The Wintego of our Discontent: Environment and Environmentalism on the Churchill River

Abstract

The Saskatchewan Power Corporation's plans for a dam on the Churchill River and the subsequent study and enquiry sparked debate in Northern and Southern Saskatchewan on the meaning of the Churchill River. Many people from southern and northern Saskatchewan expressed their ideas about why they opposed or supported hydroelectric development. By studying this debate, The Wintego of Our Discontent explores the meaning of nature and wilderness, region and ethnicity, for Saskatchewan people in the 1970s. It shows that ideas of nature and wilderness are defined by history, culture, gender, geography and economic status. It draws conclusions on the implications of those definitions for environmental protection and points to the problems inherent in ideas of nature and wilderness.