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Watchers of the Land

"Watchers of the Land” tells the story of the Ni Hat'ni Dene Guardians as they venture out on their boats and teach each other how to live off the land – the Łutsël K'é Dene way. Throughout the week, youth and elders journey across Tu Nedhé lake with the Ni Hat'ni Dene Guardians to monitor and protect the home that their community relies on - a home that is now being opened up as a new national park reserve. A 50-year process in the making, this reserve in the Northwest Territories of Canada is one of the first places of its kind: a national park that founded and co-governed by the Indigenous community.

This film was funded by the National Geographic Society through the Early Career Grant program (also known as the Level I Grant).

  • Christine Lin
    Director
  • Iris Catholique
    Key Cast
  • Denecho Catholique
    Key Cast
  • Florence Catholique
    Key Cast
  • Robin Catholique
    Key Cast
  • James Marlowe
    Key Cast
  • Laura Jane Michel
    Key Cast
  • Jeremy Liguori
    Cinematography
  • Christine Lin
    Writer
  • Victoria Guillem
    Writer
  • Sophia Lebowitz
    Writer
  • Sophia Lebowitz
    Producer
  • Christine Lin
    Producer
  • Pierce Constanti
    Composers
  • Sophia Koenig Stone
    Composers
  • Christine Lin
    Editor
  • Victoria Guillem
    Assistant Editor
  • Victoria Guillem
    Sound Mixer
  • Marisa Gershenhorn
    Animation
  • Iris Catholique
    Senior Advisors
  • Jeff Wells
    Senior Advisors
  • Project Type:
    Documentary, Short
  • Genres:
    Documentary, Conservation, Environment, History & Culture
  • Runtime:
    16 minutes 14 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    July 15, 2023
  • Production Budget:
    15,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    Canada
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography - Christine Lin

Christine Lin is a documentary filmmaker based in San Diego, California. A 2021 National Geographic Explorer and 2020 Jackson Wild Media Lab Fellow, she is currently a producer and editor at Day's Edge Productions. Before that, she led video and media projects as a senior producer at the National Audubon Society after graduating from New York University in 2017.

Her interest in the Ni Hat’ni Dene Guardians' story first came from her interest in learning more about the Indigenous side of her own family. Her grandmother is from the Amis tribe, an Austronesian people, and her uncle is a forest ranger who looks after the mountains in Taiwan. Because of this connection, she feels a personal responsibility and passion for telling more uplifting Indigenous stories around the world.

www.christineklin.com

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