All eyes are watching as the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) began their invasion on unceded Wet’suwet’en territory. We wanted to provide the map above along with a brief update from our Wet’suwet’en relatives so you can better understand the lay of the land in the fight against TC Energy’s Coastal GasLink pipeline being forced on the homelands of the Wet’suwet’en. Keep scrolling after updates for ways to take action.
Background:
January 5th, 2020 Wet’suwet’en Hereditary Chiefs representing all five clans of the Wet’suwet’en Nation evicted Coastal GasLink (CGL) from their territories. CGL does not have consent to construct their $6.6 billion fracked gas pipeline. CGL is trying to push through their project on unceded Indigenous territories.
“Under ‘Anuc niwh’it’en (Wet’suwet’en law) all five clans of the Wet’suwet’en have unanimously opposed all pipeline proposals and have not provided free, prior, and informed consent to Coastal Gaslink/TransCanada to do work on Wet’suwet’en lands.” The Royal Canadian Mountain Police are invading the land to clear it of Indigenous land defenders and their supporters so that CGL can continue work. Hereditary Chief Dsta’hyl (Liksamisu Clan) said, “wet’suwet’en will enforce the eviction of Coastal Gaslink with any means at their disposal.”
RCMP spent $3.6 million in the first three months they invaded Wet’suwet’en territory. They’ve now been here for 13 months. How many millions of dollars has RCMP spent finding our Murdered and Missing Indigenous Women, Girls and Two Spirits? The connection to our MMIWG2S epidemic and pipeline industrial man camps is well know. We know that with violence to Indigenous lands comes violence to Indigenous peoples.
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Day Three, February 8th, 2020 :
Unist’ot’en Camp 66km
RCMP has made it the gates of the Unist’ot’en Camp at 66km. Unist’ot’en matriarchs went into ceremony to call on ancestors and cremated a Canadian flag marked with the words “Reconciliation is dead.” Freda Huson threw the injunction and shouted “this is all its worth, the paper its written on.” RCMP helicopters have retreated for now.
1:28 pm – 4 arrests reported at 27km, Gisdewe cabin. Media being held back from accurately reporting the invasion for the third day in the row.
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Day two, February 7th, 2020
Gidimt’en Checkpoint 44 km
Dozens of RCMP officers breached the gates here, four waves of helicopters dropped off tactical officers to surround the homesite with assault rifles and police dogs. The four land defenders arrested during the Gidimt’en invasion are still in custody. They have refused to sign conditions of release that will prohibit them from visiting homesites on unceded Wet’suwet’en territory. Among those arrested are Gidimt’en Chief Woos’ daughter Eve Saint, Anne Spice of the tlingit nation, Denzel Sutherland-Wilson of the Gitxsan nation, and a Mohawk supporter.
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Day One, February 6, 2020
Media Camp Invasion 27 km
Dozens of militarized police with assault rifles and dogs have been deployed against unarmed Wet’suwet’en land defenders on unceded Indigenous land. At least 100 police are part of the operation. Six arrests were made, while two Wet’suwet’en home sites remain in the path of police violence, including the Unist’ot’en Healing Center founded in 2015.
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You can donate to legal defense/support funds here:
Gidimt’en: https://bit.ly/389LIoo
Unist’ot’en: https://bit.ly/2SnIiYy
Likht’samisyu: https://bit.ly/388m3wu
To follow the events of the invasion:
https://www.facebook.com/unistoten/
https://www.facebook.com/wetsuwetenstrong/
On twitter @UnistotenCamp
Hashtags for Social Media:
#LANDBACK
#WETSUWETENSTRONG
#SHUTDOWNCANADA
Download the Wet’suwet’en Supporter Toolkit 2020 here:
http://unistoten.camp/supportertoolkit2020/
Hold a solidarity action
Find A Solidarity Action Near You:
https://www.facebook.com/events/221856442184296/
Watch this video of Freda Huson, Healing Center founder, giving an update 31 days after the eviction:
https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=2640066699441798
Video of heavily militarized police invading #Wetsuweten territories:
https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=522458818374962
More Video militarized police with assault rifles and dogs have been deployed against unarmed Wet’suwet’en land defenders:
https://www.facebook.com/unistoten/posts/3465180653556155?__tn__=-R
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Contact the British Columbian Government here:
Premier John Horgan
1.250.387.1715
Minister of Indigenous Relations and “Reconciliation” Scott Fraser
1.250.953.4844
Attorney General David Eby
1.250.387.2178
Minister of Public Safety Mike Farnworth
1.250.356.2178
Minister of Forest Lands and Natural Resources Operations and Rural Development and MLA for Stikine-Wet’suwet’en Territory Doug Donaldson
1.250.387.6240
Contact CGL Operator TC Energy (Formerly TransCanada):
Corporate Head Office
450 – 1 Street S.W. Calgary, AB
Canada, T2P 5H1
1-403-920-2000
Corporate Head Office
700 Louisiana St,
Houston, TX 77002
Phone: (832.320.5000
Contact CGL Operator KKR :
NEW YORK
9 West 57th Street
Suite 4200
New York, New York 10019
+ 1 (212) 750-8300
HOUSTON
600 Travis Street
Suite 7200
Houston, Texas 77002
+ 1 (713) 343-5142
MENLO PARK
MENLO PARK
2800 Sand Hill Road
Suite 200
Menlo Park, California 94025
+ 1 (650) 233-6560
Do not look away as Indigenous peoples are being pushed off their land. Reconciliation isn’t violence against Indigenous peoples.
