Call to Action at Unist'ot'en

Gas Pipeline Company Files Lawsuit to Evict Unist'ot'en Camp

On November 26, 2018, Coastal GasLink petitioned the Supreme Court to issue an order removing Unist'ot'en leaders, elders, and their allies from the path of the pipeline. The suit names only two people: Freda Huson of Unist'ot'en Clan and Warner Naziel (Dine ze Smolgemem) as well as "persons unknown."

Read the Notice of Claim filed November 23, 2018 here.
Read the Application for Injunctive Relief filed November 26, 2018 here.

CBC News reports that CGL is taking this step "as a last resort." A hearing could be scheduled any time. Wet'suwet'en hereditary chief Na'Moks (John Ridsdale) says their legal team is reviewing the application, and the hereditary chiefs support Unist'ot'en.

Speakers for the camp Karla Tait and Freda Huson released this statement: "The Unist’ot’en Camp is not a blockade, a protest, or a demonstration – it is a permanent, non-violent occupation of Unist’ot’en territory, established to protect our homelands from illegal industrial encroachments and to preserve a space for our community to heal from the violence of colonization." Read the press release here.

Support the defenders: contribute to Unist'oten Camp.

Visit the frontlines: sign up to join the camp.

Sustain the action team: contribute to the WildCoast action fund.

Stop the pipelines, start the healing

The camp is open for first-time volunteers, experienced supporters and indigenous allies. Visitors camp out on the land or stay indoors in a cozy bunkhouse with a wood fireplace. Projects include building the Healing Centre, chopping wood, cooking, and caring for kids and elders. Go here for more info.

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In 2009, the Unist’ot’en clan of the Wet’suwet’en nation began a permanent community in the right-of-way for three approved projects — Enbridge’s Northern Gateway, Chevron’s Pacific Trail Pipeline and TransCanada’s Coastal GasLink. After reoccupying their land, the clan banned all pipelines under a governance system that existed before Canada.

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Donate directly to Tsewedielth (Unis'tot'en Camp) at the link to the left. The camp is raising funds for vehicles and legal support.

Action at Unist'ot'en Camp

The camp is 1000 km (650 miles) north of Vancouver, BC. (See locator map, left.) It is 66 km (42 mi) on gravel roads from the town of Houston, BC.

Volunteers should:
* be able to to travel to the camp and camp out on the land
* have an understanding of indigenous rights and responsibilities on their land
* be prepared to stand with the defenders if needed
* help with the day-to-day work of the camp
* make a cash donation to the camp
* respect that this movement is led by grassroots indigenous women.

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Please go here for info about volunteering.

Why an action camp?

There are only a few routes the oil and gas companies can take though the mountains. Expensive projects like these require piles of investment cash, and there's no guarantee of dividends. Even if the company has 90% of the route secured, that doesn't mean they'll have a pipeline. Investors, beware!

The land defenders are turning away pipeline workers and surveyors trying to start work on the pipelines. They are protecting their territory, their water, and their hunting and fishing grounds. The intruders have been warned about trespassing on unceded land. The Unis'tot'en people are supported by their neighbours in the Likhts’amisyu Clan, the Gidem'ten Clan and other indigenous and non-indigenous allies.

Unis'tot'en defenders order pipeline surveyors off their territory

On the evening of November 20 2012, a Wet’suwet’en chief near Houston BC intercepted a pipeline surveying crew and presented them with a notice of trespass and a verbal warning. The surveyors said they were with the Can-Am Geomatics company, working to prepare the way for Apache’s proposed Pacific Trails Pipeline (PTP). Chief Toghestiy handed the crew leader an eagle feather, which is the first and only notice of trespass in Wet’suwet’en law. The defenders ordered the surveyors (and all other people associated with PTP) to leave the territory and not return to Unis’tot’en land.

As a result of the unsanctioned PTP work in the Unist’ot’en yintah (territory), the road leading into the territory has been closed to all industry activities until further notice. Morice River West Forest Service Road is closed at the bridge over Wedzin Kwah (Morice River) 66 km south of Houston.

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Toghestiy states: “I have invoked the Wet’suwet’en Inuk nu’ot’en (Law) called Bi Kyi Wa’at’en (Responsibility of a husband to respectfully use and protect his wife’s territory) to issue a trespass notice to Pipeline workers on her sovereign territory. My Clan’s territory called Lho Kwa (Clore River) is located behind the Unist’ot’en territory adjacent to the Coastal town of Kitimat and it is our responsibility to protect our territory as well. We will be stopping all proposed pipelines.”

After the surveyors were turned back, a crew from Unist’ot’en camp snowmobiled out to Crystal Road, 20 kms from camp, to retrieve materials the crew left behind. The materials were brought back to camp where they are being held until Apache and PTP agree to open up appropriate lines of communication with the Unist’ot’en and grassroots Wet’suwet’en, according to the Free, Prior and Informed Consent Protocol and laws of their sovereign unceded territories

The Wet’suwet’en are made up of five Clans, with territories that they are expected to manage for their future generations. The Unis’tot’en clan has been dead-set against all pipelines slated to cross through their territories, which include PTP, Enbridge’s Northern Gateway, and many others. The Unis’tot’en have established a permanent community along the Widzin Kwa (Morice River) directly in the path of the proposed energy corridor and made their opposition extremely clear.

Please note that the Unis’tot’en People and other Grassroots Wet’suwet’en are not associated with the Office of the Wet’suwet’en.

Call to action
Indigenous people are calling for solidarity to stop the bulldozing of the pipeline route across Northern BC to Kitimat this fall. Pacific Trail Pipeline company has provincial approval to clear hundreds of kilometers of forests, streams, and wetlands for their gas pipeline and the Enbridge Northern Gateway project. Clans in the Wet'suwet'en First Nation say NO. They are calling for support for the Unis'tot'en Camp in the path of the pipelines.

CHEERS TO THE DEFENDERS!

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Clockwise from top left: Blocking the bridge, the No Pipelines banner, first cabin built in the pipeline right-of-way, a standoff at the bridge, Andrea in Prince George, the decolonization workshop, Zoe, Kevin and Darius with the Caravan schoolbus.

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