Last night I attended the online Wet’suwet’en organizing call, along with eight hundred others. We heard from Sleydo’ (Molly Wickham), Chief Woos and Chief Na’ Moks, all of whom I’ve seen in videos and read their writings over the past several years. Below are ways you can support the Wet’suwet’en.
There is great urgency now to #KKillTheDrill, referring to Coastal GasLink’s preparations to start drilling under the Wedzin Kwa, the sacred headwaters of the Wet’suwet’en.
Why do we need your help to #KillTheDrill?
After a decade of fierce resistance, Coastal GasLink is currently preparing the site to start drilling under the Wedzin Kwa, the sacred headwaters of the Wet’suwet’en since time immemorial. Now is the time to come together and demand drilling stop.
The Coastal Gaslink pipeline and associated LNG terminal is the largest private fracked gas investment in Canadian history. The Wet’suwet’en Hereditary Chiefs have been resisting the construction of the fracked gas pipeline on their territories for more than a decade, and the hereditary chiefs of all five Wet’suwet’en clans have refused to give their consent to the project.
In late April, the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Descrimination (CERD) issued Canada a third letter urging Canada to end their colonial violence on the territory. CERD urged Canada to cease construction of the Coastal GasLink pipeline, as well as the TMX pipeline, until free, and prior informed consent was received from the Wet’suwet’en and Secwepemc people (respectively); engage in negotiations with these impacted communities; and end forced evictions from traditional territories.
And yet, key decision makers continue to ignore these recommendations, continue construction on Coastal GasLink, and condone violence against the Wet’suwet’en on their traditional lands. In late November 2021, the world watched as RCMP conducted militarized raids against Wet’suwet’en Land Protectors at Gidimt’en Checkpoint. Shocking images of assault rifles being pointed at unarmed protectors and doors being hacked down circulated widely, as did reports of humiliating treatment and abuse by RCMP. Now, tensions are rising as drilling beneath the sacred headwaters of the Wedzin Kwa river edges closer.
The Big Picture: How do we stop the drilling?
The UN is once again calling out Canada for their colonial violence, and it’s time to strike while there is international attention. So who are those key players? The contractors on the ground, the government officials who condone RCMP harassment and break their own promises of title negotiations and reconciliation, and the funders behind the scenes.
Taking action during key moments when an issue is in the news cycle or on people’s news feeds can be very impactful in building momentum on a campaign. It helps bring people along who care about the issue but aren’t sure where or how to start. Digital actions are also a great way to mobilize people to take more action in the future!
Contractors:
| Name | Key people | Socials |
| OJ Pipelines (Annual General Meeting May 27th 2022, 8am) | Russell Keller, President, Linkedin Blaine Collet, Senior Director of Indigenous Relations and Community Relations, Linkedin, | Phone: 1 780 955 3900 Fax: 1 780 955 3518 |
| Parent Company: Quanta Services | Steve Sousa, Managing Director and Chief commercial officer, Linkedin | Twitter: @Quanta_Services, Instagram: @Quantaservices, Facebook: Quanta Services |
Below are a list of financial institutions in the USA involved in the financing of the CGL pipeline.
| Name of investor/bank | Twitter handle | Email address |
| USA | ||
| JP Morgan Chase | @jpmorgan | CEO jamie.dimon@jpmchase.com |
| Bank of America | @BankofAmerica | CEO brian.t.moynihan@bankofamerica.com |
| Citi | @Citi | CEO jane.fraser@citi.com CEO North America sunil.garg@citi.com Chief of staff margo.pilic@citi.com Chief risk officer zdenek.turek@citicorp.com General counsel rohan.weerasinghe@citigroup.com |
| Truist | @TruistNews | |
| Fluor Corp | @FluorCorp |
Sample tweet
I stand with Wet’suwet’en and demand your immediate divestment + withdrawal of financing for Coastal GasLink and LNG Canada @jpmorgan @BankofAmerica @Citi @TruistNews @FluorCorp @KKR_Co. Stop financing climate chaos and Indigenous rights violation. #WetsuwetenStrong
Government targets:
| Names | Key Locations | Socials |
| Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister | 80 Wellington StreetOttawa, ON K1A 0A2Fax: 613-941-6900 | @JustinTrudeau |
| John Horgan, Premier of BC | BC Legislative Building: 501 Belleville St, Victoria, BC V8V 2L8 Community office, 122 – 2806 Jacklin RoadVictoria, BC V9B 5A4 john.horgan.mla@leg.bc.ca.Telephone: 250-391-2801 Fax: 250-391-2804 | @jjhorgan |
| David Eby, BC Attorney General | MLA David Eby’s Community Office 2909 West Broadway (at Bayswater, two blocks west of MacDonald) Vancouver, BC V6K 2G6Phone: 604-660-1297Email: david.eby.mla@leg.bc.ca | @Dave_Eby |
| Mike Farnworth BC Minister of Public Safety | MLA Consultancy office: 107A – 2748 Lougheed HwyPort Coquitlam, BC V3B 6P2 | @mikefarnworthbc |
| Marc Miller, Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations | Main office – Montréal3175 Saint-Jacques Street, Montréal, Quebec, H4C 1G7Telephone: 514-496-4885Fax: 514-496-8097 Marc.Miller@parl.gc.ca | @MarcMillerVM |
January, 2020, Bear Creek Friends (Quaker) meeting sent the following letter to British Columbia Premier, John Horgan.
John Horgan.
PO BOX 9041 STN PROV GOVT
VICTORIA, BC V8W 9E1.
Email premier@gov.bc.ca
John Horgan,
We’re concerned that you are not honoring the tribal rights and unceded Wet’suwet’en territories and are threatening a raid instead.
We ask you to de-escalate the militarized police presence, meet with the Wet’suwet’en Hereditary Chiefs, and hear their demands:
That the province cease construction of the Coastal Gaslink Pipeline project and suspend permits.
That the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) and tribal rights to free, prior and informed consent (FPIC) are respected by the state and RCMP.
That the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) and associated security and policing services be withdrawn from Wet’suwet’en lands, in agreement with the most recent letter provided by the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimiation’s (CERD) request.
That the provincial and federal government, RCMP and private industry employed by Coastal GasLink (CGL) respect Wet’suwet’en laws and governance system, and refrain from using any force to access tribal lands or remove people.
Bear Creek Monthly Meeting of Friends (Quakers)
19186 Bear Creek Road, Earlham, Iowa, 50072
Gidimt’en social media accounts
- Instagram: @yintah_access, @RCMPoffyintah
- Facebook: facebook.com/wetsuwetenstrong
- Twitter: @Gidimten @RCMPoffyintah
Tiktok: Mention @RCMPoffyintah in your caption!
Quakers and Mutual Aid 
2 thoughts on “Wet’suwet’en emergency”