Unist'ot'en holds the line despite RCMP and Big Oil threats
by Wildcoast.ca
Only about eight weeks of "pipeline season" remain before the snow comes and the surveyors are shut out of Northern British Columbia. We're seeking drivers, volunteers, and sponsors to maintain Unist'ot'en Camp checkpoints until November.The camp has been on high alert for the past two weeks. On Wednesday August 26, a pipeline crew called the police when they came to one of the Unist'ot'en checkpoints east of Kitimat and people there wouldn't give them permission to drive through. Video here.
The police arrived at Unist'ot'en the next day to investigate the complaint. They made threats of arrest but left without incident. We had reports of more than a hundred RCMP camped out in hotels in nearby towns.
On Friday morning, after Grand Chief Stewart Phillip of the Union of BC Indian Chiefs met with the RCMP, he told media a police raid was "definitely going to come down." That hit the headlines everywhere and dozens of people put their lives on hold and went north.
That evening, the RCMP issued a statement calling the reports on social media and elsewhere "inaccurate." It claimed the police are neutral and focused on keeping the peace.
High-level meetings followed with the Unist'ot'en hereditary chiefs, their lawyers, the Assembly of First Nations, and the Wet'suwet'en elected chiefs. But the RCMP did not back down, and another pipeline crew tried to drive into Unis'tot'en territory on September 5.
We can't confirm whether the police have left the area. We're still preparing to respond to a confrontation. @Unist'ot'enCamp and @M_Tol are sending news from the camp regularly, and lawyers are standing by in case this ends up in the courts.
Get caught up on this story in our recent newsletters and stay tuned for more developments.
Allies and sponsors answer the call
Volunteers can get info on how to join the camp and share their skills and good energy. Peaceful people of any age are welcome to join in solidarity.
Unist'ot'en and the Law
Unist'ot'en Camp is a reoccupation of traditional territory outside of reserve and treaty lands in northern British Columbia, Canada. The courts have ruled that they have indigenous title to their lands, and the authorities may have trouble proving they can evict the camp.
The government should consider the merits of the Unist'ot'en Declaration, released last week, that addresses their rights and responsibilities on their land.
Another factor police and pipeline crews should assess is the letter the BC Civil Liberties Association sent to the RCMP in August, explaining the position of indigenous people on unceded land.
Unist'ot'en Camp has allies around the world. Please support the legal fund or contribute directly to the camp today.
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Thank you for being part of this movement to defend land and water
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