When I saw the horrible video that is included at the end of this, I recognized the names of the two land defenders on the tower who were threatened by guns pointing at them by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP). Denzel Sutherland-Wilson (Gitxsan) and Anne Spice (Tlingit).

The strength of social media is the powerful ways we can share our stories. I enjoyed hearing and seeing Eve Saint, Anne Spice and Denzel Sutherland-Wilson talk about their culture and what the land means to them. Hear them laugh when talking about evicting a 6 billion dollar pipeline. Whisper “land back.”

It’s like we get to know them just a little. It hit me very hard when I heard Denzel tell the RCMP they didn’t need to point guns at him. I was thinking “how could they possibly do that to someone who obviously loves the land he is on so much? The land he is defending with his very life?” He was so brave.

Our culture and our tradition is the land. We are directly connected to the land. It’s our spirituality. We cannot be forced to be away from our land.

Nine days since we took the land back.

It feels like something you don’t normally do. (laughter) Its revolutionary, right?

I don’t think anyone’s ever really evicted like a 6 billion dollar pipeline before.
People get confused about what we want as Native people. Like “what do you want?”

Just like, “land back!”. Don’t need any reconciliation, don’t want money, like I don’t want programs or funding or whatever.

(whispers “land back”)

Funny though, when I said that to my Dad, Wet’suwet’en people, if you tell them about LANDBACK, they’re like “we never lost the land, anyway.” Which is true.

Wet’suwet’en have never given up title to their 22,000 square kilometer territory.

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Canada is ready to kill us. Reconciliation is dead.

[ WARNING: This video contains graphic images of an armed threat on the lives of land defenders Denzel Sutherland-Wilson (Gitxsan) and Anne Spice (Tlingit). It may be traumatic for many to see. But we feel strongly that it should be available to witness. Denzel, Anne, and all the land defenders are now safe. These events took place during the RCMP raid on unceded Wet’suwet’en territory on February 7, 2020. The video was filmed by Gitxsan land defender Denzel Sutherland-Wilson from atop this tower. ]

When Canada is ready to kill us, reconciliation is dead. They deployed over 50 police officers, tactical teams, automatic weapons, dogs, snowmobiles, helicopters, and snipers to remove four unarmed Indigenous land defenders from unceded Wet’suwet’en territory. Canada has us in its sights. They bring lethal force because they are afraid of our power. We have the land, and all the ancestors, and dozens of indigenous nations standing behind us. Our land defenders were arrested, but they are free and safe. The land is still under siege. Rise up.

#shutdowncanada #AllEyesOnWetsuweten #WetsuwetenStrong #ReconciliationIsDead #LandBack
Callout for Solidarity: http://unistoten.camp/alleyesonwetsuweten
Gidimt’en Call to action: http://www.yintahaccess.com
Donate to Gidimt’en camp: https://www.gofundme.com/f/gidimt039en-strong

Wet’suwet’en Access Point on Gidimt’en Territory

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All Eyes on Wet’suwet’en: International Call for Solidarity!

Update January 14, 2020: 

For the Week of Action, January 7-12, 2020, you answered the call for solidarity with the Wet’suwet’en nation. You organized rallies, marches, and rolling blockades. You put pressure on the government and industry. You raised funds, called your representatives, and disrupted “business as usual” all over the continent and the globe! 

All of our supporters helped us achieve the major victory of evicting Coastal GasLink from our unceded lands. Now, in the face of increasing RCMP threats of violence and intimidation, we need you to KEEP GOING – continue showing up and shutting it down. The time is NOW to recognize indigenous sovereignty around the world! We are asking for folks to harness the power of this catalyzing moment to create sustained action in solidarity. For ideas and information, check out our updated Supporter Toolkit.

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We call for solidarity actions from Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities who uphold Indigenous sovereignty and recognize the urgency of stopping resource extraction projects that threaten the lives of future generations.

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Remember to take good photos and videos to share with the world.

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Unceded and sovereign Wet’suwet’en land is under attack. On December 31, 2019, BC Supreme Court Justice Marguerite Church granted an injunction against members of the Wet’suwet’en nation who have been stewarding and protecting our traditional territories from the destruction of multiple pipelines, including Coastal GasLink’s (CGL) liquified natural gas (LNG) pipeline. Hereditary Chiefs of all five Wet’suwet’en clans have rejected Church’s decision, which criminalizes Anuk ‘nu’at’en (Wet’suwet’en law), and have issued and enforced an eviction of CGL’s workers from the territory.  The last CGL contractor was escorted out by Wet’suwet’en Chiefs on Saturday, January 4, 2020.

We watched communities across Canada and worldwide rise up with us in January 2019 when the RCMP violently raided our territories and criminalized us for upholding our responsibilities towards our land. Our strength to act today comes from the knowledge that our allies across Canada and around the world will again rise up with us, as they did for Oka, Gustafsen Lake, and Elsipogtog, shutting down rail lines, ports, and industrial infrastructure and pressuring elected government officials to abide by UNDRIP. The state needs to stop violently supporting those members of the 1% who are stealing our resources and condemning our children to a world rendered uninhabitable by climate change.

Light your sacred fires and come to our aid as the RCMP prepares again to enact colonial violence against Wet’suwet’en people.

We ask that all actions taken in solidarity are conducted peacefully and according to the laws of the Indigenous nation(s) of that land.

For more information:

Wet’suwet’en Supporter Toolkit
Donate to Unist’ot’en
Donate to Gidimt’en