On January 7th, Canadian police broke down a checkpoint gate erected by Indigenous land protectors fighting against the construction of TransCanada's Coastal GasLink through unceded Wet'suwet'en territory. More than a dozen people were arrested at the Gidimt'en camp where people were barring the pipeline company from access (photo above: credit to CBC.ca).
The Coastal GasLink pipeline is meant to transport natural gas from northeastern B.C. to the coast where an LNG Canada facility is scheduled for construction. The Wet’suwet’en Hereditary Chiefs have not given consent to TransCanada to put the Coastal GasLink through their traditional unceded territories. Read more about this here.
As an organization that works to inspire citizen action to protect water, we stand firmly in solidarity with the Wet'suwet'en pipeline blockades. Canada is once again reminding us that colonialism and capitalist accumulation are alive and well - and reconciliation remains a 14 letter word.
“Is this a normal way to respond to Indigenous people who are peacefully protecting their drinking water from fracking pipelines?”
This fight is by no means over. Here’s how you can help:
DONATE to Unist’ot’en Camp Legal Fund
DONATE to Gidimt’en Access Point
HOST A SOLIDARITY EVENT: See the International Solidarity with Wet’suwet’en event page. They are asking that all actions taken in solidarity are conducted peacefully and according to the traditional laws of other Indigenous Nations. Forcible trespass onto Wet’suwet’en territories and the removal of Indigenous peoples from their lands must be stopped. Provincial and federal governments must be confronted.
SIGN THE PLEDGE: Join thousands of organizations and individuals in signing the pledge in support of Unist’ot’en
CONTACT REPRESENTATIVES: This page has been set up so you can send an email directly to relevant Federal cabinet ministers and BC Provincial cabinet ministers calling on the RCMP and Coastal Gas Link to respect Unist’ot’en/Giltseyu-Dark House on their unceded lands.
“We’re trying to protect our oceans, our waters, our rivers, our streams so that we can have fish, all the seafood from our ocean.”
