Vancouver

Solidarity with Unis'tot'en Rally

Raising Resistance: Solidarity with the Unist’ot’en.

12:00pm
- 3:00pm
Tuesday November 27 2012

Raising Resistance: Solidarity with the Unist’ot’en.
Call for cross-country actions on Tuesday November 27th

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In Vancouver:
Tuesday November 27th at noon at Apache Canada offices
200 Burrard Street (corner Cordova)

Web link with full backgrounder:
http://unistotencamp.wordpress.com/2012/11/23/solidarity-actions/

Facebook information for all cities:
https://www.facebook.com/events/279802322123507

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In inspiring resistance this past week, the Unist’ot’en and Grassroots
Wet’suwet’en have, yet again, evicted pipelines from their territories!

On November 20th, Wet’suwet’en Hereditary Chief Toghestiy intercepted and
issued an eagle feather to surveyors from the Can-Am Geomatics company who
were working for Apache’s proposed natural gas Pacific Trails Pipeline
(PTP). In Wet’suwet’en law, an eagle feather is used as a first and only
notice of trespass. The surveyors were ordered to leave the territory and
the road leading into the territory has been closed to all industry
activities until further notice. The materials that were left behind by
the work crew 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 unceded territories. The Unist’ot’en are against all
pipelines slated to cross through their territories, which include
Enbridge Northern Gateway, Kinder Morgans northern proposal, Pacific
Trails, Pembina, Spectra, and others.

The Unis’tot’en are now calling for solidarity and support actions to
reaffirm their position and to amplify the message to Industry and
Government that no proposed pipelines will proceed in their territories.
There is a call for immediate actions on Tuesday November 27th to ensure
that corporations, investors, and governments get a clear message that
they have no right or jurisdiction to approve development on Unist’ot’en
lands.

Join us in Vancouver at noon at the offices of Apache Canada, who have a
40% stake in the Pacific Trails Pipeline. Spread the word, invite your
friends, bring your drums. For information on other cities, check the web
link or Facebook event information listed above.

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Further information:
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The Unist’ot’en community’s website, including news releases and videos
from latest events:
http://unistotencamp.wordpress.com/

A short video explaining the community’s struggle can be found at:
http://stoptheflows.tumblr.com/

Donate winter gear and supplies to the Unist’ot’en action camp:
http://forestaction.wikidot.com/caravan

BC First Nation members evict pipeline surveyors and setup road block:
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/british-columbia/bc-first-nation-members-evict-pipeline-surveyors-set-up-road-block/article5547325/

Fractured Land video and project:
http://www.fracturedland.com/

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The “Raising Resistance” call to action is issued by the Unist’ot’en and
grassroots Wet’suwet’en.

Supported by:
Algonquins of Barriere Lake
Ancestral Pride-Ahousaht Sovereign Territory
Anishinabek Oshkimaadiziig Unity Camp
Asubpeeschoseewagong (Grassy Narrows) Land Defenders
Boreal Forest Network
Canadian Union of Public Employees Local 3903 First Nations Solidarity
Working Group
Climate Justice Research/Action (Science for Peace)
Council of Canadians
Deep Green Resistance
Indigenous Action Movement
Indigenous Environmental Network
Indigenous Network on Economies and Trade
Independent Jewish Voices-Toronto
Indigenous Peoples Solidarity Movement-Ottawa
Indigenous People's Solidarity Movement-Winnipeg
Indigenous Sovereignty and Solidarity Network-Toronto
International League of People's Struggles-Canada
Leadnow
Mining Justice Alliance
Native Youth Movement
No One Is Illegal-Toronto
No One Is Illegal-Vancouver Coast Salish Territories
Rising Tide-Toronto
Rising Tide-Vancouver Coast Salish Territories
ShitHarperDid
Sierra Club-Prairie Chapter
Streams of Justice
Submedia.tv
Tadamon
Toronto Bolivia Solidarity
Truth Fool
Turning the Tide Bookstore
Vancouver Island Community Forest Action Network.

Please email harsha@resist.ca if you would like to add your name to the
list of supporters.

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BACKGROUNDER:
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What is Pacific Trails Pipeline?

