The Wet’suwet’en First Nation never signed treaties with the Canadian or provincial governments, yet their land was leased to timber companies

Flying over squares of clearcuts and various shades of green marking conifer plantations in north central British Columbia, the pilot followed directions from David DeWit, a leader of Wet’suwet’en First Nation. DeWit’s map of their territory’s traditional trails reflected markers on the ground: circles carved into trees, which offered proof of the Nation’s history in this area.

As the helicopter approached Caas Tl’aat Kwah (also known as Serb Creek), a 1,600-hectare (about 3,953-acre) watershed, the forest became a blanket of deep green, cleaved only by yellow-green wetlands threaded with glacial blue streams.