The destruction of the Nechako created conditions for a multigenerational fight from which there is no backing down

Director’s Statement

As a reporter for the Native Voice newspaper in 1994, I wrote about the Aluminum Company of Canada (Alcan) and its efforts to divert the Nechako River for the benefit of its aluminum smelter. This was an intensely personal story, as I knew many of the people who opposed the hydroelectric project and the company’s ongoing attempt to divert yet more of the river into the reservoir behind the Kenney Dam. It would take many years for me to fully understand how the dam impacted my Nation—the Stellat’en First Nation. We relied on the river.

Our identity and connection to place is inscribed in the rushing waters of the Nechako, or “Big River.”

The story of the Kenney Dam is one of resistance and restoration, of the intimate connections between the health of the land and the health of the people. It speaks to our court case against Rio Tinto Alcan and the governments of Canada and British Columbia, and points to a different way of co-existing on these lands. What the Nechako Nations are seeking is a role in the stewardship of our lands and waters, something denied to us for generations. These are important stories to share with a world that is struggling to address the devastating impacts of climate change. Our resilience and adaptation in the face of colonial policies and practices demonstrates our innovation in addressing the climate crisis. The ongoing cumulative impacts of development make this work ever more urgent.