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The Whale and the Raven

Director Mirjam Leuze’s The Whale and the Raven illuminates the many issues that have drawn whale researchers, the Gitga’at First Nation, and the Government of British Columbia into a complex conflict. As the people in the Great Bear Rainforest struggle to protect their territory against the pressure and promise of the gas industry, caught in between are the countless beings that call this place home.
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Director Mirjam Leuze’s The Whale and the Raven illuminates the many issues that have drawn whale researchers, the Gitga’at First Nation, and the Government of British Columbia into a complex conflict. As the people in the Great Bear Rainforest struggle to protect their territory against the pressure and promise of the gas industry, caught in between are the countless beings that call this place home.

Environment and Conservation Indigenous Peoples in Canada (First Nations and Métis) All subjects
Our Planet in Focus All channels
  • participation
    Janie Wray
    Hermann Meuter
    Helen Clifton
    Patricia Lange
    La'goot Spencer Greening
    Roy Henry Vickers
    Nicole Robinson
    Archie Dundas
    Marven Robinson
    Philip Germuth
    Katie Welsh
    Julie Bits-Thorsen
  • writer
    Mirjam Leuze
  • director
    Mirjam Leuze
  • editing
    Sandra Brandl
  • producer
    Marcelo Busse
    Henrik Meyer
    Shirley Vercruysse
    Andrew Williamson
  • co-producer
    Sandra Brandl
    Mirjam Leuze
  • consulting producer
    Christian Vizi
  • executive producer
    Sabine Bubeck-Paaz
    Shirley Vercruysse
  • senior story consultant
    Roy Henry Vickers
  • narration
    Roy Henry Vickers
  • original artwork
    Roy Henry Vickers
  • animation
    Elisa Chee
  • director of photography
    Athan Merrick
  • additional photography
    Mirjam Leuze
    Simon Schneider
  • underwater cinematography
    Tavish Campbell
  • drone cinematography
    Mike Dinsmore
  • composer
    Jesse Zubot
  • sound design
    Andreas Hildebrandt
  • sound mix
    Andreas Hildebrandt
  • sound recordist
    Brent Calkin
    Tyler Lucas
    Millar Montgomery
  • advisory committee
    Chris Bolton
    La'goot Spencer Greening
    Kyle Clifton

Education

Ages 10 to 18

Notes

Brief “lesson launcher type” activity or a series of inquiry questions with a bit of context: 

This documentary explores the relationship of the Gitga’at First Nations peoples of British Columbia with the land, the whales and the scientists who study the whales in their territory. Touches on the struggles of maintaining land sovereignty while companies try to build oil pipelines and hunters try to take from the land. There is a poignant retelling of a Gitga’at story involving whales. Explain the significance of the story. Does it remind you of other stories or fables you have heard? What is unique about this type of storytelling? Read or listen to other stories from Indigenous Peoples and compare the style, subject matter and message of the stories. What is it about whales that is fascinating to so many different people in this documentary? What are the various threats that whales face? What threats does the Gitga’at community face? What rules should there be to regulate the ability of large corporations to build pipelines and oil-processing plants in small communities like Hartley Bay? 

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The Whale and the Raven
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