Today, on Good Medicine, with Michael Nicoll Yahgulanaas….

We are learning about The Stand — the 1985 Haida blockade against industrial logging. A moment etched into the bark of old-growth trees, carried in the hearts of those who were there, and now brought to the screen in the new National Film Board release: The Stand, directed by Christopher Auchter.

Our special guest is Christopher’s uncle — a powerful knowledge keeper, visual artist, and one of the hearts behind this history — Michael Nicoll Yahgulanaas.

Michael stood on the front lines of the 1985 blockade. Through him, we come to understand how a seemingly isolated act of defiance rippled into national and legislative change. And how the calm, quiet strength of Indigenous people — especially guided by the elders — created an unstoppable force of dignity.

It’s easy to think of activism as loud, confrontational, chaotic. But Michael reminds us that the most transformative movements are often the ones rooted in calm, in clarity, and in kinship.

Michael will also share how this blockade was a masterclass in emotional intelligence — how humility and empathy led to unexpected alliances. The Stand, the film, is more than a documentary. Michael sees it as a workshop. A living, breathing resource. A story that doesn’t just look backward, but forward — reminding us what’s possible when we lead with care, courage, and clarity.

We’ll also hear about what Michael calls “undiluted potential.” The belief that just beyond the visible edge of things, lies a future we haven’t dared to imagine yet.