Unist’ot’en camp members told a TransCanada work crew brought in by helicopter on Sept. 5, 2015, that they had to leave the territory immediately.
The Unist’ot’en clan of the Wet’suwet’en has set up a protective camp south of Houston and has been physically impeding pipeline proponents such as TransCanada and Chevron from entering their territory.
The interaction between camp spokesperson Freda Huson and a TransCanada representative on Sept. 5 was recorded on camera and posted on You Tube.
In the video, Huson hands out an eviction letter to the TransCanada representative while she explains that pipeline work crews are not permitted to enter Unist’ot’en territory. Huson said letters have already been sent to TransCanada months ago explaining the company does not have permission to enter their territory.
“We’ve already told them [TransCanada] no, that they can’t access our territory, and they continue to come,” Huson tells the TransCanada representative. “It goes to show what kind of company you work for.”
Huson then calmly explains where the borders of the Unist’ot’en territory are located.
“Right now you guys are trespassing, so I am going to ask you to leave,” she says.
The TransCanada representative said he was trying to conduct “non-invasive testing” for the Coastal GasLink Pipeline project.
“Non-invasive work leads to permits; permits lead to projects that we do not approve of,” Huson responded. “It’s going to destroy our lands; we have berry patches here. We have medicine here. The bears live here. The moose live here. We live here. This is my food back here. That’s what they’re trying to destroy, and they don’t have our authority to do that.”
Coastal GasLink Pipeline Ltd., a wholly-owned subsidiary of TransCanada Pipelines Ltd., proposes to develop a natural gas pipeline from near Dawson Creek, B.C., to the proposed LNG Canada liquefied natural gas export facility near Kitimat, B.C.
Shela Shapiro, Spokesperson for Coastal GasLink, said the company has been trying to conduct field work on Unist’ot’en territory for the pipeline project and that there are only certain times of the year that this type of work can be conducted.
“We need to complete this [field work] so we can satisfy conditions in our environmental assessment certificate,” she explained.
“Our focus continues to be to engage and work with First Nations groups in identifying the best possible preferred route for this important infrastructure project,” said Shapiro. “As we have done from the beginning of this project, we welcome dialogue with First Nations and others along the pipeline route so we can make the best decisions possible.”
Under the pipeline benefits agreement between the province and Wet’suwet’en First Nation (WFN) regarding the Coastal GasLink Pipeline project, the province could ask WFN to help stop Unist’ot’en camp protestors. By signing the pipeline benefits agreement, WFN agreed to assist the province in seeking to resolve any action that may be taken by any member that is inconsistent with the agreement. Otherwise, WFN could be in breach of their contract and potentially lose their funding.
When asked if Coastal GasLink plans to ask WFN to intervene at the Unist’ot’en camp, Coastal GasLink did not provide a straight answer.
“We’re supportive of Wet’suwet’en First Nations, and we continue to have dialogue with them,” said Shapiro. “We appreciate all of their work in support of the project and in helping us have a better understanding of their culture and traditions.”
President of Coastal GasLink Rick Gateman recently told Lakes District News that involving the RCMP in the Unist’ot’en camp may be inevitable.“We’ll have to notify the RCMP of what we are doing and they will have to do their own response if we’re blockaded,” said Gateman. “We need to get in there [Unist’ot’en territory] and do this late season work.”
The situation escalated last month when the Unist’ot’en camp issued a press release claiming that camp members were preparing for a “large-scale RCMP mass arrest operation.” Huson told The Interior News that a police source had leaked information about the possible operation. In a press release, the B.C. RCMP denied those claims, saying the RCMP had no intention of taking down the camp set up by the Unist’ot’en. Corporal Janelle Shoihet, Media Relations Officer for the RCMP, said that despite what was being portrayed by some media and on social media, the B.C. RCMP remains impartial in this dispute.
“The B.C. RCMP respects the rights of individuals to peacefully protest,” said Shoihet. “We value the Wet’suwet’en culture, the connection to the land and traditions being taught and passed on at the camp, and the importance of the camp to healing.”