Solidarity with our Wet’suwet’en Relatives
Press Releases – Updates
ROUND UP OF RAIDS
Militarized Royal Mounted Canadian Police Are Dispossessing the Wet’suwet’en People of Their Land to Clear the Path for a Pipeline
Click here to find the latest update from our Wet’suwet’en relatives. Right now there are world wide actions demanding TC Energy and Coastal GasLink leave Wet’suwet’en sovereign territory.
Disturbing video shows RCMP pointing rifle at unarmed Indigenous land defenders.
Feb 13, Smithers (BC) – Newly released video from the Feb 7th RCMP raid on the Gidimt’en Checkpoint on Wet’suwet’en territory shows an RCMP sniper pointing a rifle at Denzel Sutherland-Wilson of the Gitxsan Nation and Anne Spice of the Tlingit Nation. It is one terrifying moment taken from a multi-hour operation led by more than sixty RCMP, including militarized tactical teams who were deployed via helicopter with assault rifles, snipers, and dogs. They arrested four unarmed Indigenous land defenders. Click here to learn more.
Unist’ot’en Matriarchs Arrested as RCMP Continues TC Energy’s Illegal Invasion on Wet’suwet’en Land
Unist’ot’en Territory, Feb 10, 2020 – A convoy of armed RCMP tactical units has invaded sovereign and unceded Unist’ot’en Territory to enforce TC Energy’s (formerly TransCanada) Coastal GasLink’s injunction. Our Unist’ot’en Matriarchs and lands defenders have been forcibly removed off their lands. Click here to learn more.
RCMP ARREST FOUR INDIGENOUS LAND DEFENDERS IN INVASION ON GIDIMT’EN TERRITORY
February 8th, 2020 (Wet’suwet’en Territory) – Yesterday, dozens of heavily armed tactical RCMP raided the Gidimt’en Checkpoint, a permanent Wet’suwet’en homesite and arrested four Indigenous land defenders from the Wet’suwet’en, Gitxsan, Mohawk, and Tlingit nations.
In violation of Anuk nu’at’en (Wet’suwet’en law) and the right enshrined in UNDRIP to seek free, prior, and informed consent for any projects occurring on unceded Gidimt’en lands, RCMP escorted heavy machinery and tore down two gates controlling access to Gidimt’en territory. Click here to learn more.
PEACEFUL INDIGENOUS LAND DEFENDERS THREATENED WITH VIOLENCE
January 5th, 2020 Wet’suwet’en Hereditary Chiefs representing all five clans of the Wet’suwet’en Nation evicted Coastal GasLink (CGL) from their territories. CGL does not have consent to construct their $6.6 billion fracked gas pipeline. CGL is trying to push through their project on unceded Indigenous territories. “Under ‘Anuc niwh’it’en (Wet’suwet’en law) all five clans of the Wet’suwet’en have unanimously opposed all pipeline proposals and have not provided free, prior, and informed consent to Coastal Gaslink/TransCanada to do work on Wet’suwet’en lands.” The Royal Canadian Mountain Police are invading the land to clear it of Indigenous land defenders and their supporters so that CGL can continue work. Hereditary Chief Dsta’hyl (Liksamisu Clan) said, “wet’suwet’en will enforce the eviction of Coastal Gaslink with any means at their disposal.” Click here to learn more.
INDIGENOUS YOUTH AND ALLIES PEACEFULLY OCCUPY OFFICE OF MINISTER OF NORTHERN AFFAIRS
February 4, 2020 (WINNIPEG, MB) —Local Indigenous youth and allies have occupied the office of Minister of Northern Affairs Dan Vandal for the last 24 hours demanding immediate federal action in support of Wet’suwet’en land defenders in their resistance to the RCMP blocking access to Wet’suwet’en territory and threatening mass arrests and removals. The RCMP has created an exclusion zone at 27 km around Gidimt’en checkpoint, blocking media, food and medical supplies, and restricting movement of Wet’suwet’en people and their guests on their own territory. Click here to learn more.