King Island is a remote island situated approximately 50 km southeast of Bella Coola between Dean and Burke Channel on the West Coast of British Columbia, Canada. King Island is within the traditional territory of the Nuxalk Nation and is known to the Nuxalk people as Nuxalknalus. Nuxalknalus is still used by the Nuxalk people for food gathering, fishing, hunting, spiritual ceremonies and other activities. In June 1997, International Forest Products Ltd. (Interfor) was given continued permission by the Ministry of Forests to fall and harvest timber and build and use roads on King Island. Workers were taken to and from King Island each day by boat which landed at a location called Fog Creek. Fog Creek is known to the Nuxalk people as ISTA. ISTA is a former village site and the place of origin of the Nuxalk people. Physical evidence of past Nuxalk occupation at ISTA still remains today. This evidence includes canoe runs, house remains, culturally modified trees and petroglyphs all of which support the Nuxalk people's use, occupation and aboriginal title to the site. The Nuxalk people derive their most sacred songs and dance from ISTA.
	On June 6th, 1997, in the early morning Interfor workers landed at ISTA as usual to carry out project work. Approximately three quarters of a kilometer up the mainline from the shore protesters prevented workers from accessing work sites. There were six Nuxalk members and 14 non aboriginal protestors. Approximately 1.5 kilometers up the east mainline there was a large tripod constructed in the middle of the road. Three protesters, one with his arm chained by carabiners to a cement anchor piece buried below the road surface were beneath the tripod and two were suspended from the apex of the tripod. In total over 55 people were present at the blockade and Interfor's logging operation on the remote King Island was halted for 19 days. On 5 October 1997 at the Supreme Court of British Columbia in Vancouver six people from the Nuxalk Nation stood on trial for DEFENDING THEIR SACRED LAND FROM CLEARCUTTING. The Nuxalk people were: Warren Snow, Emily Johnny, William Ernest Tallio, Harry Schooner, Hereditary Chief Qwatsinas (Edward Moody) and Colette Schooner. ISTA is the place where the first woman decended to earth, from her all life grew. ISTA, like all Nuxalk Territory has never been ceded, no treaty has ever been signed with the Nuxalk Nation and the Nuxalk have not concented to the forests being clearcut by multinational logging coroporations. "Our chiefs, our elders and our people go out to stop the destruction of our land and face criminal charges in court as a result" said Hereditary Chief Qwatsinas. "Even now, these companies are clearcutting sites that are sacred to our people. Western Forest Products is relentlessly clearcutting our rainforests at Kimsquit and Interfor continues to clearcut our sacred ISTA." The Nuxalk people who were arrested at ISTA were supported by members of environmental groups who had been invited to ISTA by Hereditary Chief Nuximlayc.
	"First of all we would like to acknowledge Tatau, the Creator, through Manakys, the Great Spirit, for all that he has provided since the beginning of time and still does today." Colette Schooner, a Nuxalk Youth, 16 years old, was arrested on 24 June 1997 for protecting ISTA. She stated: "My mother has been arrested for protecting ISTA. My grandfather was arrested too. Now I am here for the youth and future generations to stop the clearcutting of this sacred forest" Hereditary Chief Nuximlayc (Lawrence Pootlas) stated: "It hurts that we should be jailed because we stand up for the land. We are portrayed as criminals. I would like to say about all the People that stood up to protect Ista; the Hereditary Chiefs, the women, the children, the families, who have not forgotten their Smayustus. They have strong spirits &endash; that is why they went out there. Our responsibility to protect the land comes from the Great Spirit and ISTA is one of our most sacred areas. We have accepted the responsibility to speak for the bear, raven, eagle, killer whale and salmon who will be affected by logging. ISTA is being desecrated by the logging of International Forest Products and it is out responsibility to protect our sacred lands." Hereditary Chief Qwatsinas (Edward Moody), one of those arrested on 24 June 1997, stated to the arresting RCMP: "The court system and the judicial system and the laws that are being placed on us are not our laws. Our laws are natural Nuxalk Laws. They allow us to protect our lands and forests. Laws flowing through us - through spirits and land &endash; this is a spiritual struggle. We will continue to say it is not a legal enforcement issue, it is a political, environmental and human issue. Today, there is very limited space in our Territory. To continue to live we need the old growth and pristine areas. We are here to protect the forest and lands. Our history is intertwined with this land."
	The Nuxalk people have led the fight to stop Interfor from destroying their traditional territory. Since the early '90's, the Nuxalk have lobbied both Interfor and the government of BC to halt clearcutting. In 1995, 17 Nuxalk people including three Hereditory Chiefs were arrested for trying to protect ISTA from international logging corporation Interfor. In 1997 as a result their efforts to protect the sacred Nuxalk lands at ISTA on King Island by taking a second stand against Interfor, six individuals from the Nuxalk Nation were served with an injunction brought about by Interfor. Facing charges of criminal contempt, the Nuxalk protestors appeared in the Supreme Court of British Columbia in Vancouver for a second day in October 1997. Their many supporters gathered for a drumming circle outside the courthouse.
	The clearcutting of Nuxalk Territory is wrecking the salmon spawning streams. Salmon are of great importance to the Nuxalk people. There are a variety of fish that run at different times of the spring and summer months. Fish is one of the main diets of the Nuxalk people. They are dependant on it for survival. With the high rate of unemployment and the high prices of food, fish has been and is a traditional food, easily accessable by the Bella Coola River that runs through the village. In the spring the ooligans run from three to ten days, The grease is proccessed from the ooligans and is a very rich oil. The ooligans can be smoked in a smokehouse. The Nuxalk have a Spring Salmon Ceremony by the river to give thanks to the Creator for providing the fish. Proceeding the ceromony is a feast for the community and guests. The Spring Salmon is cut into strips and smoked. The Nuxalk name for it is 'sluc' and can be eaten with ooligan grease. The fish remaining on the skin is half-smoked. The Nuxalk survived long before any white settlers arrived and our struggle against clearcutting the forests is so that our future generations will enjoy the salmon the Creator has provided.

Concerned over Canada's destruction of the ancient temperate rainforest, in 1999 children from around the world travelled to British Columbia with heartfelt messages to express their desire for environmental protection. The 15 children from 11 different countries have brought banners with them in culmination of the Greenpeace International Youth Banner Project, which was created by and for youth as an opportunity to make their voices heard on the clearcut logging of the endangered ancient temperate rainforests. The International Youth Delegation unveiled their banners on the steps of the Supreme Court of British Columbia in Vancouver to support the six Nuxalk on trial for defending their sacred land at ISTA in 1997. Later in the afternoon the delegation went to the offices of Interfor and Western Forest Products. Nuxalk youth David Snow spoke to Ric Slaco, Interfor chief forester and Interfor vice president P. J. Lowenberger.

The International Childrens Delegation also demonstrated outside the Parliament Building in Victoria, spreading their banners on the lawn in front of the Parliament Building. Earlier in the day the Delegation and three Nuxalk youth met with John Allen the Deputy Minster of Forests and another officials. The government officials presented a slide show proclaiming their concern. But the youth were not fooled by the official's rhetoric and asked direct questions. Seraina, a 14 year old Swiss girl asked: "Is money more important for you than the lives of thousands of animals and all those plants and trees?" The government officials had no reply but started to talk about the various managment plans to coverup their complicity in the destruction caused by clearcutting. Before the meeting was over, the youth handed over a banner and read the note of protest that they had written that ancient forests destruction be stopped; that the Great Bear Rainforest be protected; and that the respect the beliefs and land of the Nuxalk People be respected.