NRESi Colloquium - Moving forward with ‘anuk niwh’iten - Sleydo’ Molly Wickham & Jen Wickham
This colloquium is co-sponsored by Inspiring Women Among Us (IWAU), Weaving Words, Office of Indigenous Initiatives, Office of the Dean, Faculty of Environment.
The presenters will be discussing what led to the film “YINTAH” and the resistance the film documents.
YINTAH, meaning “land” in the Wet’suwet’en language, tells the story of an Indigenous nation asserting sovereignty. It is the story of the Wet’suwet’en people reoccupying their territory and resisting the construction of multiple pipelines.
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.
4:45 – 5:30 Reception (with light refreshments) with Molly and Jen, Doug Little Lounge
5:45 – 8:00 YINTAH showing, 7-238
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.
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 andCulture Society. Since 2018, and currently, Jen has been the Media Coordinator for the Gidimt’en Checkpoint.
The Natural Resources & Environmental Studies Institute (NRESi) at UNBC hosts a weekly lecture series at the Prince George campus. Anyone from the university or wider community with interest in the topic area is welcome to attend. Presentations are also made available to remote participants through Zoom Webinar. Go to http://www.unbc.ca/nres-institute/colloquium-webcasts to view the presentation remotely.
Past NRESi colloquium presentations and special lectures can be viewed on our video archive, available here.