Kanada, Indianer schreiben Geschichte (360° - GEO Reportage)

Many First Nations tribes in Canada continue to try to preserve their traditions and customs, despite arbitrary government action and land displacement by industry. The Xeni Gwet'in of the Chilcotin Tribe have now been declared owners of the reservation where they have lived for decades in a historic court ruling. But will their victory help them in their fight against a mining project planned next to one of their sacred lakes? A film by Felix Thiemer © 2015, Licensed by MedienKontor / ARTE Season 16 - Episode 22 Subscribe to wocomoTRAVEL: https://goo.gl/tIk2Qc Follow us on Facebook:   / wocomo   Press Release: For over 20 years, the Xeni Gwet'in have been fighting against a massive gold mine that threatens the intact natural environment of their habitat. At the same time, the tribe is at odds with the country's largest employer, the timber industry. After decades of systematically suppressing the rights of Canada's Indigenous people, they are now regaining public support. Now, the Indians of the Chilcotin Plateau in western Canada have finally been officially granted land. 360° - GEO Reportage visited the Chilcotin at this crucial moment. This spectacular hill climb is one of the annual highlights in the lives of the Chilcotin Indians. Several daring riders gather on a mountain peak and then race down the slope at breathtaking speed. It's not a safe undertaking—there have been several serious injuries—but it's an indispensable part of their indigenous culture. Just like the traditional salmon fishing or the Elder's Gathering, where all members of the tribe meet and the younger members are initiated into the art of leather tanning or fish smoking. But not everyone follows the example of the elders. Many young Chilcotin now work in the local timber industry or are studying. Not only are the tribe's spiritual values ​​threatened, the timber industry is encroaching on the forests of their ancestral territory. In many places, mines are also being built to extract gold or other minerals. Wastewater from open-pit mining threatens the water system and, above all, the salmon, which is vital to the Chilcotin's survival. The spectacular court ruling from Ottawa, which gives an Indian tribe decision-making power over its land for the first time, could mark a new beginning for the Chilcotin and pave the way for many other Canadian tribes in their fight for their rights.