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Under Dakelh law, the people and the land belong to each other. The Maiyoo Keyoh protects and stewards its ancestral territory, preserving ecological integrity and cultural continuity, and asserting Indigenous rights and title for the benefit of present and future generations.
The Maiyoo Keyoh
The Maiyoo Keyoh is the ancestral territory of the Snadneke — the people of the Maiyoo Keyoh — in north-central British Columbia, stretching along the north shore of Tsa Bunghun (Great Beaver Lake). At its heart is Susk'uz, the ancient ancestral village of the Maiyoo Keyoh.
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A keyoh is a Dakelh family's ancestral land — a defined territory held by the people who have lived on and with it since time before memory. Each keyoh is governed by its keyohwhuduchun, the hereditary title-holder who carries sole authority over the land under Dakelh customary law.
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The keyohwhuduchun holds the Maiyoo Keyoh, and has done so for at least six documented generations. The current keyohwhuduchun is Petra A'Huille, carrying forward the line of Sally A'Huille and the keyohwhuduchun who came before her. The line is unbroken.
The Maiyoo Keyoh Indigenous Protected and Conserved Area
​​​​​On December 27, 2025, Keyohwhuduchun Petra A'Huille declared the Maiyoo Keyoh Indigenous Protected and Conserved Area — 20,373 hectares of unceded Dakelh territory, protected under the authority of the keyohwhuduchun and the customary law of the Maiyoo Keyoh.
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The IPCA is rooted in the principle that the keyoh and the Snadneke are one — the land, the family, and the law are inseparable. The IPCA is led by the Maiyoo Keyoh, not granted by the Crown.
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Any industry, agency, or proponent considering an activity on the Maiyoo Keyoh must request permission from the keyohwhuduchun under the IPCA protocol — Whuz un'a Whuts'odilhti.
Our Projects
"Sustaining the Keyoh for Generations to Come”.
Project 1 - The Keyohwhuduchun George A'Huille Monument
The monument standing at Susk'uz honours George A'Huille (Hot'sot'en, Hahul, Sidoman), keyohwhuduchun of the Maiyoo Keyoh in the mid-19th century and the last to wear the sacred Tsik'usdzai headdress.
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The monument is a lasting tribute to the line of the keyohwhuduchun and the continuity of Dakelh authority on this land — a reaffirmation by the Snadneke of the teachings, history, and stewardship that define the Keyoh.
Project 2 - The Hahul Headdress
Royal Ontario Museum | The Exploration Place | Canadian Heritage Museums Assistance Program
The Hahul headdress is the physical embodiment of the keyohwhuduchun's title and authority over the Maiyoo Keyoh. Taken from Susk'uz in the late 19th century and held abroad for over a century, its repatriation and exhibition is part of the work of returning what was taken.
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Petra A'Huille is George A'Huille's great-great-granddaughter and the current keyohwhuduchun.
Project 3 - TERRITORY COMMEMORATION SIGNAGE
Vancouver Foundation | Province of British Columbia
The Maiyoo Keyoh is installing commemorative signage along the trapline boundary, bringing visibility to Dakelh keyoh law, customary land tenure, the continuous presence of the Snadneke on the Maiyoo Keyoh.
The project is supported by the Vancouver Foundation Indigenous Priorities Granting Program and the Province of British Columbia.
