A breaking story in the Globe and Mail reports that eight coastal First Nations have issued a formal declaration stating “that oil tankers carrying crude from the Alberta tar sands will not be allowed to transit our lands and waters.”
The declaration calls into question the future of a proposed Enbridge pipeline that would BC to provide a link between Alberta and a planned super tanker port at Kitimat.
More to come, they say. Anyone have more details on this?
Thank you thank you thank you to the FN's communities of Northern BC.
Here is a good summary from Dogwood from last week.
The Wet'suwet'en and Saik'uz, whose communities are west of Prince George, are part of a group ofFirst Nations refusing to sign the protocol agreements with Enbridge, some of which bring cash, as much as $100,000, to undertake studies of the impacts of the pipeline.
The First Nations, which oppose the pipeline, also include the Nak'azdli, Nadleh Whut'en and Takla Lake First Nations in north-central B.C.; and the Haisla, Gitga'at, Gitxaala and Haida Nations on the northwest coast. "We will not allow any project to proceed that infringes the constitutionally protected rights of our people," said Dolores Pollard, chief councillor of the Haisla Nation, whose territory includes the pipeline project's proposed supertanker port in Kitimat.
"Sooner or later, that's a lesson Enbridge and the federal government are going to learn, either in the court of public opinion or a court of law," she says.
http://dogwoodinitiative.org/media-centre/news-stories/rights-of-way-fir...
This is great! Thanks kropotkin1951. Both the Globe story and a friend on facebook who I guess must be supporting this work, have made the mysterious remark that there is a lot more to come on the story. Will post more details as I come across them.
Excellent that the msm have come forward finally to cover this, as the inter-tribal alliance to oppose this pipeline and other mining activities, has long been striven for.
here is the link to the website they maintain, as a collective action..
No Means No: First Nations Opposition to Enbridge Pipeline Is Growing and Unequivocal
I love the irony that because the BC British elite thought they could get away with the legal fiction that the coast lands were uninhabited they could get away without signing treaties as required by British imperial law. Because of that arrogance they didn't bother to force treaties on our FN's.
Unlike back east the land in BC has never been ceded and thus the oil and gas and minerals are also unceded. If the assholes in BC in the 19th century had used the "legal" imperial means to steal native land, like the feds did on the Prairies, Howe street would now have virtually complete control instead of the FN's being able to stand and fight with the colonial law precedents on their side.
..this is very awesome news. if i can help i will.
I was actually surprised to see the Globe headline refer to tar sands, and not oil sands. Wonder if we'll see that headline change over the next hours.
Oh, they've actually changed the story linked to my original link, the headline of which I copied into the thread title, and the text of which I copied in the opening post. There is now a story there called "Coastal First Nations declare opposition to oil pipeline". This new piece has more info about today's media conference:
"More than 150 First Nations, businesses, environmental organizations and prominent Canadians have signed on to the campaign to stop the pipeline proposed by Calgary-based Enbridge Inc. They say the risk of an oil spill is just too great.
...The Enbridge Northern Gateway Project would see two 1,170-kilometre pipelines stretching from the tar sands near Edmonton to the northern B.C. coast town of Kitimat. Crude would flow, crossing more than 1,000 streams and rivers, mountain ranges, avalanche-prone terrain and rainforest ecosystems before being loaded onto upwards of 150 tankers annually for export. The majority of the landscape to be covered is traditional B.C. First Nations land.
...Along with 28 B.C. First Nations, the Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs and some aboriginal groups from Alberta, environmental groups including the David Suzuki Foundation and the Pembina Institute also signed on to the campaign. Author Margaret Atwood, Vancouver Canuck Willie Mitchell and 10 Canadian Olympians, including Kristina Groves, are also on board."
A key player is the [url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tsimshian]Tsimshian nation[/url] who have always gone their own way and have yet to agree to anything.
The waters of Douglas Channel/Whale Channel are in the traditional Tsimshian territory and while it's difficult to imagine them allowing this sort of threat to operate nothing is decided yet.
quote:
"More than 150 First Nations, businesses, environmental organizations and prominent Canadians have signed on to the campaign to stop the pipeline proposed by Calgary-based Enbridge Inc. They say the risk of an oil spill is just too great."
Those names appeared in a full-page Globe ad yesterday. PipeUpAgainstEnbridge.ca
Meanwhile, B.C.'s coastal wildlife would be 'devastated' by oil spill: report
excerpt:
VICTORIA - Whales, wolves, bears and birds would be devastated by an oil spill in the waters off Vancouver's coast, says an extensive new study released a day before the anniversary of one of the world's most devastating human-caused environmental disasters.
The findings of a five-year study by a dozen Canadian, Scottish and U.S. scientists was released by the Victoria-based Raincoast Conservation Foundation Monday - just one day before the 21st anniversary of the Exxon Valdez oil spill.
An alliance of nine B.C. First Nations also marked the calamitous date Tuesday by vowing to fight a proposed multibillion-dollar pipeline slated to carry petroleum from oilsands in central Alberta to Kitimat, B.C., a small community on the inland edge of Queen Charlotte Sound.
"We will protect ourselves and the interests of future generations with everything we have, because one major oil spill on the coast of British Columbia would wipe us out," Gerald Amos, director of Coastal First Nations, said in a media statement.
Secret Meeting Planned then Cancelled Between ENGOs and Tar Sands Companies
http://www.dominionpaper.ca/articles/3309
"Invitees included Tzeporah Berman, WWF, ForestEthics...These are greenwashing deals. I am speaking out about this because there is evidence that the collaborative agreement industry may be moving to the tar sands.."
Hurrah, for those that stand up against the spoiling of their land and ideals. Down with the greed and excess ambition that rapes this land and destroys the spirit of the people. Long live a healthy planet and healthy people!
