MUTEHEKAU SHIPU (MAGPIE RIVER)
MUTEHEKAU SHIPU (MAGPIE RIVER)
for Canadian Geographic
Susan Nerberg and I are here for four days. Four days to meet, explore, ask for help, understand and capture. Four days is so little time.
First morning: I slip on a wet rock, fall back and twist my ankle %&*! Even my drone took a hit. It’s split open like a worn out shoe, exposing circuitry like little toes to the elements. But we have a story to tell. So I close and crazy-glue the little machine best I can. As for my ankle, I tape it tight, lace up my boot and gobble two tylenols. After all, we’re only here four days
Meanwhile, people of Equanitshit and Mingan worked four years to obtain legal status of person-hood for the Magpie River (Mutehekau Shipu in Innu). The legal status should protect the river. They knew what would happen if they didn't protect it. The dams have permanently scarred the Romaine river just 20 km further east. They didn’t want the Magpie to end up the same way. That’s the story Susan and I are here to cover; a story of communities working together and doing the right thing.
Four days to cover four years of love and determination for a river. Determined, we meet the protectors, hike the damp forest and explore from a helicopter. Susan has a talent for connecting. I have a talent for persevering. We collect leads, stories and images. We are astounded by the beauty of the environment. We are charmed by the people protecting it. Mostly, we are humbled, but along the way, we collect every thought and image we can. It's amazing all that can be done in four days.
More images here: https://christianfleury.com/DOCUMENTAIRES/Mutehekau-Shipu-for-Canadian-Geographic/1
Full Canadian Geographics story here: https://canadiangeographic.ca/articles/i-am-mutehekau-shipu-a-rivers-journey-to-personhood-in-eastern-quebec/