Splitrock Environmental
Splitrock Environmental is an award-winning, Indigenous-owned enterprise of the Cayoose Creek Band (Sekw’el’was), created to steward lands and waters in St’át’imc territory while advancing community self-determination. Formally owned through the Cayoose Creek Development Corporation, Splitrock integrates traditional knowledge and Western science to deliver ecological restoration, environmental monitoring, and ethnobotany services in the Fraser–Seton watershed around Lillooet, BC.
Founded in 2007 through early restoration work with the Lillooet Naturalist Society along the banks of the Fraser River, Splitrock has built a regional reputation for habitat assessment, fish and wildlife inventory, mapping, and long-term adaptive management planning. Their technicians support salmon stewardship through fish-salvage responses during hydro ramping events, smolt out-migration monitoring in the Seton River spawning channels, and regular spawner walks to assess habitat quality and survival.
A cornerstone of Splitrock’s work is its native-plant nursery (in operation since 2007), which propagates herbs, grasses, shrubs, and trees from local bioregions for use in restoration and culturally aligned landscaping. The nursery emphasizes species with “land and body healing” properties—including Xúsum/soopolallie (soapberry; Shepherdia canadensis), a plant of deep cultural significance to St’át’imc people. Public examples of Splitrock’s restoration work can be seen at the Sát’atqwa7 Wildlife Habitat Area near the confluence of the Seton and Fraser Rivers.
Economically and civically, Splitrock Environmental is central to Sekw’el’was. It is one of the Band’s principal business arms alongside Antares Construction, providing local employment, building environmental capacity, and generating revenue that supports community priorities. Its e-commerce and ethnobotanical product lines also broaden market reach – an expansion supported after the 2017–2018 wildfire disruptions to help stabilize jobs and diversify income. The Band’s “Land and Resources” contact is coordinated through Splitrock, underscoring its embedded role in governance and daily stewardship.
In the context of Indigenous medicines, Splitrock’s nursery, seed collection, and ethnobotany programs strengthen cultural continuity by safeguarding and cultivating medicinal plants, supporting knowledge transmission on harvesting protocols, and ensuring that restoration projects reflect Sekw’el’was values. In short, Splitrock Environmental is both a steward of place and a vehicle for community wellbeing—linking ecological health, cultural practice, and economic resilience for the Cayoose Creek Band.
