Nechako: It Will Be a Big River Again

“Nechako” literally means “Big River”. But this artery for the Stellat’en First Nation in BC was drastically and dramatically diminished by the imposition of the Kenney Dam in the 1950s, which diverted 70% of the flow into an artificial reservoir to power an aluminum smelter for Rio Tinto. Back then the Stellat’en and their neighbours the Saik’uz weren’t even allowed to hire lawyers to fight their case. But their struggle for justice continues all these decades later, with the dire consequences of the “development” on salmon stocks and the eco-system clear to see. Stellat’en filmmaker Lyana Patrick communicates what’s at issue in the legal sphere, but also environmentally, which is to say culturally and spiritually.

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.

Lyana Patrick, Director

Nechako does a great job of summarizing this gruelling and complex fight, but its real strength lies in the affection Patrick summons for the people behind the struggle.

Adrian Mack, Stir