Category: Wet’suwet’en

Three Years Later

Don’t you find there are periods of rapid change interspersed among long plateaus in your life? Although those plateaus are becoming fewer and lasting shorter periods of time.

The last three years have been a time of momentous change, both in my life, and in the world. I’m trying to explain what has been happening to me, because these experiences convince me we must all make similar changes if we are going to make the major adjustments needed to try to mitigate deepening environmental damage. The world has been spiraling out of control these past three years, dramatically impacting all our communities and individual lives. I think of these changes as related to the idea of a house of cards. The cards in this case being dollars of the capitalist economy.

(c)2023 Jeff Kisling

Foundational Stories

I was born into a rural Iowa Quaker community and have been a Quaker all my life. I attended Scattergood Friends School, a Quaker boarding high school on a farm in Eastern Iowa.

Recently I was challenged to consider what my foundational stories are, how they began, how they changed over time, and what they are now. I’ve been writing this series of blog posts about these stories, which are related to the intersections between my Quaker faith, protecting Mother Earth, and photography. You can read my foundational stories here: https://quakersandreligioussocialism.com/foundational-stories/

I spent my entire adult life in Indianapolis. I arrived in 1970 to spend two years in a Quaker community organizing project, Friends Volunteer Service Mission. To support myself financially, I received on-the-job training to be a respiratory therapy technician. I later obtained a degree in Respiratory Therapy, and a career in neonatal respiratory therapy, and then thirty years doing research in infant lung development and disease in Indianapolis at Riley Hosptial for Children, Indiana University Medical Center. I retired and returned to Iowa in the summer of 2017.

Part of the Mother Earth piece of my foundational stories was “driven” by a spiritual leading that showed me I could not contribute to the pollution from owning a personal automobile, so I didn’t. That had all kinds of repercussions.

Although my leading to try to live without a personal automobile grew over time, the actual decision came about abruptly. I had a couple of used cars but felt increasingly uncomfortable having one. When my car was totaled in an accident, I took the opportunity to see if I could live without a car in the city. It took some time to work out the bus schedules, especially because I was working all kinds of hours and on weekends. And I had to learn how to shop such that I could carry everything home.

But because we derive our sense of identity and socioeconomic status from work embedded in a profit driven economy, transformative day-to-day self-sufficient activities, when they are applied in an urban or suburban setting, give rise to second set of intangible sociocultural barriers that involve taking significant social risks. Peter Lipman the former (founding) chair of Transition Network and Common Cause Foundation encourages us to take these social and cultural risks. But what exactly are the more difficult risks needed to move us in the right direction? It is important to identify intangible socioeconomic challenges in order to side-step them.

…

In short, our identities are tied up in what we do for a living and how we do what we do for a living must radically change. Because, let’s be honest, living and working, having lifestyles and livelihoods that are truly regenerative and sustainable look nothing like how most of us currently live and work.

Against the Economic Grain: Addressing the Social Challenges of Sustainable Livelihoods by Kim Kendall, originally published by Resilience.org, January 27, 2023

It was difficult for us (environmentalists) to find pressure points, places where we could call attention to the existential threats of environmental chaos from burning fossil fuels. In 2013, activists recognized the application for approval of the Keystone XL Pipeline as such an opportunity. This decision was solely up to President Obama, allowing us a focus for our efforts. I was trained as an Action Lead in the Keystone Pledge of Resistance in 2013. There I learned many skills related to community organizing. Four of us trained about forty people in the Indianapolis community, and organized many demonstrations and actions against fossil fuel companies and the banks that fund them.
https://jeffkisling.com/2018/06/05/lessons-learned-from-the-keystone-pledge-of-resistance/

We were able to train others in those skills later when the White Pines Wilderness Academy in Indianapolis wanted to bring attention to the dangers of the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL).

Wet’suwet’en peoples

I was always looking for news about fossil fuels and our environment. This blog post from 1/14/2020 describes my discovery of the Wet’suwet’en peoples and their struggles against the Coastal GasLink (CGL) liquid natural gas pipeline being constructed through their pristine territory in British Columbia.

I have just begun to learn about the Wet’suwet’en people. A friend of mine from the First Nation-Farmer Climate Unity March traveled to the Unist’ot’en camp about 4 years ago and found it to be a life-changing experience. I also asked other friends I made during the March about this, and they indicated support for these people.

You may wonder why I am trying to learn and write about the Wet’suwet’en people now. The literal answer is I saw this article recently: Hereditary First Nation chiefs issue eviction notice to Coastal GasLink contractors. TC Energy says it signed agreements with all 20 elected First Nations councils along pipeline’s path. Joel Dryden · CBC News · Posted: Jan 05, 2020.

Any efforts to stop pipelines catch my interest.

