RHODA: Hello I’m Rhoda I am a member of the Klabona Keepers from Iskut. This is the story of a small group of people standing up for our land for the past 15 years…Defeating some of the biggest companies in the world. 

Klabona is a sacred place for our community. It’s where we go to hunt and gather our winter food. It is our kitchen. It’s a place that we take our kids to teach them our culture. It’s where we go and connect with our ancestors, heal and feel grounded. 

 70 years ago the government moved my people out of this traditional territory. Shortly after my aunt and uncle were taken from their parents to be put in residential schools. The government was taking the children from our land. Now they are trying to take the land from our children.

For the past 15 years the Klabona Keepers have had to fight coal and gas tenures permitted by the government. We will not be displaced again. 

TAMO: Film has a history of extracting stories in indigenous communities. When we were asked to make this film, we were honoured to do it but not unless the community shaped the story. This took years of visiting elders, going house to house for months deciding what their story would be.  

In the end a beautiful story board was crafted. A  film not only about grandmothers kicking out companies like Royal Dutch Shell and Fortune Minerals but about overcoming historical trauma, division and ultimately sacrificing to protect the sacred headwaters.

RHODA: When this film is complete, it will tell our story. Here is a look at the trailer. 

RHODA (CONT’D):  In the summer of 2004 my husband worked as a machine operator in the Klabona for Shell Canada. A year later, he gave up his job to start a blockade that brought our people together to protect our sacred land.

Amanda Stastook, Associate Director Advancement - York University, Faculty of Environmental & Urban Change

Host a screening for faculty, staff and students. Promote film on social media, introduce Tamo and his peers to the indigenous council at York, and to the faculty of arts media performance and design to see if there are sound design connections that can be made.

Anthony Swan - Story Money Impact

Offered to help manage the website, offered to visit Rhoda and others and cook for them when travel is safe.

Avexnim Cojti - Cultural Survival

Offered to create a radio program with interviews of the film's participants/spokespeople and maybe Tamo too, with the possibility of translating it into indigenous languages of South America.

Brooks Arcand-Paul, Vice President - Indigenous Bar Association

Offered a national screening through IBA, to their members and the public, and facilitate a panel discussion. Will further commit to meeting with Rhoda and the others to find the best way they can advocate for their work.

Dave Secord, Principal - Barnacle Strategies

Promote/organize screenings on salt spring island, offered advice or connections to affected and allied downstream communities and organizations in southeast Alaska.

Eriel Tchekwie Deranger, Executive Director - Indigenous Climate Action

Offered the toolset they're launching in the new year that discusses everything from the science of climate change to how sovereignty and autonomy are critical to building regional environmental movements. Is interested in profiling the community at Iskut for their program "Sovereignty and Action" to showcase the work they are doing. Offered access to their graphic designers and offered to spread the word of any upcoming action.

Farhan Umedaly, Principal - VoVo Productions

Minimum of $10,000 in in-kind services at VoVo.

Garry Anaquod, Special Projects Coordinator - Saskatchewan Indigenous Cultural Centre

Brief his managers to see what support they can pledge, likely arranging a screening in Saskatoon/virtually.

Hillary Predko

Pledge 1000 - 2000 dollars through funding accessed through symposium "Environment Racism is Garbage", looking at how waste is a symptom of colonialsim. $150 personal donation.

Jennifer Wickham, Media Coordinator - Gidimt’en Checkpoint

Personal donation, interested in speaking more with Rhoda and Marie to see what knowledge they can exchange. Offered contacts and platform. Offered to facilitate screenings, share on social media. Committed to strengthening the relationship between their nations, creating community, support, and solidarity.

John McDonnell, Executive Director - Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society

I would be happy to chat about how we can help, I could loop in our Communications Coordinator for a Zoom call in the next couple of weeks. We would love to learn more and help out in any way we can."

Josli Rockafella - SMI Pod

$200 donation from the Pod. Offered that they are available down the road to be called on for favours, whenever/whatever Tamo needs.

Judy Wilson, Secretary-Treasurer - Union of BC Indian Chiefs

Is asking the union executive for a pledge, did not have the details during the event. Offer of her guidance that comes with 25 years of experience in broadcast media and print media. Share the film/campaign through West Coast Protectors, BC Chiefs, and Chief's list serv.

