tansi ninôtemik,
“We do not own the land. We belong to the land. We are part of the land.”
Lihkt’samisyu Chief Dsta’hyl[1]
On October 18, a vulnerable and powerful call to action, the YINTAH movie, was released on Netflix. Covering the more than 10 years of Wet’suwet’en resistance, the film follows Howilhkat Freda Huson and Sleydo’ Molly Wickham as they fight to protect their lands from the Canadian state and Coastal Gaslink.[2]
YINTAH expresses a story of warriors fighting for truth and self-determination against an oppressive state. We get to see all of these beautiful moments of solidarity[3], traditional ways of living[4], and expressions of Wet’suwet’en law[5], but we also see destruction of the land[6], suppression of the press[7], and police violence[8].
One key thread running through this documentary is the issue of who is the proper rights holder over the territory. The Wet’suwet’en have never ceded or sold their 22,000 km² territory.[9] Despite this lack of cession, it is assumed by Coastal Gaslink that the proper rights holders to the territory are Indian Act band councils.[10]
Is this assumption correct? Short answer, no. Karen Drake offers insight into the long answer. Indian Act band councils are created by statute and have their powers limited by both the reserve land they occupy and the rights laid out in the Act.[11] This jurisdiction is different from the inherent rights held by Indigenous governments by way of existence pre-contact.[12] The proper rights holder over the 22,000 km² which pipeline companies are attempting to enter are the Wet’suwet’en hereditary chiefs.
Support the Wet’suwet’en
While the Coastal Gaslink pipeline has been completed[13], the fight is far from over. Here are three ways you can support the Wet’suwet’en:
Go to Camp: The Unist’ot’en Camp takes volunteers year round. The minimum time allowed for visiting is 2 weeks. Click here to register.[14]
Send Funds: Donations go toward food and medical supplies, allowing youth to visit the land, supporting Elders in teaching traditional ways, and maintaining a year round presence in the territory. Click here to donate.[15]
Offer Your Expertise: Unist’ot’en is seeking lawyers, grant writers, archeologists, map makers, anthropologists, environmental scientists and more to support their fight. Click here to contact Unist’ot’en volunteers. [16]
We encourage you to learn more and support in any way you can!
“This is just the beginning. You woke all these warriors up.”[17]
Until next time,
The ReconciliACTION Team
Citations
[1] Jennifer Wickham et al., “YINTAH” (2024) at 00h:55m:06s, online (movie): <https://www.netflix.com/search?q=yintah&jbv=81925905> [YINTAH].
[2] YINTAH Film, “YINTAH: A Documentary on a Decade of Wet’suwet’en Resistance” online: <https://www.yintahfilm.com/> [YINTAH Film].
[3] YINTAH, supra note 1 at 01h:14m:35s.
[4] Ibid at 00h:21m:18s.
[5] Ibid at 00h:26m:29s.
[6] Ibid at 00h:49m:50s.
[7] Ibid at 01h:40m:45s.
[8] Ibid at 01h:27m:23s.
[9] YINTAH Film, supra note 2.
[10] Karen Drake, “A Right Without a Rights-Holder Is Hollow: Introduction to OHLJ’s Special Issue on Identifying Rights-Bearing Aboriginal Peoples” (2020) 57:1 Osgoode Hall LJ iii at xi.
[11] Ibid at xii.
[12] Ibid.
[13] YINTAH, supra note 1 at 01h:45m:56s.
[14] Unist’ot’en, “Supporter Registration” online: <https://unistoten.camp/registration/>.
[15] Unist’ot’en, “Donate” online: <https://unistoten.camp/support-us/donate/>.
[16] Unist’ot’en, “Contact Us” online: <https://unistoten.camp/about/contact-us/>.
[17] YINTAH, supra note 1 at 01h:17m:28s.
[Image 1] YINTAH, supra note 1 at 00h:01m:42s.
[Image 2] YINTAH, supra note 1 at 01h:10m:29s.
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