Of the many proposed pipeline projects that would cross through
Unist’ot’en land, Pacific Trails Pipeline (PTP) is the first one slated to
begin construction and poses and immediate threat. PTP is a $1 billion
partnership between Apache Canada, Encana Corporation, and EOG Resources
(Enron Oil and Gas). The 463-kilometer pipeline would connect a liquified
natural gas terminal in Kitimat to Summit Lake near Prince George in
northeastern BC, with the aim of transporting upto 1 million cubic feet of
natural gas per day, extracted through hydraulic fracturing of shale gas
(fracking), to international markets through supertankers. The BC
government approved the pipeline’s expanded capacity in April 2012.

What is Wrong with Fracking?

While industry sells fracking as a “green transition fuel,” ecologist
specialist Robert Howarth from Cornell University, says it clearly: “Shale
gas is worse than conventional gas, and is, in fact, worse than coal and
worse than oil.” A number of doctors, including the chief medical officer
at the U.S. National Center for Environmental Health and the New Brunswick
College of Family Physicians, have called for a moratorium on fracking. A
number of jurisdictions, including France, Quebec, and New York, currently
have moratoriums on fracking. Last year, three Kainai women from the Blood
Tribe in southern Alberta were arrested for preventing a column of trucks
from leaving a Murphy Oil well site and vowing not to move until fracking
plans were stopped.

What are the Unist’ot’en saying?

The Unist’ot’en clan of the Wet’suwet’en Nation has been vocal about their
opposition to PTP. Clan members have built a log cabin and protection camp
in its path. Most recently, on November 20th, 2012, Wet’suwet’en Chief
Toghestiy intercepted and issued an eagle feather to surveyors. In
Wet’suwet’en law, an eagle feather is used as a first and only notice of
trespass. The surveyors and all other people associated with PTP were
ordered to leave the territory and told that they are not ever allowed to
return to Unist’ot’en land. The road has now been closed to all industry
activities until further notice. On August 23rd, 2010, Toghestiy and
Hagwilakw of the Likhts’amisyu clan gave Enbridge representatives trespass
warnings during a Smithers Town Council meeting where Enbridge attended to
attempt to smooth over their recent oil spill on the Kalamazoo River. In
November 2011, setting up a road blockade with “Road Closed to Pacific
Trails Pipeline Drillers” signs, the Unist’ot’en and the Likhts’amisyu of
the Wet’suwet’en escorted out PTP drillers and their equipment.

Freda Huson, spokeswoman for the Unist’ot’en Clan, states: “Pacific Trails
Pipeline does not have permission to be on our territory. It’s unceded
land. We said ‘NO!’ in their meetings. We’ve written them letters; I’ve
sent them emails, saying ‘absolutely NO!’ to their projects. Pacific Trail
Pipeline’s proposed route is through two main salmon spawning channels
which provide our staple food supply. We have made the message clear to
Enbridge and Pacific Trails and all of industry: We will not permit any
pipelines through our territory.”

Likhts’amisyu hereditary chief Toghestiy similarly states, “Unist’ot’en
and Grassroots Wet’suwet’en have consistently stated that they will not
allow such a pipeline to pass through their territory.”

The Wet’suwet’en are made up of five Clans, with territories that they are
expected to manage for their future generations. Neither the Unist’ot’en
People or the other Grassroots Wet’suwet’en are associated with the Office
of the Wet’suwet’en. The Unist’ot’en clan is against all pipelines slated
to cross through their territories, which include Enbridge Northern
Gateway, Kinder Morgans northern proposal, Pacific Trails, Pembina,
Spectra, and others. Enbridge pipeline would be built side by side to,
with essentially the same right of way as, Pacific Trails, thus raising
concerns that this pipeline might ‘blaze a trail’ for the Enbridge
project.

What is the Carbon Corridor?

Pacific Trails Pipeline, along with Enbridge pipeline and Kinder Morgan
Trans Mountain pipeline expansion, are part of a larger energy strategy.
Like Alberta, the British Columbia government aims to be an ‘energy power
house’ by exploiting some of the largest shale gas deposits in North
America and using pipelines to place fracked shale gas on the more
lucrative international market. According to the Canadian Center for
Policy Alternatives, much of the shale gas produced in BC is currently
destined for Alberta, where it is used as fuel in the tar sands. All this
is happening as Keystone XL pipeline to the U.S. Gulf Coast and Enbridge’s
proposed reversal of the Line 9 pipeline to open up Ontario, Quebec and
U.S. markets are also putting short term corporate-driven capitalist
interests and resource-extractive colonial developments ahead of
Indigenous self-determination and stewardship, destroying and exploiting
the land and ecosystems, and disregarding the safety and health of
communities including those who have to work the poisonous jobs in these
industries.