Wet’suwt’en People, Jeff Kisling, 1/14/2020

I wrote this booklet about the Wet’suwet’en struggles, including some videos of confrontations with Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP). Assault rifles trained on unarmed youth.

https://designrr.site/?i=gzmf&t=2bb0c9

Spirit led connection to Mutual Aid

The title THREE YEARS LATER refers to my introduction to Des Moines Mutual Aid a little over three years ago. I took the photo below on Feb 7, 2020, when a small group of us organized a vigil in support of the Wet’suwet’en. I know the Spirit led Ronnie James, from Des Moines Mutual Aid, to join us. He was surprised that anyone outside his circle knew what was happening to the Wet’suwet’en. Ronnie is an Indigenous organizer working with the Great Plains Action Society (GPAS), and as such was interested to see if these were people who could become allies.

That meeting changed my life in many ways, all stemming from what I was learning from Ronnie and others about Mutual Aid, which has become the focus of my justice work since.

Over the years I’ve enjoyed documenting justice actions photographically. I like the challenge of an ever-moving group of people, the varieties of signs, the reactions of the people and the public. But for the past several years posting photos of demonstrations is discouraged if people’s faces are visible. Which police sometimes later use to bring charges against those people.

Ronnie and I are both part of Des Moines Mutual Aid’s free food project. The Wet’suwet’en being part of our history, we continue to support them. Because of COVID and people wearing masks, we were comfortable taking this photo during one of our Mutual Aid gatherings for the food project.

Des Moines Mutual Aid supports Wet’suwet’en peoples’ struggle again Coastal GasLink natural gas pipeline

Three Years Later

And yet, three years later, the Wet’suwet’en peoples’ struggles continue.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 29, 2023
Contact: Jennifer Wickham, Media Coordinator, Gidim’ten Checkpoint, yintahaccess@gmail.com, 778-210-0067

URGENT MEDIA ADVISORY: RCMP C-IRG Raid Wet’suwet’en Village Site, Make 5 Arrests 

VIDEO AVAILABLE HERE

WET’SUWET’EN TERRITORY (Smithers, BC) – This morning, a large force of RCMP C-IRG raided a Gidimt’en village site and arrested five land and water defenders, mostly Indigenous women, including Gidimt’en Chief Woos’ daughter. The raid accompanied a search warrant for theft under $5000 with no clear relation to the Gidimt’en village site.

This large-scale action by the RCMP’s Community Industry Response Group (C-IRG) involved more than a dozen police vehicles and officers drawn from throughout British Columbia. The arrests come just weeks after the Civilian Review and Complaints Commission (CRCC) announced they have “initiated a systemic investigation into the activities and operations of the RCMP “E” Division Community-Industry Response Group (C-IRG).”

In the days leading to this police action, RCMP C-IRG have been found patrolling Wet’suwet’en traplines and cultural use areas, harassing and intimidating Wet’suwet’en members and disrupting constitutionally protected Wet’suwet’en cultural activities. Members of a private security firm hired by Coastal Gaslink pipeline, Forsythe, have also escalated harassment and surveillance efforts against Wet’suwet’en members in recent days. 

Both the RCMP’s C-IRG unit and Forsythe are named as defendants in an ongoing lawsuit launched by Wet’suwet’en members, which alleges that police and private security have launched a coordinated campaign of harassment and intimidation in an effort to force Wet’suwet’en people to abandon their unceded territories. 

Sleydo’, spokesperson for Gidimt’en Checkpoint, said: 

“This harassment and intimidation is exactly the kind of violence designed to drive us from our homelands. The constant threat of violence and criminalization for merely existing on our own lands must have been what our ancestors felt when Indian agents and RCMP were burning us out of our homes as late as the 50s in our area. The colonial project continues at the hands of industry’s private mercenaries–C-IRG”

The arrests come days before Indigenous delegates are set to arrive at Royal Bank of Canada’s Annual General Meeting to oppose expansion of fossil fuels without consent on their territories, including Wet’suwet’en Hereditary Chiefs who oppose RBC’s funding of the Coastal Gaslink pipeline.

Wet’suwet’en Hereditary Chief Na’Moks offered the following:

“This is harassment, and exactly what Royal Bank of Canada is funding. Ahead of its shareholder meeting next week, RBC continues to fund corporate colonialism, and displace Indigenous peoples from our lands at gunpoint – all for a fracked gas pipeline we cannot afford now or in the future. In the context of the theft of our ancestral land, alleging stolen saws and clothing is outrageous.”

https://www.yintahaccess.com/?link_id=0&can_id=c209e67251859e28ba86a98fe9ff687a&source=email-take-the-streets-with-us&email_referrer=email_1865847&email_subject=take-the-streets-with-us

Yesterday morning at my Quaker meeting, we considered the following set of questions related to our environmental responsibilities.

ENVIRONMENTAL RESPONSIBILITY

ADVICE

All of creation is divine and interdependent: air, water, soil, and all that lives and grows. Since human beings are part of this fragile and mysterious web, whenever we pollute or neglect the earth we pollute and neglect our own wellsprings. Developing a keen awareness of our role in the universe is essential if we are to live peacefully within creation.

