Statement From Rainforest Action Network In Solidarity With Unist’ot’en Camp and Wet’suwet’en Leadership - Rainforest Action Network

17.1.19

Statement From Rainforest Action Network In Solidarity With Unist’ot’en Camp and Wet’suwet’en Leadership - Rainforest Action Network:

Outrageous human rights abuses in the name of corporate profits have to stop — and Rainforest Action Network stands in solidarity with the Wet’suwet’en hereditary chiefs’ in their peaceful efforts to protect their territories this week against destruction and violent enforcement tactics.

The British Columbia Supreme Court’s decision in December to grant TransCanada’s injunction against the Unist’ot’en Camp is yet another violation of Indigenous rights in the name of greed and regressive energy policy. And we strongly condemn the Canadian government’s militarized enforcement of that injunction this week.

Furthermore, RAN denounces the massive financial support from the banks that are funding TransCanada, allowing for the continued construction of incredibly dangerous projects, including the Coastal GasLink and Keystone XL pipeline, that will not only exacerbate our climate change crisis but are also currently driving Indigenous rights violations. TransCanada does not have the collective free, prior, and informed consent of the Wet’suwet’en hereditary chiefs. All of the five Wet’suwet’en Clans have rejected TransCanada’s Coastal GasLink pipeline.

By granting the injunction and enforcement order to raid the camp and thereby ignoring the jurisdiction and authority of Wet’suwet’en chiefs and feast system of governance, the Canadian government has violated Indigenous rights enshrined the the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP). Article 10 of the UNDRIP clearly states that “Indigenous peoples shall not be forcibly removed from their land or territories.”

This trampling on Indigenous rights in favor of private oil and gas interests and the criminalization of land defenders is not only unacceptable, it’s unlawful, and cannot take place on Indigenous unceded lands.

WAYS TO SUPPORT

Donate:

We encourage everyone to support the Wet’suwet’en by donating both to the Unist’ot’en Camp Legal Fund to support the Wet’suwet’en rights and title case, and to the Unist’ot’en Camp.

Host a solidarity event: See the International Solidarity with Wet’suwet’en event page.

Sign the pledge: Join thousands of organizations and individuals in signing the pledge in support of Unist’ot’en.

Send a letter to Premier Horgan and Prime Minister Trudeau using our online letter tool.

Call provincial and federal ministers: 

BC Premier John Horgan (250) 387-1715

Minister of Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation Scott Fraser (250) 953-4844

Attorney General David Eby (250) 387-1866

MLA for Stikine (Wet’suwet’en territory) and Forests Minister Doug Donaldson (250) 387-6240

Energy Minister Michelle Mungall (250) 953-0900

Your local MLA and MP

Prime Minister Trudeau (613) 992-4211

Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations Carolyn Bennett (613) 995-9666

Justice Minister Jody Wilson-Raybould (613) 992-1416