Join Yaq̓it ʔa·knuqⱡi’it, Elk River Alliance and Wildsight on Thursday, Dec 3 in Fernie to watch a new documentary revealing the far-reaching impacts of mountaintop removal coal mining in British Columbia’s Elk Valley.
Following the film, there will be a panel discussion; details to follow!
Suggested registration is $15 per person. Register now to secure your seat; limited space available! Ticket holders will also be entered into a draw for a fabulous door prize.
About the film:
The lucrative metallurgical coal industry has polluted water in B.C. and the United States for decades, threatening the culture of the transboundary Ktunaxa Nation. As the problem reaches the international stage through investigation under the Boundary Waters Treaty of 1909, regulators face a pivotal choice: continue to protect industry, or rise to protect the water, people, and future of this watershed.
The story is told through Ktunaxa leadership as well as allied scientific and policy experts. Featured spokespeople include Gary Aitken Jr., Vice Chairman of the Kootenai Tribe of Idaho, Rich Janssen Jr. MBA, Natural Resources Department Head for the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes, Heidi Gravelle, Nasukin of Yaq̓it ʔa·knuqⱡi’it First Nation, and Kathryn Tenesse, Chair of the Ktunaxa Nation Council. Despite extensive scientific documentation of pollution, regulatory responses have been inadequate and fragmented across jurisdictions, often prioritizing industry over ecosystem health. New mines and mine expansions that risk locking in additional decades of environmental degradation are under consideration.