The Tlowitsis First Nation’s traditional territory is located at the mouth of Knight Inlet. The area encompasses Glendale Cove south to Blinkinsop Bay on the mainland.  The territory on East Vancouver Island, is from west of Kelsey Bay to Beaver Cove. We have 2 watersheds on Vancouver Island, the Adam and Eve Rivers, the Sitika River including world famous Robson Bight. In this circle is myriad of small islands including a portion of Hanson Island east to Harbledown Island over Beware Passage to Turnour Island. East and West Cracroft Islands are large islands separated by main waterways, Johnstone Strait, Baronet Passage, Clio, Chatham and Havana Channels. Call Inlet and Port Neville watershed are on the mainland, which includes the Fulmore Lake and river.

Traditionally the Tlowitsis people travelled throughout the territory but in more recent times their primary village was Qalogwis located on Turnour Island. Today, the Tlowitsis Nation has eleven small isolated and remote reserves, and its 415 members live mostly in urban areas, with many members living in or near Campbell River.

Tlowitsis have always maintained a presence throughout our territory, including Turnour Island. The visual presence of the uniformed Tlowitsis Guardians in the territory is helping to underline that important fact to the world.  The Guardian program not only provides opportunity for our members to obtain meaningful employment and training but allows our Nation to continue our ancestral stewardship responsibility for our territory.

The Tlowitsis Guardians are involved in the conservation/protection of cultural, economic, and ecological values throughout the Nation’s traditional territory. Monitoring the resources in Tlowitsis’ remote region isn’t easy.  Nonetheless Tlowitsis is actively undertaking numerous activities under its Guardian Watchman Program, including monitoring the Adams River salmon runs, shellfish and crustacean sampling, public outreach and education, fish and fish habitat monitoring at Port Neville, and large cultural cedar site monitoring to ensure protection.