National | Media Release

The NFU Stands in Solidarity with the Hereditary Chiefs of the Wet’suwet’en Gidimt’en Clan

 

The National Farmers Union stands in solidarity with the Wet’suwet’en, Gidimt’en clan members and their Hereditary Chiefs to oppose the destruction of Wet’suwet’en lands and the imminent drilling under Wedzin Kwa, their sacred headwaters, by Coastal Gas Link.  The NFU calls on the BC government to honour Wet’suwet’en hereditary rights and title to their territories and uphold the protections of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) which demands free, prior and informed consent before any industrial development on Indigenous lands.

Opposition by the Wet’suwet’en people against Coastal Gas Link’s construction of a fracked gas pipeline without proper free, prior and informed consent has been ongoing since January 2019. Wet’suwet’en Hereditary Chiefs and members have been defending their access and jurisdiction to their unceded territories for a decade.  Coastal Gas Link’s (CGL) activities on Wet’suwet’en territories are broadly destructive, violent and illegal — in defiance of UNDRIP and the ruling of the 1997 Delgamuukw/Gisdaywa case in the Supreme Court of Canada, which affirmed that Wet’suwet’en title, based on the traditional clan governance system, has never been extinguished.  Wet’suwet’en hereditary chiefs actively oppose CGL’s activities on their territory and have never given consent.  CGL’s activities trespass on Wet’suwet’en unceded territory and disregard the lawful jurisdiction of Hereditary Chiefs.

In September 2021 CGL destroyed an important ancestral site on Wet’suwet’en territory and is set to begin drilling under Wedzin Kwa, the river that supports life on the territory. An important salmon spawning ground and source of drinking water for downstream communities, the river is integral to food and cultural sovereignty for the Wet’suwet’en.

On 25 September 2021 the access road to the CGL drill site was destroyed and blockades set up and Gidimt’en members and supporters have since occupied the drill site to prevent CGL from beginning the illegal drilling.  Gidimt’en members are calling for immediate support; the NFU urges members to stand up in solidarity and take action.

Below are some ways to support (visit yintahaccess.com for more details):

Apply to come to offer support on the land at Gidimt’en camp: https://www.yintahaccess.com/come-to-camp

 Find or host a solidarity rally near you. Consider hosting a rally at the site of a regulating, insurance or investment office to send a direct message to those permitting and backing this project that Coastal Gaslink for trespassing on Wet’suwet’en lands and will not go through.

 Pressure the government : call the BC Oil and Gas Commission, the Ministry of Forests, and the Environmental Assessment office

BC Oil and Gas Commission (2950 Jutland Rd, Floor 6, Victoria BC): https://www.bcogc.ca/what-we-regulate/major-projects/coastal-gaslink/

  •    Commissioner and Chief Executive Officer BC Oil & Gas Commission: Paul Jeakins; (250 419 4411), paul.jeakins@bcogc.ca

Minister of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations & Rural Development Contacts:

https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/governments/organizational-structure/ministries-organizations/ministries/forests-lands-natural-resource-operations-and-rural-development/ministry-contacts

Environmental Assessment Office: https://projects.eao.gov.bc.ca/p/588511c4aaecd9001b825604/project-details

 Donate: https://www.yintahaccess.com/becomeadonor or https://go.rallyup.com/wetsuwetenstrong/Campaign/Details

 Share their posts:

Twitter: @Gidimten / @UnistotenCamp

IG:  yintah_access

Facebook: @wetsuwetenstrong

Use the hashtag #AllOutForWedzinKwa to spread the word!

**Translation supported by Canadian Heritage 

 

 

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