Yintah

In 1997, the Supreme Court of Canada acknowledged a 22,000-square-kilometre area in British Columbia as being governed by the Wet’suwet’en Indigenous Nation. The land,
yintah, is part of a shared heritage and decisions are made by clan elders. When plans for a gas pipeline cut through the territory, home and rights have to be protected.

Spanning over a decade this film, directed by Michael Toledano, Jennifer Wickham and Brenda Michell, documents the resistance through two central figures in the fight: activists Howilhkat Freda Huson and Sleydo’ Molly Wickham. Time and again, they stop trespassers by relentlessly repeating the same sentences.

Yintah exposes the persistence of oppression and colonialism. When words do not lead to desired outcomes, power is wielded through fear and violence. The film takes a decolonial stance by undermining authority by exposing its unfairness, as well as by following Wet’suwet’en laws by incorporating communality at every stage of the production. Two of the directors, Wickham and Michell, are sisters of the central figures.

Yintah is an eye-opening, raw study of the oppression faced by Indigenous peoples; above all, it is a powerful portrayal of resilience. Strength is found in community, heritage, and the
need to preserve them for future generations.

Mimosa Ahderinne