During the past week as I’ve been writing about the webinar series, “Working Toward Right Relationship with Indigenous Peoples”, I’ve continued to hear bad news about the construction of the Coastal GasLink pipeline on the Wet’suwet’en people’s territory.
July 14, 2020
The worst thing we can experience is being witness to our elders seeing our territories after mass destruction has occurred at the hands of CGL. Despite having a “cease & remedy” order, and a lack of permits for work in Gidimt’en, they have continued the destruction.
This was the first time Gisday’wa (the house chief who holds responsibility for these territories) has been allowed in to see these areas.
Feelings of helplessness, anger, heartbreak, and rage come over us as our Matriarchs and elders weep for the territories they (and we) have grown up on. Territories our ancestors protected, for us – and we must protect for the future.
Two days ago, the police criminalized us for cleansing the tower area. Yesterday the security for CGL stopped us, and then continued to follow us as we went into this man camp site. Right before this, Gisday’wa had stopped in at the rcmp “community industry safety office”… the same office they announced they were moving months ago. The same office which we saw a fuel spill at. The government & industry are not following any laws or regulations… they have been ignored, to continue with the pipeline (which the chiefs have said no to).
They don’t care about the land, the laws (hereditary & colonial), the violence these man camps will bring in, and don’t care about us. None of the workers wore masks (while travelling in from other areas), and they remained indignant when asked questions.
This is just one of the man camps that’s started. The others are blocked by their security. Security keeping us from accessing our own territories, so they can continue to destroy areas which we harvest medicines and berries from. Our people see that the law & the rcmp are out there to protect industry (and threaten us)… and yet, we have never seen them look for our women.
We are at a loss for words… however, we will remain #WetsuwetenStrong
Wet’suewet’en Chief Gisday’wa, his wife Betty, and his sister Rita visit his Yintah for the first time since CGL has built a man camp for its LNG pipeline. They were stunned. I held these Matriarch’s as they cried. CGL has lied to them, says Gisday’wa and are bulldozing Wet’suewet’en land beyond recognition. Their ancestors walked here. This land is their life.
July 15, 2020
Our amazing friend from Dogwood BC got some arial views of the right of way clearing/destruction incurred to our beautiful territories.
The wetlands are an integral part of the ecosystem, and CGL has not followed the protocol for protecting these areas – as well as not having the proper assessments, permits, and CONSENT in order to be out here.
The Hereditary Chiefs of all 5 clans maintain a strong and resounding “No pipelines” policy – for the reasons you’ll see in this footage.
Our yintah provides foods, medicines, wildlife habitat, and waterways – that have now been irreparably damaged… all for industry that has no reverence or concern for regulatory practice, or unceded Indigenous lands. The oil & gas industry is destroying the planet, and creating a perilous future for all.
The Environmental Assessment Office (of so called “B.C.”) has issued a “cease & remedy” order, yet CGL is continuing to ignore it.
We will continue to do all that we can to fight this – to ensure that the next generations are provided with a sustainable future. We are grateful for those who continue to stand with us against mass destruction for corporate greed. Together we will win.
Call the Environmental Assessment Office, and demand the cease & remedy order is complied with (see previous post). Masih cyoh.
#WetsuwetenStrong #TakeAction #NoConsent #NoTrespass #Wedzinkwa #ClimateAction ClimateJustice #StandUpFightBack #CallToAction
“This is a really important time in our history. This isn’t just going to go away. I feel like this is going to be increasingly tense. I don’t think people are willing to be pacified anymore with all of the cumulative injustices that are happening, and they’re coming to a head.”-Sleydo’ Molly Wickham
#WetsuwetenStrong #NoTrespass #WedzinKwah #CGLofftheYintah
After the Unist’ot’en and Gidimt’en Clans of the Wet’suwet’en Nation flagged concerns, the B.C. Environmental Assessment Office found Coastal GasLink failed to follow its wetlands management plan.
Coastal GasLink has been forced to stop pipeline construction near protected wetlands after an inspection by the B.C. Environmental Assessment Office found the company cleared areas without completing the required surveying and planning.
Coastal GasLink was issued two non-compliance orders in June and now has to complete the surveys before the project can proceed in the affected areas.
The 670-kilometre pipeline is planned to transport fracked gas from northeast B.C. to Kitimat, for shipment to markets in Asia.
Wet’suwet’en Hereditary Chiefs served Coastal GasLink with an eviction notice on Jan. 4, starting a chain of events that led to RCMP enforcing a court-ordered injunction to arrest more than 80 protesters in February, including Elders, Chiefs and matriarchs. On June 5, charges against 22 Wet’suwet’en land defenders and supporters were dropped and many others were never charged.
B.C. orders Coastal GasLink to stop pipeline construction near protected wetlands by Matt Simmons, The Narwhal, July 7, 2020
Quakers, social justice and revolution 