GRSJ224/Wet'suwet'en Hereditary Chiefs & Northern Pipeline Projects

Wet’suwet’en Hereditary Chiefs

Residing in their traditional lands just west of Kitimat, northwestern BC, the five clans of the Wet’suwet’en are led by their hereditary chiefs or clan leaders. The Wet’suwet’en Hereditary Chiefs have issued eviction notices to the pipeline company, Coastal Gaslink (CGL). CGL has been carving their way through Wet’suwet’en clan territories to lay down the infrastructure for a Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) pipeline connecting the Dawson Creek to the approved LNG Canada facility near Kitimat. CGL has been contracted by LNG Canada to build a 670 km long section of the pipeline that originates from the gas fields in Alberta to the BC coast, where it can be loaded onto specially outfitted LNG transport ships to ship this valuable natural resource to Asian markets. The Wet’suwet’en nation is governed by dual leadership structure, with the majority of their elected councils in favour of the pipeline, and giving the government and CGL permission to go ahead with the pipeline construction. The 13 Wet’suwet’en Hereditary Chiefs maintain that they have never given permission for CGL to operate in their unceded hereditary territories and it is within their rights to evict the pipeline company and stop all construction activities in their territorial region.

The Wet’suwet’en First Nation & Unceded Territories

Formerly a part of the Omineca Band, the Band divided into the Nee-Tahi-Buhn and Broman Lake Bands in 1984. The latter was renamed the Wet’suwet’en First Nations. This First Nation’s claim over their right to evict CGL is based on their stated claim that the lands over which the pipeline has been granted permission to be built on by the Canadian and Provincial governments were never ceded in any treaties or signed legal agreements. Their land claims were settled in the landmark Delgamuukw v. British Columbia (1997) case in which the Supreme Court of Canada ruled in favour of the Wet’suwet’en’s aboriginal title to their territorial lands.

Struggles for Territorial Self-Determination

Even though the Supreme Court of Canada ruled in favour of their land claims, establishing that the Wet-suwet-en First Nation had never ceded control or ownership of their territories in any treaties with the province of British Columbia or Canadian government, this has not stopped the provincial or federal governments from allowing non-native corporations from invading Wet-suwet-en territory in the name of economic development. Covering over 22,000 square kilometers in North-West BC, Wet-suwet-en unceded lands are right in the pathway of multiple proposed pipeline projects, from Northern Gateway oil pipelines to the current CGL LNG pipelines.

Statement by the Wet'suwet'en Hereditary Chiefs

January 30, 2020 Wet’suwet’en Territory “The Wet’suwet’en Hereditary Chiefs have agreed to enter a discussion with the Province of British Columbia, for a period of seven days, in an effort to de-escalate the ongoing conflict surrounding the Coastal Gas Link project. The discussion table will be known as ‘Wiggus’, the Wet’suwet’en word for respect. In the landmark Supreme Court Decision of Delgamuukw Gisday’wa Wiggus it was defined as “respect for all living-beings, starting with oneself”. The Hereditary Chiefs maintain their commitment to peace and will pursue all avenues available to achieve a peaceful resolution. The Hereditary Chiefs reiterate their mission: “We are proud, progressive Wet’suwet’en dedicated to the preservation and enhancement of our culture, traditions and territories; working as one for the betterment of all”. Agreed to by the Hereditary Chiefs present: Chief Madeek   Chief Gisday’wa   Chief Woos Chief Hagwilnegh Chief Tsa’ghots Chief Na’Moks  Chief Lay’oh   Chief Kloum Khun

Unist’ot’en Checkpoint

Originally, the Unist’ot’en’s gated checkpoint was established back on April 1, 2009 to control access (i.e. who comes into or out of) their traditional lands. Anyone or any organization wishing to enter Unist’ot’en unceded territories had to first inform the hereditary chiefs and once permission was given, they were free to pass through the checkpoint and drive into Wet’suwet’en lands. This is known as “Free, Prior, and Informed Consent” (FPIC) protocol and has been in force for over a decade at the Unist’ot’en checkpoint. After the Gidimt’en blockade was raided on Jan. 6th, 2020, 14 protestors including 3 hereditary chiefs arrested, and the blockade dismantled, the Unist’ot’en checkpoint became a focal point for continued resistance and protests.

Supreme Court Injunction

CGL had applied for an injunction back in November 2018 since their workers were unable to cross the Unist’ot’en checkpoint to begin clearing the land along the planned pipeline route. The Supreme Court ruled that a temporary injunction would be granted to prevent blocking the bridge over which all traffic must pass to enter Wet’suwet’en lands.

RCMP Evictions of Wet’suwet’en Protestors & Supporters

The RCMP mobilized forces to uphold the injunction and began arresting protestors at the Unist’ot’en checkpoint on Feb. 9, 2020. In total, 21 protestors arrested at the two Wet’suwet’en checkpoints. During this time, solidarity protests were organized across Canada, at the BC Legislature building in Victoria, and at key entryways to ports across Metro Vancouver. These arrests and the use of force by the RCMP escalated the tensions and served as catalyst for widespread protests in support of the Wet’suwet’en hereditary chiefs, their right to self-government and protect their unceded territories.

Pipeline Protests & Activism

For several days in February, 2020, the Wet’suwet’en Hereditary Chiefs and their supporters (both Indigenous & non-Indigenous) took to the streets of Metro Vancouver to block traffic and to disrupt shipping and trucking operations at the Port of Vancouver and DeltaPort. They also blocked entrances at the BC legislature, preventing some MLAs, staff and reporters from gaining entry to start the Spring session. Their activism are acts of peaceful, non-violent protest meant to draw media, public, and governmental attention to the ongoing dispute in Wet’suwet’en territories. The Wet-suwet-en Hereditary Chiefs and those who support their cause continued to protest and resist efforts by the RCMP to enforce a court injunction allowing CGL workers to continue building the LNG Canada pipeline between Dawson Creek and the coastal facility near Kitimat. These invasive pipeline projects through Wet’suwet’en unceded lands prove that Canada’s decolonization and reconciliation processes failed to live up to both the letter and spirit of the federal government’s promise to recognize Indigenous rights, including territorial rights. Rail traffic, both cargo and passenger trains, were among the most deeply impacted by the protestors. Economic disruption, blocking traffic, and blocking entry into the BC Legislature brought the Indigenous protestors and their non-Indigenous allies the much needed media attention to force the various levels of government to the negotiation table.

Protests End, Blockades Dismantled

The protests across Canada did not end because of any political pressures or physical force, but was largely due to the Wet’suwet’en matriarchs insistence on being included in meetings held in Smithers, BC between the end of February and beginning of March, 2002, between the Wet’suwet’en hereditary chiefs and key federal and provincial ministers responsible for Indigenous Relations. The matriarchs were opposed from the beginning to the protests, claiming that most Wet’suwet’en people, as well as 20 elected First Nations band governments along the pipeline route were actually in favour of the pipeline as it would mean jobs and economic prosperity for many Indigenous groups and individuals. Behind closed doors, the government representatives, matriarchs, and Wet’suwet’en hereditary chiefs spent four days “hammering” out a compromise title agreement that saw protests and blockades lifted. The tentative agreement required Indigenous stakeholders to hold community meetings and to vote on the offer made by senior government officials regarding recognition of Wet’suwet’en rights and land titles. However, due to the Covid 19 pandemic, the March 17th, Wet’suwet’en all-clans meeting that was scheduled to discuss and ratify the original tentative agreement was indefinitely postponed over health concerns about the deadly virus.