Yintah
An incendiary feat of filmmaking with its portrait of Witsuwit’en land defenders protecting their territory from invasive development.
Yintah
YINTAH, meaning “land” in the Wet’suwet’en language, tells the story of an Indigenous nation’s fight for sovereignty as they resist the construction of multiple oil and fracked-gas pipelines across their territory.
Over the period of a decade, the film follows Tsakë ze’ Howilhkat Freda Huson, Tsakë ze’
Sleydo’ Molly Wickham, and their fellow land defenders as they reoccupy their traditional
territory and galvanize their nation in a fight against several of the largest fossil fuel companies on earth.
YINTAH is about an anti-colonial resurgence—a fierce and ongoing fight for Indigenous and human rights. The film reveals the hypocrisy of the Canadian government’s espousal of reconciliation, as Indigenous land is still being seized at gunpoint for the purpose of resource extraction.
The Hereditary Chiefs’ claim to jurisdiction over the territory is supported by a 1997 Supreme Court of Canada decision. When a lower court effectively sidesteps this decision, granting pipeline companies access to Wet’suwet’en land, Wet’suwet’en leaders put their bodies on the line, building barricades to keep the companies out.
Ultimately, YINTAH is the story of the Indigenous right to stewardship and sovereignty over their territories. Freda, Molly, and the land defenders are part of a centuries-long fight to protect their children, culture, and land from colonial violence. For the Wet’suwet’en, their very future is at stake.
Over the period of a decade, the film follows Tsakë ze’ Howilhkat Freda Huson, Tsakë ze’
Sleydo’ Molly Wickham, and their fellow land defenders as they reoccupy their traditional
territory and galvanize their nation in a fight against several of the largest fossil fuel companies on earth.
YINTAH is about an anti-colonial resurgence—a fierce and ongoing fight for Indigenous and human rights. The film reveals the hypocrisy of the Canadian government’s espousal of reconciliation, as Indigenous land is still being seized at gunpoint for the purpose of resource extraction.
The Hereditary Chiefs’ claim to jurisdiction over the territory is supported by a 1997 Supreme Court of Canada decision. When a lower court effectively sidesteps this decision, granting pipeline companies access to Wet’suwet’en land, Wet’suwet’en leaders put their bodies on the line, building barricades to keep the companies out.
Ultimately, YINTAH is the story of the Indigenous right to stewardship and sovereignty over their territories. Freda, Molly, and the land defenders are part of a centuries-long fight to protect their children, culture, and land from colonial violence. For the Wet’suwet’en, their very future is at stake.
Genre
Documentary,
Activism,
Indigenous Peoples Experience
Runtime
110
Language
English
Director
Brenda Michell,
Michael Toledano,
Jennifer Wickham