Voices from the Frontlines: Youth Resisting Extraction & the PRGT Pipeline
Teach-ins, Webinars & a Growing Movement of Resistance
February 12, February 21, March 7 — Livestream available on Instagram @changecourse_ca
As part of mobilization for the March Day of Action, we’ve gathered, through two events, youth and Indigenous land defenders to come together to speak out against fossil fuel expansion on unceded Indigenous territories. Through a series of powerful teach-ins, webinars, and mobilizations to challenge the expansion of the Prince Rupert Gas Transmission (PRGT) and Coastal GasLink (CGL) pipelines—projects threatening the land, water, and sovereignty of Indigenous nations across Northern BC.
February 24: Voices from the Frontlines – Youth Resistance Webinar
On Monday, February 24, Change Course hosted an online webinar bringing together Gitxsan and Wet’suwet’en youth who are resisting pipeline construction on their territories. The webinar created a space for youth across the country to hear directly from frontline defenders about the impacts of these projects and what collective resistance looks like.
Key Takeaways of the Webinar:
Featured Speakers:
- Savannah Prince is a Wet’suwet’en land defender and water protector based near Houston, BC. Savannah spoke about finding healing through connection to her ancestral lands, through fishing, hunting, medicine harvesting, and ceremony. Her hope: that future generations may also heal and thrive on the Yintah.
- Drew Harris is a Gitxsan youth organizer and land defender who shared her personal and community experiences resisting both CGL and the proposed PRGT pipeline. Her call to support Gitxsan youth-led collectives such as the Laxyip Firekeeper leading this fight.(Their solidarity statement on opposing the PRGT pipeline)
- Evelyn, Executive Director of Change Course, during the webinar outlined the misinformation propagated by fossil fuel industries and governments to justify LNG expansion. She broke down:
Youth as Change Agents
The webinar issued a call to action for students, youth, and workers across post-secondary campuses to mobilize on March 20, Day of Action, targeting Canada’s big banks and financial backers of these destructive projects.
March 5: Teach-In at UBC – Indigenous-Led Resistance in the Lower Mainland
As momentum built toward the March 20 Day of Action, Change Course partnered with Youth Gitxsan of the Lax Yip and Climate Justice UBC to host an in-person teach-in at the University of British Columbia (UBC). This event centered Indigenous voices and educated allies in the Lower Mainland on the critical role they can play in solidarity.
The featured speakers:
- Drew Harris (Gitxsan)
- Kolin Sutherland-Wilson – Gitxsand defender and speaker known for his powerful articulation of Indigenous sovereignty and environmental defense.
Together, they spoke about:
- The cultural and environmental significance of their territories to resist these projects
- The violence inflicted by pipeline projects
- The importance of community-driven resistance rooted in culture, ceremony, and land stewardship
And how..
“So many colonial systems are in place to work against us [….] The governments and regulatores that are here to protect us are failing us. So this leaves it to us and our communities to make things right and hold them accountable. Use your voice to uplift ours, bring our issues to the forefront[…] This affects all of us , not just the Gitxsan and Wet’suwet’en, everyone is affected by this. Make it known that the youth want a better future. We deserve a better future.” – Drew Harris
The vast majority of the Gitxsan Lax’Yip is still intact. It’s still pristine and beautiful […] [ PRGT] just came back out of the blue last summer, it resurrected. People [ in the community] are opposed to the pipeline, it’s gonna be guarunteed boots on the ground, blockades if they try to push this through. It’s not even a question – Hooxi’i Kolin Sutherland Wilson, Gitxsan land defender
Missed the Teach-In?
Watch the livestream recording here:
Click to watch on Instagram
Why These gatherings Matter
These gatherings were more than educational events — they were acts of resistance, connection, and movement-building. They offered students and community members an unfiltered view into the lived realities of frontline defenders and the opportunity to reflect on their role in dismantling extractive systems. From the Gitxsan Lax Yip to Wet’suwet’en Yintah, youth are showing what it means to lead with courage, culture, and clarity — and they’re calling on all of us to stand with them.
What’s Next: March 20 Day of Action
Following the webinar and teach-ins, Change Course and allied groups across Canada will mobilize on March 20 in solidarity with Indigenous land defenders. This day of action will target Canada’s Big Banks — major funders of the PRGT and CGL projects and demand divestment from fossil fuels and Indigenous dispossession.
➡️ Stay tuned @changecourse_ca on Instagram for updates, resources, and local event details.
Follow, share, and organize.
Together, we can change course toward justice, land back, and climate futures led by youth and Indigenous communities.
