The “obstructionist” profile of Yvonne Lattie
| The Golden Rule is that whoever holds the wealth or financial power dictates how things are done. So follow the money to find out who is deciding the agenda. There are two primary factors involved, who are they getting funding from and who they are funding. |
| Federal government programs: Wilp Gwininitxw worked with Ecotrust Canada on an application to Canada’s Nature Smart Climate Solutions Fund in 2023. That establishes an effort to seek federal project support, but the cited source does not say whether funding was awarded or how much. Federal Liberal Goverment |
Ecotrust Canada: Ecotrust has provided project-support work, including remote assistance on the federal funding application and exploration of a nature-based climate solution project with Wilp Gwininitxw and CPAWS-BC. |
CPAWS-BC: The Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society’s B.C. chapter is identified as a collaborating organization in that climate-project exploration. BC NDP Goverment |
| Canada and B.C.: Wilp Gwininitxw says it is working with both governments to affirm its land-use vision. This signals government engagement, not necessarily a confirmed direct grant to Lattie personally. | In the broader federal context includes $340 million announced in Canada’s 2021 budget for Indigenous-led conservation and stewardship, including over $166 million for Indigenous Protected and Conserved Areas, but that is a program-level figure—not proof that Lattie or her house group received a particular portion. Federal Liberal Goverment | Conservation Alliance of Canada – $45,000 grant in 2022 to Skeena Watershed Conservation Coalition for “Gwininitxw Protected Area.” |
| Resources for Future Generations (REFBC) – $220,000 in 2024–25 to “Wilps Gwininitxw (Skeena Watershed Conservation Coalition)” for the Gwininitxw Protected Area project. |
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She has spoken extensively about the landmark Delgamuukw v. British Columbia decision (1997), which recognized Aboriginal title NO IT DID NOT
Did it grant title in this case?
No. The Court did not make a final declaration that the Gitxsan and Wet’suwet’en held Aboriginal title to the particular territory claimed. It ordered a new trial because of problems with the earlier proceedings, including how Indigenous oral histories were treated as evidence.
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Opposition to industrial projects: Lattie has challenged major resource projects, including a proposed LNG terminal near Lelu Island and the Coastal GasLink pipeline, arguing they threaten salmon habitat and Gitxsan sovereignty. The Court did not make a final declaration that the Gitxsan and Wet’suwet’en held Aboriginal title to the particular territory claimed. It ordered a new trial because of problems with the earlier proceedings, including how Indigenous oral histories were treated as evidence.
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Indigenous Protected Area declaration: In 2022, she and other Gitxsan hereditary chiefs declared a roughly 170,000‑hectare area in the upper Skeena watershed an Indigenous Protected Area under Gitxsan law, off‑limits to unauthorized activity. The Court did not make a final declaration that the Gitxsan and Wet’suwet’en held Aboriginal title to the particular territory claimed. It ordered a new trial because of problems with the earlier proceedings, including how Indigenous oral histories were treated as evidence.
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Direct action and recognition: She has participated in protests and rail blockades related to pipeline construction and was named a “Local Watershed Hero” by CodeBlue BC in 2024 for her lifelong defense of watersheds The Court did not make a final declaration that the Gitxsan and Wet’suwet’en held Aboriginal title to the particular territory claimed. It ordered a new trial because of problems with the earlier proceedings, including how Indigenous oral histories were treated as evidence.
- In interviews, she emphasizes that her authority and responsibilities come from Gitxsan law and her house’s relationship to the land, not from Canadian governments. This is a case of all in your head authority, the Governments on BC and Canada never relinquished sovereignty over the land she wants to grab.
Organizational and movement support
Lattie’s broader advocacy (e.g., opposing industrial projects, promoting Indigenous protected areas, speaking on deep‑sea mining) is carried out in partnership with groups such as:
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Ecotrust Canada – attended and witnessed the 2022 Gwininitxw Feast and has publicly committed to supporting the house’s decisions and exploring nature‑based climate solutions in the area.
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Oceans North – Lattie has traveled with an Oceans North delegation to international meetings (e.g., International Seabed Authority) to oppose deep‑sea mining; Oceans North facilitates Indigenous participation and advocacy in these forums.