'qsun (Lyackson) First Nation Hereditary Chief Shana Thomas tells the story of the Leey’qsun peoples. The story begins with a great Douglas Fir tree named Sqoē’te, a towering tree that reached the sky. From the sky came people and animals who climbed down Sqoē’te. Together, they began to bring the tree down. The animals gnawed through the trunk, while the people sang “Oh, let it fall and not break. Many deer will live on the trunk, and we will build our houses on it”. When the tree fell, it became some of the islands in the Salish Sea, including Lee’yqsun Island, known today as Valdes Island–the ancestral lands of the Leey’qsun First Nation of the Quw’utsun (Cowichan) Nation. From this creation story comes the name Leey’qsun, meaning “the top of the Douglas Fir tree”, and the story of how the Leey’qsun First Nation came to be.
The Leey'qsun First Nation is one of five Coastal Salish peoples that comprise the Quw’utsun Nation. They had one of the largest historic clam gardens in the Coast Salish, spanning 20 km long and feeding thousands of people. They were also a warrior village, with Chief Shana herself carrying a war Chiefs name, Laxele’wuts’aat. Today, she leads during a critical period of historic legal decisions as First Nations face mounting pressure from major development projects, government processes, and misinformation. For the Leey’qsun First Nation, who are four generations displaced from their lands on Le’eyqsun Island, reclamation and re-establishment of ancestral village sites is an important priority to protect their community and culture.
In 2024, Chief Shana Thomas played a critical role in negotiating the land-transfer agreement with the Province of BC, which returned a parcel of land in the Skutz region of the Cowichan Valley to the Leey’qsun First Nation and Cowichan Tribes. Presently, the Leey'qsun First Nation is developing a master plan for the village site and as part of that work, members recently visited the Tlowitsis Nation to learn from and draw inspiration from their own emerging green village development–exploring building models that harmonize with the ecosystem. Their vision is to re-establish a thriving village that provides the community with sustainable infrastructure, restores access to traditional harvesting places, and helps them continue longstanding stewardship practices and responsibilities.
“Life is hard for our communities. Every day is difficult. We are constantly bombarded by challenges, by disparity, by the failure of the Crown to meet its duties and obligations. We are expected to absorb colonial violence and treat it like it's just another day. If we look deep at what our people are experiencing: drug overdose, addiction, homelessness, employment issues, the housing crisis–that's all the weeds of colonization. If we had our inherent authorities back, and we had control over our resources, and we were able to govern in a way that we had governed since time immemorial, these issues would fall away. They wouldn't even be an issue anymore, because our wealth was measured by what we gave away, not by what we kept”. - Hereditary Chief Shana Thomas, Laxele’wuts’aat
In 2025, another momentous decision followed. In August, after an 11-year trial, the Supreme Court of British Columbia ruled that the historic Quw’utsun Nation (today comprised of modern Indian bands of Cowichan Tribes, Stzuminus First Nation, Penelakut Tribe, Halalt First Nation and Lyackson First Nation) held Aboriginal title to parts of what is today Lulu Island in Richmond, but what was historically a traditional Quw’utsun village called Tl’uqtinus. For the Quw’utsun people, the village of Tl’uqtinus was a place by the Quw’utsun River (now called the Fraser River) where they built longhouses, fished, and cured and smoked salmon in preparation for the winter months. This landmark decision was grounded on this historical record, but also the actions of then Chief Commissioner for Lands and Works for British Columbia, Richard Clement Moody, who unlawfully sold the land instead of fulfilling the original promise and responsibility of setting it aside as Quw’utsun reserve lands. Currently, the decision is in the appeal stages and awaits the appeal hearing date.
In July of 2026, the federal and BC Government announced the Canada-British Columbia Cooperative Prosperity Agreement, a memorandum of understanding (MOU) that establishes priorities focused on economic growth and expanding industries, including Canada’s bilateral agreement with Alberta to build a new pipeline to the west coast. In that same month, the federal government referred the Alberta government’s proposal for the West Coast Oil Pipeline project to the Major Projects Office to begin the process of designating it as a project of national interest under the Building Canada Act, including outreach to “potentially impacted” First Nations in early July. On August 1, 2026, the federal government gave notice of the start of a 30-day period pending this decision, allowing comments until September 18, 2026. The listing decision is scheduled to be made no later than October 1, 2026.
But August marks the nearing end of summer and the approach of autumn. For coastal First Nations, August is a month dedicated to fishing, harvesting, gathering in ceremonies, and preparing for the colder months. Chief Shana Thomas stresses that Coastal First Nations have continually expressed this, but yet, these timelines not only impose an extremely short window of time, but neglect the seasonal realities and responsibilities of coastal First Nations. And although the Oil Tanker Moratorium Act will remain in place, Chief Shana Thomas warns that Southern coastal communities will still inherit the risks that accompany the West Coast Oil Pipeline–expanded pipeline infrastructure, the influx of shipping containers, and the possibility of spills that will contaminate the waters, the fish, and ultimately, the health and well-being of the people who depend on them.
The Building Canada Act was developed to streamline major projects for the purpose of efficiency, but the process puts further strain on First Nations that already have limited staff and capacity. And so Chief Shana Thomas asks, efficient for who?
“Each community has the same level of duty. Each community has to do the same grinding work to inform decision-making for their leadership. As part of the Quw’utsun Nation, we've done an Indigenous led assessment on a project, and that's an immense amount of work,” says Chief Shana Thomas, emphasizing that this work is not just a question of how much money is needed to complete it, but requires thoughtful deliberation on how much time it takes to do it well.“I'm super proud of the Quw’utsun Nation Indigenous-led assessment work that's been done. But knowing how much time that takes, because it is organic and it comes from the community–I need to be able to host focus groups and elders’ conversations. We need to go out on the land. There's this whole process. And so, it is concerning that they're going to be sacrificing meaningful reconciliation just for the efficiency agenda that they're trying to create, because we just don't work that way”.
Chief Shana Thomas is approaching two years in her role as Hereditary Chief for the Leey’qsun First Nation, but her leadership and dedication to advancing First Nations rights and self-determination span decades, having previously served as an elected council member, Treaty Commissioner, Communications Director, and a post-secondary Instructor. She shares what gives her the strength and hope to show up.
“I've made the decision for myself as a leader. If I can just make one chief sit up a little taller. If I could just make one community member smile a little brighter. You know, that's what I want to do. That's where I want to focus my energy. I really believe in inspiring our community to remind us of the strength that we have. We're beaten down all the time. People don't need me to remind them of the atrocities of colonization and its real-lived effects on our people on a day-to-day basis. Our people want answers. They want solutions. They want to find a pathway forward that lifts them up as a people. And I think that's the kind of leadership that I want to inspire. All of my education, all of my training, and all of the time I've spent with my elders to get this wisdom is meant to be shared. It's not meant to be held by myself”.