Kanina Terry, Indigenous Relations Coordinator - Local Food and Farm Co-ops

Faciliate a screening with members and network, to show the film at their 2021 assembly, and to organize a screening post-covid so people can gather in person and celebrate community and land. Organize a screening in their community to inspire and strengthen folks as they face their own fights for the land. $50 personal donation.

Lindsay Eberts - Stack Resources LLC

$1,000

Lori Campbell, Director - Waterloo Indigenous Student Centre

Community screening with speakers, sharing the film/campaign with their network.

Martha Stiegman, Assistant Professor - York University, Faculty of Environmental & Urban Change

Work with the dean on organizing the screening, connecting that to a symposium that brings leaders from the west with leaders from the east, including water protectors fighting against the Alton gas project. Offered a connection to Mining Watch.

Nikki Skuce, Director - Northern Confluence

Pledged to advocate for the BC government to reform the mineral tenure act, organize a screening in Smithers. Pledged to make a small personal donation. Offered their house as a place to stay to Rhoda if she's ever in need of somewhere to rest on a trip.

Rick Coe, Musician - Buckman Coe Music

Offered original music composed for the film, $100.

Rob McCauley - The Guayakí Yerba Mate Co.

Continue to support Tamo and the film through post-production, offer of any resources they have that Tamo needs. Champion the film to the founders. Offered their netowrk of youth across North America.

Sadia Zaman, CEO - Inspirit Foundation

$20,000 in 2021 for a fulsome impact campaign.

Shannon McPhail, Executive Director - Skeena Watershed Conservation Coalition

The use of their giant inflatable outdoor screen for use on the tour, $5,000 towards a youth mentorship program about territorial management. Offered to make connections to organizers from across the Skeena watershed.

Susan Smitten, Executive Director - RAVEN

$100 personal donation. Offered to do a podcast episode about the film, and put together something on Instagram live/instagram stories for the film as well.

Tamiko Suzuki, Outreach Liason of the Environment Team - Unitarian Church of Vancouver

Hold film screenings with the Vancouver Unitarians for fundraising and for education. Spread the reach of the film into other religious organizations she is connected to. Try to get a screening in the Vancouver school system through connections with the school board and justice organizations. $100 donation.

Tatiana Nemchin

$100, "would be honoured to help in other ways"

Tracey Friesen - CMPA

Pledged mentorship to Tamo through 2021, spending 5 hours a month on anything to do with outreach, story editing, funding, research, classwork. $200 donation to Tamo. $200 donation to the impact campaign. $200 to Iskut.

WHAT PLEDGES WERE PREVIOUSLY MADE AT OUR LIVE EVENT?

Skeena Watershed Conservation Coalition, Shannon McPhail
Communications and outreach support at regional level including logistical and travel planning. Outdoor movie screen system for next 2 years. $60,000 from multiple sources including Wilberforce, Leonardo DeCaprio, and Patagonia. Offer to build stone monument on Mount Klappen.

Threshold Foundation, Christopher Fleck
Pledged $12,000.

LUSH soaps, Deena Guffei
Support $15,000 towards Outreach.

Air North Airlines, Ben Ryan
Pro-bona flights/cargo in NWT and Yukon.Free flights to Calgary, Edmonton, Kelowna for fundraising.

Nick de Pencier & Jenn Baichwel
Gyro-stabilized footage of Sacred Headwater. Pledged $1000 toward post production and festival strategy.

Fast Signs, Paul LeBlanc
$300 worth of printed material.

Alliance for Media Arts + Culture, Wendy Levy
Project consultations and mentorship.

Patagonia, Sarah Ebe
$12,500 for outreach.

United Nations, Jon Herbertsson
Offered introduction to UNESCO to consult on making Sacred Headwaters world heritage site.

National Aboriginal Capital Corporations Association
Willing to use mailing list to promote film and messaging through their mailing list.

Wilderness Committee, Peter McCartney
Host a screening.

Cool World, Kat Dodds
Offered in-kind consultation from her film team and consultants.

Individual Pledges

• Donation of $6500 from Tara Cullis

• Donation of $5000 from Laurie Watt

• Donation of $500 from Karyn Strickler