A documentary about the 1985 Haida Gwaii blockade premieres at VIFF

Nearly 40 years ago, on a foggy fall morning, a small group of Haida formed a roadblock along a dirt road on Lyell Island, just off the northern coast of British Columbia.

According to a report by The Canadian Press that appeared in the Vancouver Sun in November 1985, the group wanted to support a plan to clear down parts of Haida Gwaii.

Reports at the time indicated that 72 people were arrested as a result of the blockade.

A new documentary examines this time through archival footage and audio recordings, seeking to inform future generations of these people’s commitment to protecting their land.

Standdirected by Christopher Auchter will have its world premiere on Thursday at the Vancouver International Film Festival. The next show is scheduled for October 5.

Christopher Auchter is the director of The Stand, a documentary chronicling the 1985 Lyell Island logging blockade. (Tracy Auchter)

Auchter agreed to talk to North by northwest host Margaret Gallagher ahead of the premiere.

LISTEN | Stand the director tells the story of the blockade of Lyell Island:

North by northwest18:00Christopher Auchter’s new documentary The Stand

In 1985, a small group of Haida residents formed the Lyell Island Blockade to oppose clear-cutting in the area, which eventually became part of the Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve and Haida Cultural Heritage Site. Haida director Christopher Auchter tells this story with skillful weaving of archival footage.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

What inspired you to tell this story?

I grew up around this story without knowing much about it. Both my aunt and uncle participated in this. They were on Lyell Island fighting for the Haida and I knew they went there.

They are both huge figures in my life… I didn’t know much growing up, but I wanted to honor them and at the same time learn what they did there.

I think that was the starting point for me in terms of diving into the story. And then it just expands.

The protesters on Haida Gwaii were the subject of much media attention at the time. (Canadian National Film Board)

You tell a story by combining archival audio and video. Why did you want to tell this story this way?

When I started watching this material and saw how much wealth I had in front of me and how much had been recorded, it became quite obvious.

One of the first things we tried to tackle was asking ourselves, “Can this story be told almost as if it were in real time?” Can it be played like a scripted film, a scripted drama, a thriller? For example, how compelling would it be for viewers to experience the story?

A still from the film shows totem poles on Haida Gwaii (then known as the Queen Charlotte Islands), off the northern coast of British Columbia. (Canadian National Film Board)

So that was our first challenge: to see if it could be done or if I would have to go for an interview.

I had a lot to learn about storytelling, but I didn’t really want to commit that much. I wanted them, those who experienced it and were there, to tell this story. We achieve this through organic conversations around the campfire.

How did you gain access to it? I mean, you had to go through hundreds of hours (of material).

This is over 100 hours of visual and audio material. And not all of it could be used in the film. I knew it.

But I gathered (it), especially the audio material, to get an insight into what was going on before all this happened, what some of the stories were and some of the little skirmishes that took place.

We used footage of Susan Underwood and Donna Wilson. They were young filmmakers from the Lower Mainland at the time. They heard what was happening on Haida Gwaii and thought, “Let’s go there.”

And they got there and I don’t really know how they connected with the Haida, but I talked to Arnie Bellis and he said, “You know, they were able to stay with us in the Haida camp because of the type of people they were.” There was nothing fake about them. They didn’t try very hard. They just saw the authenticity in them and were welcomed.”

A still from the film shows Miles Richardson, who led the protests. (Canadian National Film Board)

Some of the film’s voices, like Guujaaw and Miles Richardson, became major leaders. What was it like seeing them in action all those years ago?

I grew up near Guujaaw. He was my Uncle Mike’s best friend. Throughout my life, he was a great figure, a great leader and a great speaker. It’s a bit like seeing a piece of his origin story, in the context of becoming Guujaaw.

His leadership shows, as does Miles, they both (are) so well spoken.

Your uncle is Michael Nicoll Yahgulanaas, a very powerful knowledge guardian and artist.

He has been in politics for a long time. And then he retired and devoted himself entirely to being an artist. The amount he has achieved as an artist in this time is amazing. His speaking ability, his presence and things like that, (that’s) all I could watch growing up.

Another element of this film is the animation. Who is the Mouse Woman to you?

I find myself going back to visiting her and kind of including her in the stories I tell because she played a big role in introducing me to our stories.

Haida Gwaii consists of over 150 islands located approximately 90 kilometers west of British Columbia’s northern coast. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press)

It symbolizes our culture and what the Haida fought for on Haida Gwaii. Supernatural beings are present throughout the landscape of Haida Gwaii. They are everywhere, they are in every stream. They help us stay in control so we don’t run wild on the islands and take away everything we want.

We must show respect because someone is watching us – supernatural beings.

This is what Mouse Woman is like. She is voiced by Dolores Churchill, who is my aunt.

In 1976, at a potlatch for her brother Oliver Adams, who became chief Gaala (my aunt) stood up during the feast and made a speech.

She asked, “Why do so many logs fall off the islands?” It’s barge after barge. My Uncle Mike said this speech galvanized Haida into action. I think it’s very symbolic that she became the voice of Mouse Woman.

Frank Beban standing alongside Frank Beban Logging employees and talking to the media on Lyell Island, then part of the so-called Queen Charlotte Islands. (Canadian National Film Board)

One thing that really struck me was when the older people came up to talk and how much it meant to me, you know, the behind the scenes stuff. It was truly moving to see them arrested.

The elders’ decision to get involved was a game changer. The blockade was not reversing at this point, but the appearance of the elders on the scene was quite dramatic.

I love this story my Uncle Mike told me back then. (He said) It was a stormy day and it was raining.

Haida elders are photographed in a still from the documentary The Stand. (Canadian National Film Board)

They knew they wouldn’t get any support by boat. So they were standing there, they had just defied the court order and they heard a helicopter coming and my uncle said, “Holy smoke, SWAT is coming to teach us Indians a lesson.”

The helicopter landed and the elders came out. And (the uncle) said that they were very surprised and happy, and when (the elders) left, they gave orders (to everyone) – build a shelter, light a fire. I think they really helped instill a strategy of nonviolence and respect. This added a lot to the battle.