The 1000 mile Churchill River in Northern Manitoba, Canada is one of two major rivers that flow into the Hudson Bay. In 1976 Manitoba Hydro diverted the river with the construction of the Missy Falls Control Structure at the mouth of South Indian Lake reducing the rivers flow to 15%. The diversion flooded the First Nation Community of South Indian Lake, forcing their displacement and devastative the second largest White Fish fishery in North America. The diversion increased the Nelson River flow, where most of Manitoba Hydro's dams are located, by 40%.

Robert Spence rests while cutting firewood on his trapline on the Churchill River, in Northern Manitoba Canada. Spence is an elected Councillor the Tataskweyak Cree Nation the community of Split Lake, he once provided for his family as a commercial fisherman and fur trapper, but left the profession after the fishery became unprofitable. Spence has long been a critic of Manitoba Hydro and decries their impact to his traditional land and waters, but as a Councillor works closely with them to mitigate further impacts and seek compensation for damages.

A fisherman's boat approaches 8-mile Channel, an artificial channel created by Manitoba Hydro between Playgreen Lake and Lake Winnipeg as part of the Lake Winnipeg Regulation. Historical construction activities in the 1970's resulted in soil and groundwater contamination along with the presence of construction debris at the former construction sites. The channel was dug with the same machinery used to dig the Panama Canal.

Children play on the roof of an old cabin in the community Cross Lake. Regulation from the Jen Peg dam has drastically impacted the comunity through drastic and sudden fluctuations in water level causing substantial long-term erosion, difficulty navigating the water by boat, and dangerous ice conditions for travel in the winter months. The cumulative impacts have devastated wildlife, fish populations, and eroded a cultural way of life. Cross Lake has dealt with a rash of youth suicides in recent years. In 2016, 5 youth killed themselves, and there were 140 suicide attempts, they had the highest suicide rate in Canada.

Langford Saunders, President of the Norway House Fisherman's Co-op, rests in his boat after a day of commercial fishing on Lake Winnipeg in Northern Manitoba. Many fisherman complain of changes to their waterways due to hydro regulation; from a green slime and debris that gets caught in there nets, to an increase in lower grades of fish, such as mullet, instead of the more prized pickerel and white fish.

Helper James Simpson looks out the window of a fisherman's cabin on Playgreen Lake near Nelson House First Nation in Northern Manitoba, Canada. Commercial fishing is a main employer of Northern First Nations communities, but impacts to the water from hydroelectric development, erosion, and nutrient buildup continue to threaten the industry.

A woodlot on highway 6 in Northern Manitoba, Canada. Large amounts of forest were cleared with the construction of Manitoba Hydro's newest dam, Keeyask, on the Nelson River.

Pimicikamak First Nation Elder and knowledge keeper Edith Mary Blacksmith is photographed in her home in Cross Lake on her 91st birthday. Regulation from the Jen Peg dam has drastically impacted the community through drastic and sudden fluctuations in water level causing substantial long-term erosion, difficulty navigating the water by boat, and dangerous ice conditions for travel in the winter months. The cumulative impacts have devastated wildlife, fish populations, and eroded a cultural way of life. Blacksmith considers the imparts to be a cultural genocide.

A cemetery is illuminated by the Northern Lights in the First Nations community of Tataskweyak Cree Nation in Northern Manitoba, Canada. Manitoba hydro was forced to reinforce the banks surrounding the cemetery which sits on a point on the lake after erosion from fluctuating water levels began the threaten it. A number of bodies from more ancient cemeteries have been found eroding into the lake in recent years.

Fisherman pack their catch at the Playgreen Point Station processing facility near Nelson House First Nation in Northern Manitoba, Canada. Commercial fishing is a main employer of Northern First Nations communities, but impacts to the water from hydroelectric development, erosion, and nutrient buildup threaten the industry.

A buoy marks a fishing net on the north basin of Lake Winnipeg near Nelson House First Nation in Northern Manitoba, Canada. Commerical fishing is a main employer of Northern First Nations communities, but impacts to the water from hydroelectric development, erosion, and nutient buildup threaten the industry. Lake Winnipeg is the 12 largest freshwater lake and is the third largest hydroelectric reservoir in the world.

A deckhand loads his catch at the Playgreen Point Station processing facilty near Nelson House First Nation in Northern Manitoba, Canada. Commercial fishing is a main employer of Northern First Nations communities, but impacts to the water from hydroelectric development, erosion, and nutrient buildup threaten the industry.

Jackson Osborne holds up an old image showing a marsh that has now eroded in his community Cross Lake. Osborne considers himself an activist and documentarian, cataloging the impacts to his community by Manitoba Hydro.

Robert Spence looks through an eroded shoreline where human remains were recently found near the Northern Manitoba community of Split Lake. Erosion caused by fluctuating water levels has unearthed numerous historic burial grounds in the area. Spence is an elected Councillor in the community of Split Lake, he once provided for his family as a commercial fisherman and fur trapper, but left the profession after the fishery became unprofitable. Spence has long been a critic of Manitoba Hydro and decries their impact to his traditional land.

Adam Spence reaches for a knife which rests a the "bible" or stomach while butchering a moose during an annual fall hunt on the Churchill River in Northern Manitoba, Canada. Moose are a subsistence staple for the northern First Nations communities. The meat is flown back by plan and shared with elders in the community of Split Lake.

Chaiton Spence, 15, butchers a moose during an annual fall hunt on the Churchill River in Northern Manitoba, Canada. This was Chaiton's first kill while alone. For First Nations, killing and learning to butcher a Moose is a rite of passage. Moose are a subsistence staple for the northern First Nations communities. The meat is flown back by plan and shared with elders in the community of Split Lake. In recent years fewer moose have been successfully hunted in and around the community of Split Lake than in the past. Many think it is due to the loss of willows, a favorite food source, along the riverbanks due to erosion from hydro.

Priest Martha Spence reads from a bible written in the Cree language in her home in Split Lake. Spence spent a year working as a Cultural Awareness Assistant at the Keeyask Dam site, working to reduce racism and prejudice towards first nations workers. Many workers complain that they are treated unfairly as First Nations employees.

Richard Spence, 12, holds a Canadian Goose killed by his father Adam before boarding a bush plane to return to Split Lake after a moose hunting trip on the Churchill River, in Northern Manitoba, Canada.

Kaelyn Moose, 6, stands for a portrait on her grandfather Robert Spence's trapline on the Churchill River during a fall moose hunting trip. Robert and his wife Melanie have made a priority of bringing their children and grandchildren out to the land, hoping to instill the values and traditions they hold dear.

A flock of Pelicans migrate over Playgreen Lake near Norway House First Nation on their way south for the winter season.