“Thunder in Our Voices,” the latest exhibit at the Center of Southwest Studies, tells via words, pictures and film the struggle of Canada’s northernmost aboriginal tribes against a proposed pipeline. The exhibit has travelled all over Canada but this is its first showing in the United States./Photo by Jennaye Derge
Thunder in the tundra
Center of SW Studies features triumphant tale of David vs. Goliath
by Stew Mosberg
When minerals, oil or gas are discovered by large corporations, land grabs often follow. Considering the Animas River debacle last summer and the recent battle over the Keystone XL pipeline and drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, the latest exhibit at Fort Lewis College’s Center of Southwest Studies is timely. However, the story is one that began decades ago. The installation, titled “Thunder in Our Voices,” chronicles the contentious 1970s Mackenzie Valley Pipeline proposal, which would have carried oil from Alaska’s Prudhoe Bay across Canada’s Northern Territories.
JusttheFactsWhat: “Thunder in Our Voices,” photos, documentary and artifacts from Canada’s northernmost tribes and their fight against the proposed Mackenzie Valley Pipeline |
The well-conceived, emotionally charged presentation documents the struggle of Canadian aboriginal tribes to preserve their heritage, land and lifestyle in the face of mounting pressure from giant corporations and the Canadian government.
Created by Canadian Drew Ann Wake, a reporter who covered the pipeline in the 1970s, the exhibit has toured dozens of colleges and communities across Canada in the past few years. With the help of Jeanne Brako, curator of collections at the CSWS, “Thunder in Our Voices” has come to Durango, the exhibit’s only stop in the United States.
The story stems back to 1968, when the Atlantic Richfield Co. discovered large natural gas reserves in Prudhoe Bay. Following the discovery, 30 of the world’s largest oil companies proposed to extract and pipe the gas across northern Canada, down the valley of the Mackenzie River and on to Chicago. It was the largest engineering project ever proposed in North America.
What happened soon after is a story of determination and the valiant efforts of a people and their supporters who, against all odds, held tightly to their sense of ethical justice. At stake was the ecological health of the Mackenzie River system, more than 1,000 miles in length and the second largest in North America. Also at stake was the health of the tribes that relied on the area’s wild resources to keep themselves and their heritage alive.
“The aboriginal tribes of northern Canada opposed the project, demanding that their land claims be settled before any construction began,” Wake said.
To help settle the dispute, in 1974 Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau asked British Columbia Supreme Court Justice Thomas Berger to conduct hearings in communities along the pipeline route as well as with the oil and gas industry. The so-called Berger Commission visited 30 Dene and Inuvialuit villages in northwestern Canada, where young and old were invited to speak. University of British Columbia law professor Michael Jackson was appointed special counsel by Berger and went to visit the villagers and prepare them for the inquiry ahead of time. In all, 900 interviews were conducted. At the same time, Wake was working as a freelance reporter for Canadian National Radio Network and was given permission to record the hearings.
Although Berger was a tribal advocate and had successfully defended aboriginal issues in the past, the Prime Minister reportedly asked him to steer clear of saying no to the pipeline when making final recommendations. However, the tribal members’ photos and comments, carried by the Canadian media – including Wake’s recordings – created a well-spring of support for the indigenous communities, ultimately resulting in the pipeline not being built.
When Justice Berger, now 80, wrote the final report, he included his recommendations for not placing a pipeline across caribou calving grounds and for the creation of sanctuaries for migratory birds and beluga whales. Most significantly, he asked to impose a moratorium on construction until aboriginal land claims were settled.
To the credit of the Canadian populace, there was almost universal approval of the report, which was later published and sold 10,000 copies in the first week. In 1985, Berger published, Village Journey – The Report of the Alaska Native Review Commission, a copy of which is prominently displayed in the CSWS exhibit.
 Some of the voices from the Berger Commission as seen in 2009 through the lens of part-time Durango photographer Linda MacCanell. The groundswell of support from the original interviews helped turn the tide of public opinion against the proposed 1,000-mile pipeline that would have slashed through the middle of aboriginal homelands./Photo by Jennaye Derge |
Also part of the exhibit is an eponymous documentary, in which Jackson appears and narrates. The idea for the film, which is the centerpiece of the exhibit and includes interviews with tribal members reminiscing about the event, came about several years ago when Wake rediscovered her original tapes. In 2009, she – along with photographer Linda MacCanell and a team of lawyers and journalists who had been involved in the original investigation – revisited the villages. The concept was to hold an event in each community so residents could hear the speeches that their parents and grandparents had made to Justice Berger.
MacCanell, who splits her time between Durango and Calgary, photographed the people, some of whom were participants in the original interviews. “These generous gifts and more than my quota of luck, made the journey unforgettable,” she said of that experience.
The exhibit features these images, depicting the lifestyle of the people whose land was threatened by the pipeline – and continues to be today by climate change. Brako also added showcases with the stories of Inuit elders born in the 1890s who had lived a nomadic life on the land. They include stories of epidemics, starvation and encounters with polar bears. She also worked with the Hensler family of Durango to acquire Inuit carvings to complement each story.
In addition, the exhibit includes numerous color banners with text and photographs, many taken by Jackson during his initial visits. They line the gallery walls, echoing the voices of the indigenous people.
One such voice is that of Jim Sittichinli, a native of Aklavik – an outpost on the edge of the Arctic Circle – who was recorded in 1975 “We never go and bark. Therefore, nobody takes notice of us,” he said. “It is about time that we the people of the northland should get up and bark.”
Those metaphorically simple yet eloquent words are reflected in many of the statements that helped win the fight against decimation of the Mackenzie Basin. “Thunder in Our Voices” is the story of that significant event, how it came to be, and the people who held fast to their beliefs.
*Editor’s Note: Similar in sound to the Navajo Nation Diné, the Dene group of First Nations inhabit the northern boreal and Arctic regions of Canada.