Episode 32- The Criminalization of Indigenous Land Defenders in Canada —

Our Truth Part one, Chief Na’Moks and Jesse Stoeppler

WHAT

This is part one of a four part series on the criminalization of land defenders

across Canada, highlighting firsthand experiences and legal injustices.

WHO

Chief Na’Moks is a Hereditary Chief of the Tsayu (Beaver Clan), one of the five

clans of the Wet’suwet’en Nation. The traditional name he carries is thousands

of years old and, as part of their matrilineal society, was also held by his

grandmother—who wore the very same regalia he wears today. The role of a

Hereditary Chief carries the sacred responsibility of protecting the 22,000 square

kilometers of Wet’suwet’en territory, a duty grounded in ancestral law that has

remained unchanged both before and after colonial contact.

As a vocal and respected leader, Chief Na’Moks has brought international

attention to the violations of Wet’suwet’en rights in the context of unconsented

resource development. He has spoken at the United Nations Headquarters in

New York and Geneva, sharing his people’s message about the militarized role

the RCMP plays on their territory. Since 2019, he has appeared in nearly 100

media interviews, both print and broadcast, denouncing what he describes as a

campaign of state-backed harassment, surveillance, and discrimination.

Jesse Stoeppler proudly calls the Skeena Watershed home. After completing a

degree in Europe he returned to start a family and raise two future leaders

amongst the peaks of the beautiful Bulkley Valley. Mentored by Hereditary Chief

and Matriarch Yaga’lahl (Dora B. Wilson) he embraces Gitxsan and Wet’suwet’en

culture and has been actively participating in title & rights and Clan governance

as a member of Wilp Spookwx (Lax Gibuu / Gitumden). As a Project Manager for

a multi-million trust fund, Jesse was able to lead the way in establishing

comprehensive community planning, land use management and create his

community's Indigenous economic development.

MUSIC

Song: Signal To Noise

Composer: Scott Buckley

Website: https://youtube.com/user/musicbyscottb

License: Free To Use YouTube license youtube-free

Music powered by BreakingCopyright: https://breakingcopyright.com