The way we choose to live each day‑‑as we manufacture, package, purchase and recycle goods, use resources, dispose of water, ‑design homes, plan families and travel‑affects the present and future of life on the planet. The thought and effort we give to replenishing what we receive from the earth, to keeping informed and promoting beneficial legislation on issues which affect the earth, to envisioning community with environmental conscience, are ways in which we contribute to the ongoing health of the planet we inhabit.

Preserving the quality of life on Earth calls forth all of our spiritual resources. Listening to and heeding the leadings of the Holy Spirit can help us develop qualities which enable us to become more sensitive to all life

QUERY

  • What are we doing about our disproportionate use of the world’s resources?
  • Do we see unreasonable exploitation in our relationship ‑with the rest of creation?
  • How can we nurture reverence and respect for life?  How I can we become more fully aware of our interdependent relationship with the rest of creation?
  • To what extent are we aware of all life and the role we play? What can we do in our own lives and communities to address environmental concerns?

Faith and Practice, Iowa Yearly Meeting (Conservative)

Doing Truth When the World Is Upside Down

As I was doing more research about truthsgiving, I came upon this beautiful statement by my good friend Ronnie James. As it says on the TRUTHSGIVING The Truth Will Not Be Whitewashed website, Ronnie is an Indigenous organizer and activist in the Mutual Aid tradition in central Iowa.

To walk a path of Doing The Truth is a battle with a very young culture. Telling the truth is comparably easy, we have our oral histories, art and traditions created and carried on, histories printed by those that found a way to the presses. We can recount the stories and lessons that survived colonialism.

But to do the truth, to live a life that enforces what we once had, a life and culture that made a millennia of humanity possible to thrive, is to be at war with what has defined and destroyed this world for too long.

We, those that conspire to live the truth, have chosen to honor our histories of cooperation. We know, with all that we have, that a world of competition and conquest is the opposite of how we gained the knowledges that propelled our abilities to create the sciences and the art and architecture of beautiful societies that our ancestors built, and we draw our strength from that to continue, to create, a world our future generations can thrive in.

It has only been a very short time that the world has been this way, which is the proof that it doesn’t have to stay this way.

Ronnie James is an Indigenous organizer and activist in the Mutual Aid tradition in central Iowa.

Photo: Jeff Kisling
Photo: Jeff Kisling

I was truly blessed to meet Ronnie a couple of years ago. It was the Spirit that led to our meeting. He came to a vigil we were holding related to the Wet’suwet’en peoples, who have been working tirelessly to prevent the construction of the Coastal GasLink pipeline through their pristine territory in British Columbia.

Since that time, he has patiently mentored me about Mutual Aid. That now includes my participation in Des Moines Mutual Aid’s weekly food giveaway, the Saturday Panther Pantry. That is in reference to the Black Panther Party that originated the Free Breakfast Program in 1970 in Des Moines and other cities. I have only missed showing up for our food giveaway a couple of times over the past two years. I agree with the sentiment I’ve heard from my comrades, that these Saturday mornings are the highlight of our week.

So, I work with a dope crew called Des Moines Mutual Aid, and on Saturday mornings we do a food giveaway program that was started by the Panthers as their free breakfast program and has carried on to this day. Anyways, brag, brag, blah, blah.

So, I get to work, and I need to call my boss, who is also a very good old friend, because there is network issues. He remembers and asks about the food giveaway which is cool and I tell him blah blah it went really well. And then he’s like, “hey, if no one tells you, I’m very proud of what you do for the community” and I’m like “hold on hold on. Just realize that everything I do is to further the replacing of the state and destroying western civilization and any remnants of it for future generations.” He says “I know and love that. Carry on.”

Ronnie James

Doing Truth

I love the title of Ronnie’s post above, Doing Truth When the World Is Upside Down.

I’m so frustrated with how much time and effort is spent talking about problems without determining correct solutions. And/or wasting time trying to implement incorrect solutions. Instead of “Doing the Truth.”

Mutual Aid is a framework that can guide us “to walk a path of Doing the Truth.”

Mutual Aid is a framework that can guide us “to walk a path of Doing the Truth.”

As a person of faith, I look for spiritual guidance for my work. But this has been consistent with Mutual Aid as a framework for doing justice work.

“Mutual Aid is not only a tool of survival, but also a tool of revolution.”

I’ve written about my Mutual Aid experiences here: https://quakersandreligioussocialism.com/mutual-aid/

Des Moines Mutual Aid that Ronnie and I are part of is a member of the Truthsgiving Collective. https://www.truthsgiving.org/

Foundational Stories: What’s next? 11/4/2022

[My foundational stories are related to the intersections between my Quaker faith, protecting Mother Earth, and photography. My faith led me to try to share my spiritual experiences and show my love for the beauty of Mother Earth through photography.]

