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BC-First Nations & Wild Salmon Film

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Dear First Nations peoples and supporters, Environmental Documentary Film Lovers, Fly Fisherfolk and others who love wild salmon and what they mean to the natural world...I am seeking your assistance.  

-I am flying from North Carolina, on the eastern coast of the USA to Alert Bay, British Columbia to interview First Nations folks and others who are part of The Salmon People.  

-I will primarily be speaking to elders in the Namgis tribe and others locally who have been leading the Swanson Occupation. They are fierce, intelligent, and fighting a good fight. I'll be asking them to speak about what salmon means and has meant to their people.   Why don't westerners care more about fish?..because to the western mind, a fish is "just a fish".  So I hope to have viewers connect to a whole different way to "see" what fish really mean to all of us-through a First Nations lens.  

-My fundraising goal is $2000. 

-Any amount I receive over that amount I will be donating directly to the cause/organization whom I am going up there to film.

-In Alert Bay, the First Nations tribes there that I have been in touch with have been actively protesting against a local factory fish farm operation near Swanson Island. 

-They have science based evidence that the farms pass along piscine virus to the local wild salmon. They are indicating that wild salmon are nearing extinction.

-The urgency is also present because the Canadian government is about to decide upon granting an extension to fish farm operations in June.  

-I'll be filming for a short to full length feature documentary, creating social media content, figuring out targeted ways to help them fund raise if needed,  and taking photos to document their brave stand against profit over nature as they push back and protect wild salmon from factory farmed salmon and the virus that is perpetuated by those farms into the local fish population.

-I am doing this on a micro budget, I already own the majority of the equipment I need.  

-Your contributions will go directly to cover my travel expenses (flight from NC-USA to Port Hardy, Vancouver Island-British Columbia), food, and possibly lodging, some editing time.

-Today is March 29th, and I hope to have the funds in the next month if possible to travel ASAP.

-Leading up to and during the trip I'll be sharing plenty on https://www.instagram.com/thevideoslab/


  Here is a bit about me as a video editor and film maker: https://thevideoslab.com 

The Swanson Occupation is dynamic, dedicated and not going away and I feel strongly compelled to help their cause through doing what I love doing...documentary film making and storytelling.  

Here is the fuller story about who I will be visiting with:
Off the coast of Vancouver Island, BC is a place called Swanson Island.  And for many months now it is where First Nation tribes are protesting.  It's the location of an ongoing showdown between a Norwegian Salmon Factory Farm operation that is on the path of a wild salmon run and First Nations territory.  The farm is on tribal area but the Canadian government is supporting Norway's interests anyway.  You can find out a lot more about it if you are on Facebook at this location: 
https://www. facebook.com/ GETTHEFISHFARMSOUT/ 


It's goes beyond First Nations rights though, as there is a virus that is carried and passed along to the native wild Salmon from the fish farms.  The proof of this has been captured on camera and well documented.  The tribe is really calling out for as much coverage as they can get. 

Here is a short video they put out explaining what is going on with the fish. The woman in the video, Alexandra Morton, is one of the main people I hope to be chatting with.

https://vimeo.com/258135790 


I first spoke with the Chief Ernest Alfred about 4 months ago when this all began and wanted to help them with video work and so forth but it has not come to fruition.  Many TV stations and smaller outfits, including Sea Shepherd, have been through there to lend a hand now and then.  At this point I really feel drawn to get up there myself to help document this historic fight.  There is a lot at stake...everything. 

The locals there feel that we are on the verge of the final runs of healthy and wild salmon.

Organizer

Charles Morris
Organizer
Carrboro, NC

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