OFFICES OF B.C. MLA'S OCCUPIED IN SUPPORT OF UNIST'OT'EN FACING INJUNCTION ORDER; PUBLIC RALLY TO FOLLOW

Media Contacts:

Natalie Knight: 778-707-2902

Aiyanas Ormond: 604-315-8766

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

OFFICES OF B.C. MLA'S OCCUPIED IN SUPPORT OF UNIST'OT'EN FACING INJUNCTION ORDER; PUBLIC RALLY TO FOLLOW

December 17, 2018 Coast Salish Territories / Vancouver BC: A group of urban Indigenous people, supporters, and environmentalists are occupying the offices of NDP MLAs in support of the Unist'ot'en/Giltseyu-Dark House. The supporters are occupying the offices of George Heyman at 642 W. Broadway; Shane Simpson at 2365 E. Hastings; Melanie Mark at 1070-1641Commercial Drive.

The occupation of these offices will be followed by a public rally today evening Monday December 17, 2018 at 5:30 pm in the CBC Plaza, 700 Hamilton Street in Vancouver.

On December 14 2018, the B.C. Supreme Court issued an interim injunction to Coastal GasLink/TransCanada to proceed with development for a LNG pipeline on unceded Wet'suwet'en territory. The Unist’ot’en Camp is a permanent Indigenous re-occupation of Wet’suwet’en land in Northern British Columbia, Canada. Through an accompanying enforcement order, the RCMP is authorized to forcibly remove the permanent Indigenous re-occupation of unceded territory including the Unist'ot'en Healing Center.

According to Aiyanas Ormond, Vancouver-based supporter of the Unist’ot’en/Giltseyu-Dark House, “The provincial government has promised to uphold the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, but this government has approved the LNG Project even though all the Wet'suwet'en Clans have rejected the Coastal GasLink pipeline. This government must revoke all permits until the project meets the standards of free, prior and informed consent.”

A letter delivered to the MLA’s reads, “The injunction and enforcement order ignores the jurisdiction and authority of Wet'suwet'en hereditary chiefs and feast system of governance. Supreme Court of Canada decisions, such as Delgamuukw-Gisday'wa and Tsilhqot’in, recognize that Aboriginal title includes the right to use, manage, possess land, and to decide how the land will be used.”

“The use of injunctions and litigation against the Unist'ot'en is part of a colonial history and present of criminalization against Indigenous peoples asserting our laws and jurisdiction. Is the NDP government going to oversee the RCMP removing Indigenous peoples from their land, like at Oka and Standing Rock? This is a completely unacceptable approach to addressing issues of Aboriginal Rights and Title that goes against their professed commitment of reconciliation,” further states Natalie Knight.

International rallies in support of Unist’ot’en Camp have taken place in Prince George, Toronto, Seattle, Gabriola, Victoria, Edmonton, and Ottawa.

Link to statement by UBCIC: https://www.ubcic.bc.ca/respect_the_rights_of_unist_ot_en

Link to 3782 pledges of support for Unist’ot’en: https://goo.gl/forms/u5vVJbQQf0nHNghN2

Link to further information about Unist’ot’en camp: http://unistoten.camp/