Reflecting and praying about my foundational stories has taken a long and circuitous path. From how my stories began, how they evolved, and what their status is now. https://quakersandreligioussocialism.com/foundational-stories/

Having finally written about where things stand now, I’ve been led to see the process doesn’t end there.

What’s next?

Photography

As mentioned, photography is one part of my foundational stories. Photography is usually a Spiritual exercise for me. Something that soothes my spirit. And a way to share beauty with others. I’m about to go out into the pouring rain this morning. I like to capture raindrops on plants. Not so much getting cold and wet, but that’s part of it.

There are so many things to discuss and do about where to go from here. What follows is just one example of something that can be done now. Doing is the significant part.

Faith

Only the Creator knows what’s next. Faith has been and continues to be where I seek guidance. What role does faith play in the lives of others? How do we make Spiritual connections, build Spiritual communities?

What (more) can we do to acknowledge past and/or current injustices? What are we called to do about these injustices?

Mother Earth

Mother Earth is severely damaged and the many, severe consequences are increasingly widespread and catastrophic.

We cannot achieve a sustainable and just society unless we change to

  • Simpler lifestyles, much less production and consumption, much less concern with luxury, affluence, possessions and wealth.
  • Small, highly self-sufficient local economies, largely independent of the global economy. 
  • More cooperative and participatory ways, enabling people in small communities to take control of their own development.
  • A new economy, one that has no growth, is not driven by profit or market forces,  produces much less than the present economy, and is provides sufficient for satisfactory lifestyles for all.
  • Some very different values, especially frugality, self-sufficiency, giving, sharing and cooperating, and the rejection of acquisitiveness and competition.

The Simpler Way: Working for transition from consumer society to a simpler, more cooperative, just and ecologically sustainable society. https://thesimplerway.info/

Now?

Most of the world is overwhelmed by so many pressing problems. Rather than working on solutions, there seems to be a global malaise. My experience and Spiritual guidance have been to focus on a specific problem. One thing you can actually do.

As an example, I’ve been led to support the Wet’suwet’en peoples’ call for international acts of solidarity on February 5th as they continue their years long work to stop the construction of the Coastal GasLink pipeline through their pristine lands. Armed Royal Canadian Mounted Police have provided protection for the construction, and much of the pipeline is complete. There is great urgency now because drilling under the river has begun.

You can look for such an event near you here although there are only two events in the U.S. That’s discouraging but makes it all the more important to show up, even though I might be the only one at the CHASE bank tomorrow.
https://actionnetwork.org/event_campaigns/drilling-under-wedzwin-kwa-allid-mobilization

You can learn more about the Wet’suwet’en from this eBook I just completed:
https://designrr.site?i=gzmf&t=2bb0c9 To be an ally you must understand the history and issues.

Dear allies of the Wet’suwet’en struggle for sovereignty 

Last night I was blessed to attend a Zoom meeting for allies of the Wet’suwet’en struggle for sovereignty. You can watch a recording of the call here!

I’ve been heavily involved in the struggles against the Keystone XL and Dakota Access Pipelines. While continuing to do research about those pipelines, I was led to this amazing YouTube video documenting the eviction of the Coastal GasLink construction workers from Wet’suwet’en territory in January, 2020. I can still remember how I felt then, asking myself “are you kidding me?” I had never heard of the Wet’suwet’en peoples or the Coastal GasLink pipeline. But this became one of my main projects since that day.

Now, almost three years later, despite heroic, prayerful, sustained, peaceful work, much of the pipeline has been built. There has been relentless harassment from armed Royal Canadian Mounted Police.

There is great urgency now to stand in solidarity with the Wet’suwet’en because drilling has begun under Wedzwin Kwa, the river running through Wet’suwet’en territory. Many salmon are present for spawning.

During the call, Chief Na’Moks emphasized what was happening affects us all because of the global nature of greenhouse emissions, and the global struggle for Indigenous sovereignty. Saying the nation (Canada) needs a moral shakeup.

When Chief Na’Moks was finally able to visit the site of the drilling at the river he said the sounds and vibrations of the construction could be heard kilometers away.

He said our ancestors were outlaws. We are grateful to them now. We have to act now. Organize yourselves to protect the future of us all. “When you see something wrong, you must say something about it. If not, you are guilty by association. You must go to your politicians for the benefit of the children, of everyone. I was taught to stand up for my children and future generations.”

We are reaching the point of no return. If the water is ruined, there will be a ripple effect. On farming, cattle, food, etc.

This is happening now.

You guys are good people. So is anyone who stands up. People cannot sit on the fence. I appreciate your ears, your brains. I hope your intelligence will help us out.

Coordinated rallies are being planned at RBC banks in Canada, one of the main companies financing the Coastal Gaslink pipeline. This is a link to a map of locations of actions to support the Wet’suwet’en. https://actionnetwork.org/event_campaigns/drilling-under-wedzwin-kwa-allid-mobilization

We’re in the process of seeing what might be done in support here in Iowa. Here are links about our rally at a Chase bank in Des Moines. Chase also funds the Coastal GasLink and other pipelines.

