The price of a gas windfall

A bear crossing a road near Gingolx, close to the Ksi Lisims natural gas terminal project site. New natural gas export terminal projects on Indigenous land have reignited a generations-old debate over identity and environmental stewardship. — ©2025 The New York Times Company

WITH her hair pulled back into a tight ponytail, her arms and legs covered with tattoos, and her compact frame fitted out in athleisure, Crystal Smith, elected chief of the Haisla people, might still pass for the hometown basketball star she once was.

But she is on the verge of a new distinction – leading her community as it becomes the world’s first indigenous-owned natural gas exporter.