The Clayoquot protests were a series of environmental protests in the early 1990s centered around logging on Meares Island, located off the west coast of Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada. The protests, which took place in 1993, were organized by environmental activists who sought to protect the ancient temperate rainforest on Meares Island and prevent clearcutting of the area by logging companies. The protests attracted widespread attention and became one of the largest acts of civil disobedience in Canadian history, with over 800 people being arrested. The protests helped raise public awareness of environmental issues and led to increased protections for ancient forests in British Columbia.

The issue at the heart of the Clayoquot protests was the planned clearcutting of the ancient temperate rainforest on Meares Island by logging companies. Environmental activists sought to protect this pristine wilderness area, which is home to many species of rare and endangered plants and animals, and prevent the destruction of its delicate ecosystem. The protesters argued that the logging was not sustainable and would cause irreparable harm to the environment, and they called for the creation of a park or reserve on Meares Island to protect it for future generations. The protests drew widespread attention to the issue of deforestation and raised public awareness of the importance of preserving ancient forests and other critical ecosystems.

The Clayoquot protests took place in the summer of 1993. The exact dates of the protests varied, but they lasted for several months, from approximately July to September of that year.

During the protests, activists established a series of camps on Meares Island and staged non-violent demonstrations and blockades to prevent loggers and logging equipment from reaching the planned clearcut areas. This resulted in a confrontation with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), who were called in to enforce a court injunction against the protesters and remove them from the island.

Over the course of the protests, over 800 people were arrested, many of them for violating the court injunction. Despite the arrests, the protests continued and attracted widespread media coverage, bringing the issue of deforestation and the destruction of ancient forests to the forefront of public attention.

The protests ended with a negotiated settlement in which the government agreed to reduce the logging in the area, create a park or reserve on Meares Island, and establish a commission to review land use practices in the surrounding Clayoquot Sound region. The Clayoquot protests are widely considered one of the largest acts of civil disobedience in Canadian history and had a significant impact on environmental policy and activism in Canada and beyond.

The indigenous people of the Nuu-chah-nulth First Nation, who have a long history of inhabiting the Clayoquot Sound region on the west coast of Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada, were also involved in the Clayoquot protests. They played a significant role in the confrontation over logging on Meares Island.

The Nuu-chah-nulth people have traditional territorial rights and cultural connections to the area, and they were concerned about the impacts of logging on their ancestral lands and the traditional way of life of their communities. They participated in the protests and demonstrations, and some were arrested along with other activists during the confrontation with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP).

The involvement of the Nuu-chah-nulth people in the Clayoquot protests highlighted the intersection of environmental and indigenous rights issues and drew attention to the ongoing struggles of indigenous peoples to protect their lands, cultures, and livelihoods from resource extraction and other forms of development. The protests helped to advance the cause of indigenous rights and environmental protection and raised awareness of the need for respect for indigenous sovereignty and the protection of traditional lands and cultures.

Jack Woodward is a prominent Canadian lawyer who was involved in the court case related to the Clayoquot protests. As a legal expert and advocate for indigenous rights, he was hired by the Nuu-chah-nulth First Nation to represent them in the case and to challenge the logging plans that were the focus of the protests.

Woodward's role in the case was to argue that the logging plans were illegal and that they violated the rights and title of the Nuu-chah-nulth First Nation. He used both legal and historical evidence to support his arguments, drawing on treaties, case law, and the long history of indigenous occupation of the area.

In the end, the court case was resolved through a negotiated settlement, in which the government agreed to reduce logging in the area, create a park or reserve on Meares Island, and establish a commission to review land use practices in the surrounding Clayoquot Sound region. While the exact terms of the settlement were not what the Nuu-chah-nulth First Nation had hoped for, the case was widely seen as a victory for the indigenous peoples of the area and for environmental activism more broadly.

Jack Woodward's work in the case was widely recognized as a landmark legal victory for indigenous rights and as a key moment in the history of environmental activism in Canada. His efforts helped to set a precedent for the recognition of indigenous title and rights and to bring attention to the importance of preserving the ancient temperate rainforest on Meares Island and the broader Clayoquot Sound region.