Power to the People

Melina Laboucan-Massimo returns home to attend her nation's annual culture camp, an event that honours the passing of her sister, Bella. Melina grew up witnessing the detrimental effects of oil sands extraction in Alberta.

Roughly 300 remote Indigenous communities rely on diesel-generated power in Canada. The Taku River Tlingit Nation in northern B.C. is one of the few First Nations that have successfully replaced diesel power with clean, renewable energy.

Faced with the harsh realities of climate change, the Kluane First Nation in the Yukon embarks on a mission to sustain their power needs with renewable energy projects that align with their cultural values.

The Six Nations of the Grand River launched a development corporation in 2015 to manage their economic self-sufficiency. Six Nations has quickly become a national clean energy leader thanks to initiatives like a rooftop solar plant and a turbine wind farm.

Melina Laboucan-Massimo travels to British Columbia to meet with Chief Ernest Alfred, an outspoken critic of the west coast open-net salmon farming. He’s led the peaceful occupation of Swanson Island, which has gathered support from the locals.

Melina Laboucan-Massimo visits the shíshálh Nation to learn about their Narrows Inlet run-of-river hydro project. This smaller-scale hydro project harnesses power from the natural flow of rivers and streams without affecting the natural habitat.