Throughout August, we’re taking a deeper look at the Breathing Lands and the boggy wetlands that make up a big portion of Treaty No. 9 territory. Here’s a little illustrated introduction to a wetland cutie, Sally the Salamander.

Story written by Levin Chamberlain, Karissa Chandrakate, and Jamie-Leigh Gonzales
Illustrated by Karissa Chandrakate

The blue-spotted salamander is just one example of a critter that scientists only recently discovered inhabits the northern parts of Treaty No. 9 territory. While Sally and her other wetland kin depend on the Breathing Lands being stewarded with sustainable practices, they are not the only ones who depend on the integrity of the boggy peatlands staying intact. 

Over millennia, decomposing plants in wetlands have created a huge carbon sink. Because of the slow rate of decay in the peatlands, the boggy Earth holds almost twice as much carbon as a forest does. This is why the Breathing Lands are estimated to hold over 35 billion tonnes of carbon. 

First Nation across the territory rely on these wetlands for sustenance and have been land stewards for generations.  Equally important, these wetlands are vital to the ecosystems and our climate. 

While the Breathing Lands legal challenge looks at addressing co-jurisdiction, which was promised to Treaty No. 9 Nations in signing a treaty with Canada and Ontario, the assertion of rights for Breathing Lands Nations also means that the Breathing Lands would be cared for according to Indigenous laws, which recognize the right of all living things to thrive well into the future.