Wet'suwet'en

Many of us in the environmental movement share a dream of a free society, in which people live together, caring for the land they inhabit. We imagine such a community as an autonomous zone, existing independently of the colonial, capitalist system we oppose. I am pleased to report that I now write these words from exactly such a place. I now find myself by the shore of Parrott Lake, on a territory belonging to the Sun House of the Likhts’amisyu Clan of the Wet’suwet’en Nation. The exact place where we now camp was a Wet’suwet’en village site for many generations. In subsequent waves of colonial violence, the Wet’suwet’en were driven from this ancestral home. Now they have reclaimed it and are building a new village, which is be a place of cultural revitalization, of learning, of healing, and of stewardship of the land. ...

UPDATES FROM THE FRONTLINES HEAL THE PEOPLE - DEFEND THE LAND 6TH ANNUAL SPRING CONSTRUCTION CAMP Volunteers Needed for Cabin Building Projects in May! Spring camp runs from May 6 to 31 With spring coming early to the north, plans are underway for new projects across WET’SUWET’EN TERRITORY, including cabin construction for WET’SUWET’EN PEOPLE. Following the invasion of our territories by RCMP and industry, we are continuing to reoccupy our lands – helping our people reconnect with, reclaim, and protect our homelands ...

Likhts’amisyu Spring Construction Camp: APRIL 28, 2019 – MAY 18, 2019 The Likhts’amisyu Clan, one of the five clans of the Wet’suwet’en Nation, will soon be asserting their sovereignty by creating a new, permanent land reclamation on their territory. In doing so, they are requesting support with their upcoming Spring Construction Camp, scheduled to begin on April 28th, 2019. For almost ten years, the Wet’suwet’en have been resisting an array of oil and gas pipelines with the purpose of transporting bitumen from the Alberta tar sands and fracked gas from Northeastern B.C. to the Northwest Coast for export. The focal point of these efforts have been the Unist’ot’en Camp, a long-standing territorial re-occupation which was built directly in the path of the proposed pipeline corridor. Years of resistance have caused multiple multi-billion-dollar projects to be delayed and/or cancelled, however, this winter, the Coastal GasLink pipeline corporation obtained an injunction, and in January, the RCMP raided the Gidim’ten Access Checkpoint, which had been established on the road leading to the Unist’ot’en Camp. Several days later, CGL and the RCMP breached the gate at the Unist’ot’en Camp. ...

14th of March, 2019 Tiohtiá:ke, so-called Montréal This morning at 7:34 AM at the intersection of Papineau and St-Grégoire streets, a banner with the writtings “Solidarity with Unist’ot’en” was erected on a viaduc. This action is a symbolic gesture in relationship to the 15th of march, on this day two importants protests are to be held, the student protest in defense of climate and the protest against police brutality. ...

Late last night as many had their eyes glued to screens cheering on the Patriots in the Superbowl, a small crew of pals got busy taking on one symbol of so-called Canada’s nationalism: the RCMP. Within just minutes a handful of determined folks had destroyed all electronic keypad entries to the building, filled the manual locks with superglue and toothpicks, and dismantled the entry and exit systems to their gated police vehicle lot. Along the west windows we left what we came to say: “RCMP OFF WET’SUWET’EN LAND”. ...

The Wet’suwet’en Hereditary Chiefs have by absolutely no means agreed to let the Coastal GasLink pipeline tear through our traditional territories. On January 7th at the Gidumt’en access point, the RCMP used excessive and brutal force. We expected a large response, we did not expect a military level invasion where our unarmed women and elders were faced with automatic weapons and bulldozers. While the chiefs have a responsibility to protect the land, they also have a duty to protect our land defenders. Our people faced an incredible risk of injury or death and that is not a risk we are willing to take for an interim injunction. The agreement we made allows Coastal GasLink to temporarily work behind the Unist’ot’en gate. This will continue to be a waste of their time and resources as they will not be building a pipeline in our traditional territory. ...

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At this very moment a standoff is unfolding, the outcome of which will determine the future of Northern BC for generations to come. Will the entire region be overtaken by the fracking industry, or will Indigenous people asserting their sovereignty be successful in repelling the assault on their homelands? ...

uni2 uni1 Posters and graffiti in the neighborhood of Hochelaga. A billboard in the Mile-end was painted with “OKA 25 YEARS, THE RESISTANCE CONTINUES. NI PATRIE, NI ÉTAT, NI QUÉBEC, CANADA (No nation, no State, no quebec, no canada). uni3 uni5 uni4 In the neighborhoods of St. Henri, Parc-Ex, and Hochelaga, several moments of indigenous resistance to the Canadian State were chronicled with graffiti and posters. Kanehsatake, Gustafen Lake ‘95, Ipperwash ‘95, Kanehstaton ‘06, Sharbot Lake ‘07, Akwesasne ‘09, Tyendinaga ‘08, Elsipogtog, Unist’ot’en

The Unist’ot’en Camp stands in the way of several tar sands oil and fracked gas pipelines in western Canada. This week they are on high alert for a possible raid by Canadian federal police . A couple of days ago supporters recorded this incident, where TransCanada attempted to enter the territory and do field work.