Alternatives stands in solidarity with the Wet’suwet’en First Nation. We officially express our support to this sovereign people and thank them for preserving their traditional territory with great determination for the benefit of future generations. We urge the governments of British Columbia and Canada to respect the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and the 1997 Delgamuukw decision of the Supreme Court of Canada, which defined the existence of Aboriginal title and the government’s duty to consult with First Nations. The Wet’suwet’en Nation, represented by its hereditary chiefs, has never consented to the Coastal GasLink pipeline project.
We denounce the recent brutal invasion of its lands and the related arrests.
A few reminders:
- The Governments of British Columbia and Canada support the current Coastal GasLink Pipeline project, which is owned by TC Energy, as well as the Alberta Investment Management Corporation (an government-owned corporation that manages public sector pension plans) and the U.S. investment fund Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co., the latter two with 65% per-cent stake in the project;
- The Wet’suwet’en Nation, represented by its hereditary chiefs, has never consented to the project;
- In 1997, the Delgamuukw case of the Supreme Court of Canada defined the nature and scope of Aboriginal title and recognized the traditional legal regime of the Wet’suwet’en Nation. Under the traditional governance of the Wet’suwet’en Nation, hereditary chiefs are responsible for decisions regarding ancestral lands;
- The United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) has called for a halt to the expansion of the Trans Mountain Pipeline, the construction of Site C dam and the Coastal GasLink Pipeline, persuant to CERD’s decision 1 (100), issued on December 13, 2019;
- Since 2016, Canada is a full supporter, without qualification, of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. Canada is committed to a renewed nation-to-nation relationship with Indigenous peoples based on recognition of rights, respect, co-operation and partnership;
- Meaningful reconciliation with Indigenous peoples cannot take place in a context of harassment, violence and misinformation.
ALSO a climate issue !
As part of the social movement, we are challenged when some of the most marginalized communities choose to oppose the irresponsible development of fossil fuels. First, the Wet’suwet’en, like many First Peoples, are at the forefront of the struggle for climate justice and continue to protect land and water with strength and courage, despite the colonial violence of governments and extractive industries.
The Coastal GasLink Pipeline is an anachronistic project in an era of extreme climate urgency: it will transport fracked gas – fracking itself is a risk to groundwater – for nearly 700 km. The whole of humanity is now suffering the consequences of this type of project, particularly the First Peoples.
Yet this struggle against climate change and for the climate is everyone’s struggle because we all belong to the same Earth. While our governments are complicit in strategies to exploit fossil fuels, we are jointly increasing the responsibility of all citizens of Canada in the face of climate change.
When communities choose to fight to avoid irreversible damage to our ecosystems, we must support them for the well-being of all.
