The Klabona Keepers
(2020, 72 minutes)

“The Klabona Keepers” is an intimate portrait of the dynamic Indigenous community that succeeded in protecting the Sacred Headwaters, known as the Klabona, northwest British Columbia, from industrial activities. Spanning 15 years of matriarch-led resistance, the film follows a small group of determined elders in the village of Iskut as they heal from colonial wounds to push back against law enforcement, the government, and some of the world’s largest multinational companies.  Nestled between scenes of stand-offs and blockades, land defenders reflect on how their history of forced displacement, residential schools, and trauma strengthened their resolve to protect the very land that was so essential to their healing journey.
“Our minds are in every mountain and our sorrow in every river that flows. This is where we belong.” - Rita Louie, Klabona Keeper elder

In the small village of Iskut and its surroundings, we meet Rhoda and Peter, a couple in the midst of raising their four young children. Peter, a heavy equipment operator at the mining camps, struggles with the need to provide work to support his family, but draws the line when he finds out that the very machines he’s driving are slated to destroy community hunting camps. The couple and their kids soon find themselves tossed into a journey that would change all their lives. 

Calling on members of the community to come and support, we see the birth of the Klabona Keepers—elders who understand firsthand the connection between colonialism and its impact on the land and the people. We witness elders like Rita, John, Jimmy, Mary, and Bertha directing a movement dedicated to preventing global resource companies from destroying the heart of the Sacred Headwaters. Whether it’s speaking out at consultation meetings, preventing drill equipment from moving into the area, or supporting each other, they show up. Through their stories, their resilience and their good humor these elders remind us of the power of collective action to serve future generations. 

As Klabona Keeper Rhoda Quock explains, “They used to take the children away from the land. Now they take the land from the children. When our fight for the Klabona began we didn’t know how we were going to win. We just knew we weren’t going to lose.” 

Directors: Tamo Campos, Jasper Snow-Rosen
Producer: Rhoda Quock

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