Help Chief Dtsa'Hyl Build a Village on the Yintah!

Hey Everyone!

Many of you are aware of the inspiring story of the epic Wet'suwet'en struggle against the Coastal Gaslink pipeline.

This story has been told in the award-winning documentary Yintah, which is reportedly a contender for this year's "Best Documentary" Oscar.

But there is more to this story than just resistance to pipelines. The Wet'suwet'en sovereignty movement has going strong for decades, dating back to the famous Delgamuukw-Gisday'wa court case, in which Canada's Supreme Court acknowledged that the Wet'suwet'en Yintah legally belongs to the Wet'suwet'en hereditary chiefs.

Or, to put it more precisely, that the Wet'suwet'en's legal claim to 22,000 square kilometres predates the Crown's claim and was never extinguished.

The goal of this movement was always to reoccupy the Yintah, and we are pleased to report that this is indeed happening.

There are now three ambitious Wet'suwet'en land reclamations - the Unist'ot'en Camp, the Gidimt'en Camp, and the Sovereign Likhts'amisyu Village.

We are excited to announce a major milestone in the development of the Sovereign Likhts'amisyu Village! Over the past months, we've successfully completed the construction of a third beautiful cabin.

The village, which is fully off-grid, also includes a summer kitchen, a greenhouse, a garden, and solar panels.

This essential infrastructure represents a huge step forward for the Wet'suwet'en people in creating a self-sustaining village where we can live in harmony with the land, in accordance with our traditional ways.

The Likhts'amisyu Village holds deep historical significance for our people. It was once an ancestral village site, but tragically, it was abandoned in the early 20th century when the Wet'suwet'en were forced onto reserves by Indian agents employed by the Canadian state. Our efforts to rebuild here are not only about creating a sustainable future but also about reclaiming and honoring the past—restoring what was once lost to continue the legacy of our ancestors.

But we’re not stopping here. We want our village to be a place where our Elders can comfortably live full time, but right now, the lack of shower and laundry facilities limits the length of their stays.

That’s why we have begun building a bath house that will not only include showers but also a bath tub, a laundry machine, a dryer, and a root cellar for food storage—creating a space that serves both immediate practical needs and our long-term sustainability.

The bath house is being built by Adam Gagnon, whose respected chief name is Dtsa'Hyl, and who Amnesty International recently recognized as a "prisoner of conscience" after he was sentenced to 60 days of house arrest for his role in defending the Yintah back in 2021. Now, he's a free man and he has dedicated himself to turning his vision for the Sovereign Likhts'amisyu village into a reality.

Why This Project Matters

The bath house will be a game-changer for our community, particularly for our Elders, who are crucial to passing down knowledge and culture. Their presence in the village brings invaluable wisdom, but the lack of basic amenities is a barrier. With your support, we can create an environment where Elders feel comfortable staying for longer periods, enriching our connection to our heritage and traditions.

We have already received some funds for the Bath House from The Groundswell Fund, but Chief Dtsa'Hyl has decided to add a second story to the originally planned building, which will now include a suite for the beloved Wet'suwet'en elder Hagwilowh. This will add to the cost of the building considerably, so we are reaching out to ask for your financial support!

Furthermore, there is also a fourth cabin which is already under construction. It is currently on pause due partly to a lack of funds.

Ongoing Maintenance, Fire Safety & Youth Education

In addition to building the bath house, we also have ongoing maintenance costs that are essential to the functioning of the village. The most pressing expense right now is the repair of our plough truck, which is crucial for keeping the road open during the winter. Without this, access to the village becomes incredibly difficult, particularly in harsh weather conditions.

If our fund-raising efforts are successful enough, we would also like to purchase a snowmobile, which will significantly improve our mobility during the winter months.

Another critical need is to purchase a Mark III water pump, as well as firehoses and sprinklers to protect the village from wildfires. In both of the last two years, wildfires came dangerously close to our area, threatening the safety of the village. With fire risks increasing year over year, having a reliable firefighting system in place is essential to ensuring the long-term safety of our community.

We are also proud to be working with educators to organize Outdoor Education activities for local youth, giving kids the chance to connect with the land and learn traditional skills. These activities provide an invaluable opportunity to strengthen cultural knowledge while building a deeper connection to the Yintah.

We would like to eventually hire teenagers and young adults from Witset and other Wet'suwet'en communities in order to teach them life skills at the same time as building up the village.

The Sovereign Likhts'amisyu Village is a drug- and alcohol-free space, and partly we want to get youth out here to show them positive examples, because tragically, many of our young people continue to suffer from addiction. Worse yet, an increasing number are dying due to a tainted drug supply. Part of the purpose of this project is healing from intergenerational trauma caused by colonial inflictions.

So far, the Sovereign Likhts'amisyu Village has relied on volunteer labour, but we would like to be able to offer paid employment to youth from our community, as a big part of traditional Wet'suwet'en governance is grooming young people to become chiefs.

So, to summarize, we are raising funds to cover the cost of materials and construction for the bath house + suite, as well as the maintenance of critical equipment such as the plough truck, chainsaws, generators, and other heavy machinery, as well the purchase of fire safety equipment.

Your support will also help fund educational programs that engage local youth in outdoor, land-based learning activities.

Your donation, no matter the size, will make a tangible difference in the quality of life for everyone in our community.

Join Us in Rebuilding Our Ancestral Village

By supporting this campaign, you are not only contributing to the ongoing efforts of the Sovereign Likhts'amisyu Village to build a sustainable future, but you are also helping us reclaim and honor the history of our people. Every step we take brings us closer to a self-sustained community, independent of external pressures and fully aligned with our values.

Each step we take brings us closer to the achieving the long-cherished dream of the Wet'suwet'en Nation for Sovereignty!

And you know what they say: Team Work Makes the Dream Work!

Thank you for standing with us in this important journey towards our future autonomy!

The Sovereign Likhts'amisyu