Iowa Solidarity with the Wet’suwet’en
Wet’suwet’en Solidarity in Iowa

Chase Bank, Des Moines, Iowa

Yesterday, over an emotional hour-long webinar, the Wet’suwet’en hereditary chiefs have called upon you to stand up in solidarity with them by mobilizing and organizing long term in support of them. 

Now is the time to act. If you are already taking action in any way, we look forward to standing in solidarity together. If you want to take action but aren’t already planning to or don’t know how, we are here to support you. 

“I was taught to stand up … I was taught to earn my own way … I need to move forward with this. I’m hoping that I am making sense to all those that are listening. I appreciate your ears. I appreciate your brain. And hopefully your intelligence will help us out in a way that is a good way. Misiyh,” said Chief Woos last night. 

“We never never allowed this project to go through. There has been no consent from any of the hereditary chiefs or our people. We have villages that signed on, but villages only have jurisdiction within their reserve,” added Chief Na’Moks. 

For Molly Wickham, “(t)he ‘Memorandum of Understanding in 2020’ was meant to put an end to Shutdown Canada… Shutdown Canada impacted their pocketbook… it brought into question the viability of the way they’re treating Indigenous Peoples, of the way they were treating the Wet’suwet’en by bringing in militarized raids into our territories. Because of this they came to the table… and this was supposed to be .. the implementation of what our ancestors … had been fighting for.” 

Memorandum of Understanding Between Canada, British Columbia and Wet’suwet’en as agreed on February 29, 2020

Immediate

  1. Canada and British Columbia (B.C.) recognize that Wet’suwet’en rights and title are held by Wet’suwet’en Houses under their system of governance.
  2. Canada and B.C. recognize Wet’suwet’en aboriginal rights and title throughout the Yintah.
  3. Canada, B.C. and the Wet’suwet’en commit to the negotiations described below (commencing immediately).
  4. B.C. commits to engage in these negotiations consistent with the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act.
  5. Canada and B.C. will provide the necessary resources to Wet’suwet’en for these negotiations.
  6. The parties agree these negotiations are to be intensively mediated by an agreed upon mediator.

Agreement to be negotiated over the next 3 months

  1. Legal recognition that the Wet’suwet’en Houses are the Indigenous governing body holding the Wet’suwet’en Aboriginal rights and title in accordance with our Inuk Nuatden.
  2. Legal recognition of Wet’suwet’en title as a legal interest in land by Canada and B.C.
    1. There will be no impact on existing rights and interests pertaining to land until jurisdiction is transferred to the Wet’suwet’en.
    2. Jurisdiction that flows from Wet’suwet’en Aboriginal rights and title will be transferred to Wet’suwet’en over time based on an agreed upon timetable (with the objective for transition of some areas within 6 months and a schedule for the remaining areas of jurisdiction thereafter).
    3. In some cases the jurisdiction that is transferred to the Wet’suwet’en will be exclusive and in some cases it will be shared with Canada or B.C.
  3. The areas of jurisdiction that will need to be addressed include the following (without limitation):
    1. child and family wellness (6-month timeline)
    2. water (6-month timeline)
    3. Wet’suwet’en Nation Reunification Strategy (6-month timeline)
    4. wildlife
    5. fish
    6. land use planning
    7. lands and resources
    8. revenue sharing, fair and just compensation, economic component of Aboriginal title
    9. informed decision making
    10. such other areas as the Wet’suwet’en propose
  4. Title will be implemented and jurisdiction (exclusive or shared) will be transferred once specifics on how Aboriginal and crown titles interface have been addressed; this includes the following:
    1. transparency, accountability, and administrative fairness mechanisms including clear process and remedies to address grievances of any person, pertaining to all areas of shared and exclusive jurisdiction
    2. clarity on the Wet’suwet’en governance structures, systems, and laws, that will be ratified by the Wet’suwet’en and will be used to implement their title to the extent required to understand the interface between the Crown and Wet’suwet’en jurisdiction
  5. This agreement is to be ratified by Canada, B.C. and Wet’suwet’en under their respective systems of governance.
  6. The agreement will be binding on Canada, B.C. and the Wet’suwet’en and all of their agencies, departments and officials as they conduct their business together as governments.

Agreement to be negotiated over the next 12 months

  1. The specifics of how Aboriginal and Crown titles interface.
  2. The agreement recognizing Wet’suwet’en rights and title will be protected by Section 35 of the Constitution, 1982.

Signed on the 14th day of May 2020.
Signed on behalf of the WET’SUWET’EN nation
by the Wet’suwet’en Hereditary Chiefs

We need settlers to organize and join the campaign

Yesterday I wrote about a solidarity organizing call to support the Wet’suwet’en peoples that will occur this Wednesday, October 19, 2022. Yesterday’s post included links to the many articles I’ve written over the past several years in solidarity with the Wet’suwet’en peoples’ struggles to protect their lands from the construction of the Coastal GasLink pipeline.

