Inside the Witsuwit'en nation's fight to defend their lands against fossil-fuel companies
A note about the spelling of Witsuwit'en in this article:
Both Wet'suwet'en or Witsuwit'en are correct. The film Yintah uses the spelling "Witsuwit'en" as this is the preferred spelling of Witsuwit'en. A distinct Witsuwit'en orthography was developed by a linguist working with the language speakers for decades. Please see below for more details.
Yintah — the Witsuwit'en word for "land" — tells the story of an Indigenous nation fighting for sovereignty and resisting the construction of oil and fracked-gas pipelines across their territory.
The film follows Tsakë ze' Howilhkat Freda Huson, Tsakë ze' Sleydo' Molly Wickham and their fellow land defenders over a decade, as they reoccupy their traditional territory and galvanize their nation against several of the world's largest fossil-fuel companies.
Yintah is about an anti-colonial resurgence — a fierce and ongoing battle for Indigenous and human rights. The film reveals the hypocrisy of the Canadian government's promise of reconciliation, while Indigenous land is still being seized at gunpoint for resource extraction.
The hereditary chiefs' jurisdiction over the territory is supported by a 1997 Supreme Court of Canada decision. When a lower court effectively sidesteps this ruling, granting oil and gas companies access to Witsuwit'en land, the nation's leaders put their bodies on the line, building barricades to keep the corporations out.
Ultimately, Yintah is the story of the Indigenous right to stewardship and sovereignty over their territories. Howilhkat, Sleydo' and the land defenders are part of a centuries-long fight to protect their children, culture and land from colonial violence.
For the Witsuwit'en, their very future is at stake.
Where to watch Yintah
Yintah had its Canadian premiere at the Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival earlier this year. It won the Hot Docs Audience Award and the Rogers Audience Award for Best Canadian Documentary.
Watch Yintah on CBC Gem and the CBC Docs YouTube channel.
What is the correct spelling: Wet'suwet'en or Witsuwit'en?
Both Wet'suwet'en or Witsuwit'en are correct.
The spelling "Wet'suwet'en" is most commonly used in the media because it matches the spelling used by various Wet'suwet'en organizations, such as the Office of the Wet'suwet'en, and is consistent with the spelling used throughout the landmark Delgamuukw-Gisday'wa Supreme Court of Canada decision.
The film Yintah uses the spelling "Witsuwit'en" as this is the preferred spelling of Witsuwit'en. A distinct Witsuwit'en orthography was developed by a linguist working with the language speakers for decades.
