BC Hereditary Chiefs Stand Together with Wet'suwet'en

19/01/19
Author: 
First Nations Leaders
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BC Hereditary Chiefs Stand Together with Wet'suwet'en


HEAL THE PEOPLE - DEFEND THE LAND 

Historic Gathering With Chiefs Across BC Standing With Wet'suwet'en

Chiefs from the B.C. coast, Interior and Northwest converged in Smithers this week show support for the Wet’suwet’en hereditary chiefs’ opposition to the Coastal GasLink natural gas pipeline. Over 200 packed the Dze L K’ant Friendship Centre in Smithers to hear from the Chiefs, and Unist’ot’en and Gitdumden members.
 
 
"You are in charge of your land, make no mistake about it. We are in charge of our land. And at times, we need to rely on each other for support," said Murray Smith from Lax Kw'alaams near Prince Rupert.

"Reconciliation cannot be done at the end of a gun," said Wayne Christian, a chief from the Secwepemc nation.

"Today's show of support from our neighbours and allies proves the Wet'suwet'en do not stand alone. "We the hereditary chiefs are the title holders and maintain authority and jurisdiction to make decisions on our unceded lands," said Wet'suwet'en hereditary chief Na'Moks.

You can watch a video of the press conference HERE.


FLOOD THE PHONE LINES AND TAKE ACTION:

Demand that the Canadian government revoke permits for this fracked gas pipeline and respect Wet'suwet'en jurisdiction.

Wet'suwet'en are steadfast in opposing any pipelines on their Yintah.

Take one minute to make a call to the relevant provincial and federal Ministers. This link will connect you directly to their phone lines and there is a sample script.

BC: https://act.leadnow.ca/call-BC-support-wetsuweten/

Rest of Canada: https://act.leadnow.ca/call-federal-support-wetsuweten/


The Wet'suwet'en Access point on Gidumt'en territory has been calling for international actions in solidarity. "This is not over. We are living out our laws on our lands. We are Wet’suwet’en Strong. Stand with us."

Actions and events in support are continuing. Find one near you: https://www.facebook.com/groups/SupportWetsuweten/permalink/2127688317290408/

DONATE

As the Unist'ot'en Camp says, "This fight is far from over. We paved the way with the Delgamuuk’w court case and the time has come for Delgamuuk’w II."

Donate to Unist’ot’en Legal Fund: https://actionnetwork.org/fundraising/unistoten-camp-legal-fund 

Donate to Gidimt’en Access Point:
https://www.gofundme.com/gitdumt039en-access-point


SIGN THE PLEDGE

Join hundreds of organizations and 13,843 individuals in signing the pledge to support Unist’ot’en and the Wet’suwet’en:
 
https://goo.gl/forms/GE5bfm5ITDTyNPy12


STAY INFORMED

Get updates on social media:

https://www.facebook.com/unistoten/
https://www.facebook.com/wetsuwetenstrong/
https://twitter.com/UnistotenCamp
https://twitter.com/gidimt
 

Statement from Unist’ot’en: FORCE IS NOT CONSENT.

VIDEO: http://unistoten.camp/unistoten-unceded-undefeated/


Some of you may be thinking we’ve lost. That we’ve made an agreement with industry. That we are bending, conceding, giving up. This is not true. We will never give up. There will be no pipelines on our Yin’tah. The Unist’ot’en have never been defeated. We will win this fight, and we will do it with integrity and honour, as we have always done.

Our hereditary chiefs witnessed the brutality of the RCMP at 44. The militarized police force. The snipers and automatic weapons. Canada came to our territories poised for battle. They came to invade us for industry.

Unist'ot'en Yintah is a place of healing. It is home to Wet’suwet’en people seeking refuge from colonial trauma. People recovering from addiction. People reconnecting with the land. Our chiefs love our people and want them to thrive. We would not send our ill and healing people to war. We would not tell our people to fight on a day of mourning.

CGL and RCMP have twisted our words and misrepresented our intentions. They raided our land one day and showed up offering protection the next. We do not trust them. They are liars, and bullies, and colonizers, and thieves. But we are not like them. We know what we are doing is right.

We follow our laws and protocols. We respect each other. We are up against a heartless company and a faceless state. CGL dismantled the gate on a funeral day. RCMP blocked the road so we could not attend the funeral or feast. We gathered together, held each other up. This is what we do in the face of violence and oppression. We remember our teachings. This is why we are still here, still strong, still fighting. We learn from the land how to be resilient, how to grow. We turn to our story as Wet’suwet’en people, we turn to our culture and our laws. We know that is where our power lies.

We don’t need their guns or their money. We have the land and the water and the animals and all our relations. We don’t need their court orders and police enforcement. We have our Indigenous neighbours and relatives standing beside us. We don’t need their threats and intimidation. We have the strength of our ancestors within us. We don’t need their force and their violence. We have governed ourselves sustainably since time immemorial. We are still here. We are still fighting. This is not over.

We trust our hereditary chiefs. We trust our elders. We listen to them. We trust our systems of governance, which have lasted thousands of years and will last for thousands more. We respect the land.

#UNISTOTEN #WETSUWETENSTRONG #WEDZINKWA #NOPIPELINES #NOTRESPASS