A fundamental principle of solidarity is to follow the leadership of those who are experiencing injustice. Settlers are at this moment being asked to join the campaign. We need settlers to organize and join the campaign – please click here to register

But we are all suffering the injustices of the fossil fuel industry’s rape of Mother Earth.

The drilling under the Wedzwin Kwa has begun, bringing greater urgency to stop the pipeline construction. It is heartbreaking to watch Wet’suwet’en Chief Na’Moks see the gigantic pipeline hole in this video.

The struggle of the Wet’suwet’en and the solidarity actions must also be seen in the broader international context. In the past year we have seen mass movements erupt in country after country—in Hong Kong, France, Catalonia, Haiti, Chile, Bolivia, Ecuador, Lebanon, Iraq, and Iran, to mention a few. We also saw the mass climate change protests and movements that swept the world, including a large demonstration in Toronto and a truly massive one in Montreal.

For the Wet’suwet’en, other Indigenous communities, and their allies it’s not just about questions of title and pipelines, but centuries of colonialism, subjugation, and genocide, as well as decades of austerity, growing poverty and inequality, the lack of jobs, unaffordable housing, and poor pay. Enough is enough—and after people saw the recent RCMP invasion of Wet’suwet’en lands, they had had enough.

The power of the people is on display across the world. There is a renewed sense of confidence in those fighting inequality and injustice and a growing realization that we are fighting against common enemies—the capitalist class and its state. The Wet’suwet’en are at the forefront of this struggle in Canada, literally on the front lines, and this is why many people—who face the same enemies—have come out to support them and join the fight.

Solidarity with the Wet’suwet’en: Revolution, not Reconciliation! by ROB LYON
Socialist Revolution, FEBRUARY 24, 2020

Dear allies of the Wet’suwet’en,

Teaming up with Decolonial Solidarity, we have decided to merge our press conference with their organizing call on October 19th. I am writing to invite you to join us.

We need a large number of allies to carry our message. Drilling under Wedzwin Kwa is illegal and must stop. We are staying in this fight despite this setback.

The call will feature Wet’suwet’en hereditary chiefs statements as well as an invitation to settler allies to become accomplices.

Please click here to register for the updated webinar on October 19th 2022 at 8pm ET / 5pm PST.

I am inviting you to join us in pushing back against this injustice. We need settlers to organize and join the campaign – please click here to register.

Misiyh,
Jen Wickham

Jpeg

Wet’suwet’en Response to Drilling

I’m a supporter of the Wet’suwet’en peoples who have been working tirelessly to try to stop the construction of the Coastal GasLink pipeline through their pristine lands.
Please click here to register for the updated webinar on October 19th, 2022, at 8pm ET / 5pm PST

Quakers, social justice and revolution
https://jeffkisling.com/?s=wetsuweten+wet%27suwet%27en

Quakers and Religious Socialism
https://quakersandreligioussocialism.com/?s=wetsuweten+wet%27suwet%27en

Dear allies of the Wet’suwet’en,

My name is Jen Wickham, I am the Media Coordinator for Gidimt’en Checkpoint. I am writing you because you have registered for last summer’s Kill the Drill webinar.

Following the start of drilling under Wedzwin Kwa, a senior member of our community passed away. This has hampered our efforts to mobilize allies and delayed our press conference.

Teaming up with Decolonial Solidarity, we have decided to merge our press conference with their organizing call on October 19th. I am writing to invite you to join us.

We need a large number of allies to carry our message. Drilling under Wedzwin Kwa is illegal and must stop. We are staying in this fight despite this setback.

The call will feature Wet’suwet’en hereditary chiefs statements as well as an invitation to settler allies to become accomplices.

Please click here to register for the updated webinar on October 19th 2022 at 8pm ET / 5pm PST.

The government of BC has acted in bad faith and failed to meet its obligations under the memorandum of understanding they signed in 2020.

Funders of this project have repeatedly peddled lies about its legitimacy. Not least the fact that the 20 First Nations it holds up do not have jurisdiction over the pipeline-crossed land.

Together, we will stop this pipeline and assert Indigenous rights in the face of overwhelming greed and corruption of the Canadian government.

I am inviting you to join us in pushing back against this injustice. We need settlers to organize and join the campaign – please click here to register.

Misiyh,

Jen Wickham

Des Moines Mutual Aid

#LandBack #Wetuswetenstrong #RBCisKillingMe

Dear allies of Gidim’ten checkpoint

Dear allies of Gidim’ten checkpoint,

As you will know, we have reached another flashpoint in the Wet’suwet’en’s struggle against the CGL pipeline. Having fought to protect the sacred headwaters of Wedzwin kwa, they are now faced with the possibility of imminent drilling. Today, the hereditary chiefs are holding a press conference and issuing an eviction notice. They are issuing a call to action, which we are relaying to you.

