Indigenous-owned nursery in british columbia pioneers native plant restoration with traditional knowledge

In the heart of British Columbia’s Kootenay region, the Nupqu Native Plant Nursery is revolutionizing ecological restoration by combining Indigenous knowledge with modern conservation techniques. The facility, whose name means “black bear” in the Ktunaxa language, has achieved a remarkable breakthrough with sulfur buckwheat, a notoriously difficult-to-grow native species essential for restoring degraded high-altitude grasslands.

What typically takes two to three years to cultivate from seed to seedling, Nupqu’s specialists have now accomplished in just one year. This success story represents more than agricultural innovation—it embodies the resurgence of Indigenous stewardship over ancestral lands. The nursery, operating on the ʔaq̓am reserve, is entirely owned by the four Ktunaxa First Nations and serves as Canada’s largest Indigenous-owned native plant nursery.

Since acquiring the facility five years ago, Nupqu has expanded to cultivate over 60 native plant species, most grown from seeds collected across the 70,000-square-kilometer traditional Ktunaxa territory. This vast landscape encompasses everything from jagged mountain peaks and alpine meadows to grasslands and forests throughout the Kootenay region.

The nursery’s work extends far beyond plant propagation—it represents a powerful model of Indigenous-led conservation. By focusing on native species restoration using plants sourced from traditional territories, Nupqu is healing both the land and strengthening cultural connections. Their success with challenging species like sulfur buckwheat demonstrates how combining traditional ecological knowledge with contemporary techniques can accelerate restoration efforts across degraded ecosystems.