Join us for a conversation about the film YINTAH and the Wet’suwet’en nation’s fight for sovereignty with Jennifer Wickham, one of the film’s directors, and Tsakë ze’ Sleydo’ Molly Wickham, one of the main protagonists.

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.

The film follows Tsakë ze’ Howilhkat Freda Huson and Tsakë ze’ Sleydo’ Molly Wickham, along with the Wet’suwet’en Hereditary Chiefs and fellow land defenders, as they reoccupy and protect their traditional land in a decade-long battle to keep out the companies that seek to exploit it.

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. Freda, Molly, and the land defenders are part of a centuries-long fight to protect their children, culture, and land from colonial violence.

Jennifer Wickham, Co-Director & Producer

Jen is Cas Yikh (Grizzly House) from the Gidimt’en (bear/wolf) clan of the
Wet’suwet’en people. Jennifer grew up in and around Wet’suwet’en territory, and
has actively participated in her nation’s governance system since 2008. Jen’s
background is in writing and Indigenous resurgence, with a Bachelor of Arts
degree from the University of Victoria and an Education degree from the
University of Northern British Columbia. She has worked as an educator, a
mental health advocate, and community support worker. She is a founding
member of the Indigenous Life School on Wet’suwet’en territory. From 2018 to
2020, Jen worked as the Executive Director of the Witsuwit’en Language and
Culture Society. Since 2018, and currently, Jen has been the Media Coordinator
for the Gidimt’en Checkpoint.

Tsakë ze’ Sleydo’ Molly Wickham

Tsakë ze’ Sleydo’ Molly Wickham is a wing chief of the Cas Yikh people of the Wet’suwet’en Gidimt’en clan. For many years, she has lived on unceded Cas Yikh territory with her family, in a cabin built strategically to protect an idyllic lake from mining. After supporting the Unist’ot’en behind the scenes for years, Molly was thrust into the national spotlight as the appointed spokesperson of the Gidimt’en Checkpoint. As her clan retook control of their traditional lands, she confronted the police on her doorstep, becoming a recognized icon of the Wet’suwet’en resistance. After leading a 55 day blockade of the Coastal GasLink pipeline, she has experienced targeted state harassment and ongoing criminalization as a result of her unwavering defense of the yintah.

Image: Tsakë ze’ Sleydo’ Molly Wickham, a Wet’suwet’en wing chief, photographed during the Coyote Camp blockade. Photo Credit: © Micheal Toledano.