Blog Archives
Fundraiser: No Pipelines on Unist’ot’en Territory
Extension being built on the healing lodge at Unist’ot’en, Wet’suwet’en territory.
The Unist’ot’en Clan of Northern BC has established a Camp at the entrance to their Territory. They have declared that no fossil fuel pipelines will cross their land.
Unist’ot’en Call for Winter Camp Prep Volunteers
Unist’ot’en Camp, October 12, 2016
Dear Supporters,
It was another wonderful pipe-free summer up at the Unist’ot’en yinta.
Work began on the second phase of our Healing Centre and for the first
time ever we were able to host an art camp for indigenous youth.
Connecting our youth to the land is a vital part of our culture, and we
relish these peaceful moments that allow us to build community. Read the rest of this entry
Northwest B.C. Aboriginal Nations Decry “Deeply Flawed” LNG Assessment Process
Indigenous leaders gather on Lelu island where the Lax Kw’alaams First Nation has set up camp to protest the construction of the Petronas LNG terminal. Photograph: SkeenaWatershed Coalition
“Our disappointment is profound”
Market Wired, September 1, 2016
TERRACE, BRITISH COLUMBIA–(Marketwired – Sept. 1, 2016) – Northwest Aboriginal nations have emerged from two days of meetings with the federal government demanding that its “deeply flawed” environmental assessment of a massive LNG proposal be delayed, in light of unfair and incomplete consultation with affected First Nations.
The evolution of a resistance movement
You must state how your visit will benefit the Unist’ot’en people to be allowed across this checkpoint on a bridge over the Morice River. / Catherine Matheson
By CATHERINE MATHESON, Smithers Interior News, July 21, 2016
When you visit the Unist’ot’en camp 66 kilometres south of Houston, you may not get to stay.
You will stand at the checkpoint, wait, and then answer questions. If you are from industry or government, if your presence involves an intention to do surveying or drilling work in the territory beyond the camp, or if you are unable to state how your visit will benefit the Unis’to’ten people, you will probably not receive consent to move forward across the Morice River bridge on the Morice West forest service road.
Unist’ot’en territory across the Morice River
The bridge is being held by representatives of the Unist’ot’en territory. Their first line of defence in withholding consent is their historical claim on the land. Their second is the 1997 Delgamuukw decision in the Canadian Supreme Court, which was signed by 35 Gitxsan and 13 Wet’suwet’en hereditary chiefs. One of those hereditary chiefs is Kneadebeas.
“Kneadebeas is my head chief,” said Freda Huson, appointed spokesperson for the chiefs of the Unisto’ot’en people. “The two prior Kneadebeas were my grandmother and my aunt. My aunt is the one whose oral testimony was proven in the courts (in the Delgamuukw case).”
“We are basically monitoring the land,” said Huson. “That’s been part of our tradition for thousands of years. People had to gain consent.
“Most times we do grant permission. We let berry pickers in and we let people come to fish or camp. The only reason we have to do things this way is because we have industry landing choppers (in our territory) even though we told them they don’t have our consent; they kept trying to sneak in.”
Freda and her husband Toghestiy have lived on the Unist’ot’en side of the bridge since 2010. They crossed it together several times last week as about 30 people arrived to attend the seventh annual Unist’ot’en action camp. They turned no one away, including a reporter from the Smithers Interior News.
Evolving from camp to community
After hearing Freda speak about the significance of the Morice River to salmon populations across the Northwest, crossing the bridge brings you to the hub of the camp with several new structures. These include a bunkhouse, a kitchen and meeting house, and a three-story healing centre under construction as the second part of a three-phase project.
The well-documented Unist’ot’en refusal to allow pipelines through their territory remains a key focus, with a new theme chosen for this year’s action camp.
“The way that we’ve been running our action camps since the beginning has been to train people in direct action techniques in the protection of the land,” said Toghestiy.
“We wanted to evolve and move into marketing. We want to get the message out to show that our camp is not confrontational and has never been confrontational, but we are also focusing on defensive factors that come into play whenever we are dealing with industry and government forces,” he said.
Wet’suwet’en Hereditary Chiefs’ Statement Against TransCanada
On June 13, 2016 the Wet’suwet’en Hereditary Chiefs interrupted the “Wet’suwet’en Matrilineal Coalition” meeting with Transcanada on Laksilyu territory.
BC Chiefs say approving Petronas gas project akin to declaring war
Indigenous leaders gather on Lelu island where the Lax Kw’alaams First Nation has set up camp to protest the construction of the Petronas LNG terminal. Photograph: SkeenaWatershed Coalition
by Mark Blackburn, APTN National News, April 19, 2016
OTTAWA — The fight over a mega gas pipeline project in British Columbia reached Ottawa Tuesday as chiefs and stakeholders opposed to the proposal shared a stage to get their message out.
“If they approve this project, I think (Prime Minister Justin Trudeau) declared war on the people who are concerned about this system,” said Gerald Amos, chair of the Friends of Wild Salmon on behalf of the chiefs assembled. Read the rest of this entry
Kanesatake hopes to build opposition, raise cash for pipeline fight
Gate at Unist’ot’en camp, photo: Al Jazeera.
by Christopher Curtis, Montreal Gazette, Nov 17, 2015
If Kanesatake was meant to lead the fight against the Energy East pipeline in Quebec, things might be getting off to a slow start.
Last weekend, the environmental group Greenpeace held workshops on the Mohawk territory that focused, in part, on mobilizing people against the proposed pipeline. Only about five locals attended the event, according to Kanesatake Grand Chief Serge Simon. Read the rest of this entry
A crack in the fracking pipeline: Coastal Gaslink changes its plans
Members of Unis’tot’en camp, November 2012.
New route is “further away from Unist’ot’en Camp”
by Wild Coast and Forest Action Network, Oct 12, 2015
Read the rest of this entry
Video: Hereditary Chiefs visit Unist’ot’en Territory
https://www.youtube.com/embed/7ppefUXtBxg“>
by UnistotenCamp, posted to Youtube on Sept 5, 2015
Thursday, September 3, 2015
Hereditary chiefs of all five Wet’suwet’en clans come to Unist’ot’en Yintah to show their unanimous support for the work Unist’ot’en are doing.
RCMP probe of attempted firebombing attack on Unist’ot’en camp hits dead-end
Attempting bombing of Unist’ot’en checkpoint signs, October 2013.
by Jorge Barrera, APTN National News, September 2, 2015
British Columbia RCMP investigators have come up empty after investigating a failed firebombing of the Unist’ot’en camp’s checkpoint.
A crude explosive device was detonated in October 2013 next to a sign leading the Unist’ot’en camp’s checkpoint on a forest service road leading to the routes of two natural gas pipelines in the province’s interior. The device was constructed with plastic bottles tied together with surveyor tape. Gasoline was used as the accelerant to set off a blast that failed to register any serious damage. Read the rest of this entry
