Unist'ot'en

A colonized culture is attempting to rise after hundreds of years of oppression. Indigenous reoccupation camps on traditional territories and unceded lands have been establishing and asserting their rights in various parts of British Columbia. The Unist´ot´en Camp in northern BC is directly located in a high profile oil and gas pipeline corridor. There are plans for several lines to meet here and continue to the Pacific Ocean for export to Asia. These stands are shaping the way government and industries are interacting with the true owners of these lands. Arriving at this location you begin to understand what has been taken away by colonialism, and the potential to rebuild a lost culture. Under the constant threat of a police raid, camp residents remain connected to their surroundings. Wild berries grow as far as the eye can see; a thousand men could not pick all. Amidst the sound of drums beating from the territory, the sacred fire burns tall. Salmon spawn in streams and rivers in such abundance, you can reach out and feel them beneath the current. The water is so pure that people drink directly from its cold flowing arteries. The camp’s objective is not only to stand against industry destroying the environment. It is a collective effort to reestablish sacred traditions, languages and practices that have been suppressed for generations. This land holds spiritual history, burial grounds; these are places where their ancestors have lived, where their sprits roam among the wildlife. The Unist´ot´en territory is a place to heal and reconnect with your soul through the land that surrounds you.