Wet'suwet'en hereditary chiefs return home after Canada-wide tour of First Nations - Action News
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British Columbia

Wet'suwet'en hereditary chiefs return home after Canada-wide tour of First Nations

Wet'suwet'enhereditary chiefsopposed to a natural gas pipeline under construction in northern B.C. have concluded atour across Canadaaimed at building solidarity with other Indigenous groupsover shared concerns about land ownership and consent to development.

Tour aimed at building solidarity with Indigenous groups as chiefs continue opposition to gas pipeline in B.C.

Wet'suwet'en Hereditary Chief Namoks (John Ridsdale), seated, is pictured during the Tsleil-Waututh Nation-To-Nation tour with Wetsuweten hereditary chiefs on the Cambie Bridge in Vancouver, B.C. on Monday. (Ben Nelms/CBC)

Wet'suwet'enhereditary chiefsopposed to a natural gas pipeline under construction in northern British Columbia have concluded an 18-daytour across Canadaaimed at building solidarity with other Indigenous groupsover shared concerns about land ownership and consent to development.

The Coastal GasLink(CGL) pipeline project isa $6.6-billion, 670-kilometre pipeline that will deliver natural gas from the Dawson Creek area in northern B.C.to a liquefaction facility in Kitimat. It's part of a $40-billion LNG Canada project.

The province and all 20 elected First Nations councils along the route, including Wet'suwet'en elected council, approved the construction,butWet'suwet'en hereditary chiefs saythe project needed their consent too.

They point out Wet'suwet'en law predates colonization and the creation of the Indian Act, which means it is their traditional governance systems thatshould determine what happens within22,000 square kilometres of unceded territory in northwestern B.C.

An area map shows an orange line representing where the pipeline will go. A dar shaded area shows where it crosses Wet'suwet'en territory.
The Coastal GasLink natural gas pipeline would run from Dawson Creek to Kitimat, B.C., through traditional Wet'suwet'en territory. (Office of the Wet'suwet'en/CBC)

Nation-to-nation meetings

The tour was launched Aug. 2 in Ontario, where the Wet'suwet'en chiefs metwith Haudenosauneehereditary chiefsoutside a traditional longhouse on Six Nations of the Grand River, in Ontario.

"We view these landmark discussions as not just discussions but real action-oriented, real logical starting points toward something that's going to be working for all of us," said Hereditary Chief Woos(Frank Alec) of the Grizzly House with the Gidimt'enClan in B.C.

"We need to spread a message of peace and unity."

Five men standing
Haudenosaunee Confederacy Chiefs Council secretary Hohahes Leroy Hill speaks to reporters as he stands in front of Wet'suwet'en Hereditary Chiefs from British Columbia. (Bobby Hristova/CBC)

They also met withKahnaw:ke leaders near Montreal, and members of the Hollow Water First Nation in Winnipeg, where there is opposition to a proposed silica sand mine.

Kateri Saabe Ikwe Phillipsfrom Hollow Water First Nation spoke at the event, drawing parallels between the work being done by both groups.

"To stand together in solidarity with Wet'suwet'en and Camp Morningstar is very important just to show to others that we're still here, that we are still fighting, and that we are still speaking up for the land."

Court dates loom as tour concludes in Prince George

On Monday,the chiefs were in Vancouver, where they led a group of about 100 supporters on a march from city hall and across the CambieBridge to raise awareness about their cause in the province's largest city.

Wet'suwet'en Hereditary Chief Namoks (John Ridsdale)said a drill pad site has been built on one side of the Wedzin Kwa, or Morice River, which members of his nation depend on, and that they will try to prevent the pipeline company from drilling under it.

The group concluded their tour in Prince George on Thursday, and are now returning to their territory for a 10-day ceremony.

The tour ends as legal action looms over the group.

In late June of this year,members of the Wet'suwet'en Nationsuedthe RCMP and Coastal GasLinkfor alleged harassment by police and private security.

InJune and July,the Crown announced criminal contempt charges against19 peopleinvolved in blockading access to a pipeline work camp.

Construction continues

Meanwhile, construction of the pipeline is nearing completion.

The pipeline would transport natural gas from Dawson Creek in northeastern B.C. to Kitimat on the province's north coast.

An update posted to the Coastal GasLink website in late July says the project is 66 per cent complete overall, with 58.5 per cent of the construction finished.

The update shows nearly 97 per cent of the route along the Morice River southwest of Houston has been cleared, with 14 per cent of grading completed.

The update says pipeline has yet to be installed along that 77-kilometre stretch, while half has so far been installed in the final section toward Kitimat, and just over 32 per cent has been installed in the 86-kilometre section to the east, stretching toward Burns Lake.

With files from Bobby Hristova, Peggy Lam, Betsy Trumpener and The Canadian Press