The chiefs are calling for people to take on three targets: BC government, contractors, and the funder, RBC. Decolonial Solidarity members will rally to pressure the latter. For organized groups, we are issuing a call for in-person action. For everyone else, we are inviting you to call the global head of sustainability at RBC.

Click here to access a one-click-to-call action

We have managed to get this man’s personal phone number. It is important that we stay polite and firm in denouncing the actions of the bank. Remember: it can freeze its investment until the hereditary chiefs consent to the project. It can stop the drilling. It is this man’s job to ensure that the bank is sustainable. Let’s remind him there’s a ways to go.

Call the head of sustainability!

Wet’suwet’en Land Defenders have not given up and nor will we. We will continue to build our movement, to show solidarity, to turn up at branches, to talk to our neighbors and to passers by, to mobilize in protest, to confront RBC executives, and to send our love to the admirable Land Defenders whose leadership has inspired us throughout these difficult times.

In solidarity,
The organizing team

(This message from decolonial solidarity on behalf of the Gidimt’en land and water protectors is forwarded with the permission of the Unist’ot’en  in solidarity with their neighboring clan within the Wet’suwet’en Nation.)

Unist’ot’en Solidarity Brigade robertages@telus.net

https://beautifultrouble.org/

ALL OUT FOR WEDZIN KWA

There is fatigue with the constant struggle to protect the water and Mother Earth. And yet, there is a true emergency now as Coastal Gaslink is on the brink of drilling under the Wedzin Kwa in the Wet’suwet’en territories in British Columbia.

Take Action

READY TO TAKE ACTION?

In the long work of elevating Wet’suwet’en hereditary governance, there are many ways that supporters can step into movement through action.

Ways you can help: https://www.yintahaccess.com/take-action-1

Please continue to organize in support of #wetsuwetenstrong. Thank you to everyone who has stood up.

A toolkit can be found here:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1xenvlytUvfA5OIthZTaCfoUjjtCrcZNy3RCsVzlWGEQ/preview

Urgent Update: Coastal Gaslink Poised to Drill Wet’suwet’en Headwaters

2022-09-18 – Coastal Gaslink equipment is now in position to drill beneath the Wedzin Kwa river, which provides drinking water for Wet’suwet’en villages and has served as a key salmon spawning area for millenia.

Wet’suwet’en territory is unceded, unsurrendered, and sovereign, and Wet’suwet’en people have never provided Free, Prior, and Informed Consent to the Coastal Gaslink pipeline’s destructive construction operations.

To date, Wet’suwet’en resistance to drilling beneath Wedzin Kwa has delayed the destruction of Wet’suwet’en waters for approximately two years. In the fall of 2021, Wet’suwet’en and allies sustained a two-month long blockade of this drill site called Coyote camp, until a series of militarized RCMP attacks on Wet’suwet’en community members and supporters resulted in dozens of arrests.

In advance of CGL’s drilling operations, Wet’suwet’en community members have faced increased surveillance and harassment from RCMP’s C-IRG unit (a police unit created to facilitate pipeline construction) and a series of private security contractors. Wet’suwet’en village sites remain under 24 hour surveillance, while police have made several arbitrary violent arrests, including with pepper spray.

RCMP and CGL’s private security contractor Forsythe were served a lawsuit by Wet’suwet’en community members who have been subject to this continuous surveillance and harassment.

Wet’suwet’en hereditary chiefs and community members recently hosted a week of ceremony to protect and honour Wedzin Kwa, included rafting tours of a historic Wet’suwet’en village site within the headwaters area.

We will never stop defending our yintah the way our ancestors have done for thousands of years. The pipeline will never be put into service.

Urgent Update: Coastal Gaslink Poised to Drill Wet’suwet’en Headwaters

RCMP Refuses to Respond to Gidimt’en Lawsuit, Continue Surveillance and Harassment of Land Defenders as Coastal GasLink Poised to Drill Headwaters

A detailed account of much of what has been done, and ways you can help, can be found here: https://quakersandreligioussocialism.com/2022/05/27/wetsuweten-emergency/

Radio interview this June with Ed Fallon about the Wet’suwet’en.

Ed Fallon and I discuss the Wet’suwet’en struggles on the Fallon Forum

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

#RCMPOffTheYinta #KillTheDrill #WetsuwetenStrong #AllOutForWedzinKwa

OPPOSE CRIMINALIZATION OF LAND DEFENDERS

OPPOSE CRIMINALIZATION OF LAND DEFENDERS:
CONTACT BC ATTORNEY GENERAL DAVID EBY

We are outraged that the B.C. Prosecution Service plans to pursue criminal contempt charges against the 15 people arrested at Gidimt’en Checkpoint Village during the RCMP raid on November 18, 2021.

What’s more, the Crown has until July 7th to decide whether to charge 10 others, including Sleydo’, who were arrested at Coyote Camp on November 19, 2021, with criminal contempt. This criminalization of Wet’suwet’en Land Defenders goes against their inherent rights and title on their unceded territory.

