Silence on Site C a Disgraceful Double Standard

Silence on Site C a Disgraceful Double Standard

Many of you have asked me to respond to Senator Richard Neufeld’s recent op-ed, which complained about the “double standard” shown by the lack of media coverage of one of my Facebook posts about the Site C dam.

With respect to the language in the post, I will agree that there were more polite phrases I could have used to describe Premier Clark and BC Hydro CEO Jessica MacDonald, the powerbrokers behind the most expensive and environmentally destructive project in BC history.

http://www.thecanadianpress.com/english/online/OnlineFullStory.aspx?filename=DOR-MNN-CP.24e87e6e34c44c579dba4ffc2e41f037.CPKEY2008111303&newsitemid=37509607&languageid=1

What is truly repugnant, though, is the deafening silence you hear from Senator Neufeld, Premier Clark, Ms. Macdonald, and so many others about the devastating and completely unjustified impacts of this ill-conceived project.

As some readers may know, the BC Government and BC Hydro are currently attempting to construct a road for the Site C project that will destroy gravesites of our ancestors. There could be ways to avoid this senseless destruction, but these Site C powerbrokers are not interested in finding them. We’ve written dozens of letters and asked for meetings to discuss realignment of the road or other options, but been greeted with silence. Disturbing graves breaks the laws of our culture, and the needless desecration of these sites is not only an affront to our people, but a disgrace to all Canadians. We should all be speaking out. 

And this is just the latest travesty from the Site C project. Independent scientists, experts, economists, and even the past CEO of BC Hydro, have all said Site C is a terrible idea.

Just consider for a moment what society could instead do with the $9 billion dollars that Site C will cost.

• build two natural gas plants that would save Premier Clark’s failed LNG plans and bring over 2,000 jobs to the Peace region for $2.5 billion.

• pay the budget shortfalls of its education system; programs could be improved and schools reopened that Premier Clark’s government defunded and closed, along with opening a $2 billion trust fund to maintain the quality of our education for years to come.

• fix roads, bridges, and buildings that are sorely in need of repair for $2.5 billion.

• improve the economies and safety of its communities every year with a $1 billion trust fund.

• after generating nearly twice the power of Site C, creating more long-term jobs, and improving our education system, roads and bridges, BC could still have $1 billion to invest into BC’s health care system for years to come. 

Senator Neufeld believes there’s a double standard when it comes to elected officials (or unelected senators?) and the media.  I agree. The double standard I see is that Senator Neufeld will speak up for the empowered, but not for Aboriginal people:

• Did Senator Neufeld speak out when MLA Randy Hawes made racist comments about the traditional cultures of Aboriginal people?

http://bc.ctvnews.ca/first-nations-chiefs-want-mines-minister-to-quit-over-comments-1.569016

• Did Senator Neufeld speak out against the corrupt and racist comments made by MLA Pat Pimm, who complained that giving “the Indians more money” wouldn’t “get me one vote”?

http://energeticcity.ca/2014/05/pimm-apologizes-for-racist-emails-discovered-by-the-globe-and-mail/

• Did Senator Neufeld speak out when the MP Bob Zimmer, claimed the solution to missing and murdered indigenous women was for them to get a job and stayed on the reserve?

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/bob-zimmer-conservative-mp-ubcic-1.3265736

• Did Senator Neufeld speak out when the Conservative Party of Canada, which gave him his seat on the Senate, refused to support an investigation into missing and murdered Aboriginal women?

http://www.cbc.ca/news/indigenous/stephen-harper-s-comments-on-missing-murdered-aboriginal-women-show-lack-of-respect-1.2879154

The truth is, Senator Neufeld, Premier Clark, and their political allies rarely speak out when it is the women, families, and culture integrity of Aboriginal communities that are under attack.

Instead of supporting all of the good things $9 billion dollars could do for all British Columbians, these politicians are barrelling ahead with a project whose only purpose, at this point, is to distract from the Premier’s failure to realize her LNG pipe dreams. If they succeed, my people will lose what is most important to the cultural survival of our future generations: the ability to live free and feel connected to the world as we have done for greater than 13,000 years.

We will not be silent about this project. We will not be silent about the desecration of our graves, the drowning of our wildlife, the poisoning of our fish, or the destruction of our society. We will not be silent while this government commits cultural genocide. And you, Senator Neufeld, shouldn’t be either.

Chief Roland Willson, West Moberly First Nations