Will you call/email Attorney General David Eby and tell him to refuse intervention? AG.Minister@gov.bc.ca, 205-387-1866. Sample email here

While Wet’suwet’en Land Defenders are grappling with unjust criminal charges, daily RCMP harassment, and imminent drilling under the Wedzin Kwa RBC held a huge golf tournament, the RBC Canadian Open. Luckily, activists were there to show the guests RBC’s true colours. Last Saturday, Decolonial Solidarity organizers joined activists and ravers in solidarity with the Wet’suwet’en people for a rave against RBC!

RBC is the title sponsor of the Canada Open golf tournament in Etobicoke, Toronto. We took the streets and marched to the gates of St. George’s Golf Club to let golf fans know what else their tournament sponsor funds. Equipped with a giant inflatable of RBC CEO Dave McKay, DJs, rappers, megaphones, and bubbles, we brought noise and energy to an otherwise quiet and low-key sport.
 
As the largest investor in the CGL pipeline, RBC needs to be held accountable. Those charged after the arrests in November 2021 include Wet’suwet’en elders, Haudenosaunee members, and legal observers. Recent investigations into the events in November show RCMP officers making racist remarks during the arrests and using coercive tactics to stop the blockade.

These charges are a disgusting and unacceptable demonstration of the law and policing protecting private companies and profits over people, land, and water. In the past, the Crown decided that prosecution of Wet’suwet’en Land Defenders was not in the public interest. We can help this time by telling Attorney General David Eby that it’s not in the public interest now either.
Call/email Attorney General David Eby today and tell him to refuse intervention. AG.Minister@gov.bc.ca, 205-387-1866. Sample email here

You can also check out this map to join an affinity group near you and take part in our Adopt-a-branch campaign targeting RBC.

In Solidarity,
The Decolonial Solidarity Organizing Team

Decolonial Solidarity (DS) is an ally-led Indigenous solidarity campaign. We currently stand in solidarity with Wet’suwet’en land defenders in their fight against the Coastal GasLink pipeline which is being built in their territory without necessary consent and which threatens their lands and waters.

RBC is a primary funder of both Coastal GasLink and fossil fuels more generally. The DS Adopt-a-Branch campaign demands that RBC divest from the Coastal GasLink pipeline and respect Indigenous peoples’ sovereignty and rights. Groups are going to RBC branches regularly and speaking with customers and employees in order to pressure RBC from within.

Our actions are non-violent and completely legal. We are committed to following the guidance of front-line Land Defenders and to long-term solidarity action. Everyone who respects these principles is welcome!

Decolonial Solidarity is an ally-led Indigenous solidarity campaign. Follow us on Instagram @decolonialsolidarity and Twitter @decolonialsol.

https://actionnetwork.org/event_campaigns/looking-for-members-on-cherche-des-membres

Sample email

Honourable David Eby Attorney General
PO Box 9044 Stn Prov Govt
Victoria, BC
V8W 9E2
AG.Minister@gov.bc.ca
Phone: 250 387-1866
Fax: 250 387-6411


Dear Mr. Eby,

I am writing as a concerned citizen about the human rights violations and violations of the UN
Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous People, among other things, that have been happening
in Wet’suwet’en Territory. The Hereditary Chiefs have repeatedly stated they do not consent to
this pipeline and people are being arrested for upholding their laws through their traditional
governance system which has been recognized through the Delgamuukw-Gisdaywa Supreme
Court of Canada victory December 11, 1997.

Recently, your office agreed to intervene to criminalize Indigenous land defenders that were
arrested on November 18th. I urge you to decline intervention on July 7th against Sleydo’ and
others arrested on November 19th, 2021. That would further criminalize the land defenders
currently facing charges as Coastal GasLink is requesting. Violently entering homes without
warrants is not the process for dealing with Wet’suwet’en sovereignty. The Hereditary Chiefs of
the Wet’suwet’en Nation have stated their position and are defending their territory and sacred
headwaters Wedzin Kwa as they have done since time immemorial. We as guests on unceded
land need to respect the decisions of the Hereditary Chiefs and enact reconciliation instead of
disrespecting and criminalizing them further for practicing their culture and laws.

Wet’suwet’en emergency

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.

This is a link to my posts related to 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:

NameKey peopleSocials
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, LinkedinTwitter: @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/bankTwitter handleEmail address
USA
JP Morgan Chase@jpmorganCEO jamie.dimon@jpmchase.com 
Bank of America@BankofAmericaCEO brian.t.moynihan@bankofamerica.com 
Citi@CitiCEO 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: 

NamesKey Locations Socials 
Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister80 Wellington StreetOttawa, ON K1A 0A2Fax: 613-941-6900@JustinTrudeau
John Horgan, Premier of BCBC 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 GeneralMLA 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 RelationsMain 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

Tiktok: Mention @RCMPoffyintah in your caption!

#KillTheDrill #WetsuwetenStrong #AllOutForWedzinKwa