Tundra Punks
Stop the pipelines, start the healing
The camp is open for first-time volunteers, experienced supporters and indigenous allies. Visitors camp out on the land or stay indoors in a cozy bunkhouse with a wood fireplace. Projects include building the Healing Centre, chopping wood, cooking, and caring for kids and elders. Go here for more info.
In 2009, the Unist’ot’en clan of the Wet’suwet’en nation began a permanent community in the right-of-way for three approved projects — Enbridge’s Northern Gateway, Chevron’s Pacific Trail Pipeline and TransCanada’s Coastal GasLink. After reoccupying their land, the clan banned all pipelines under a governance system that existed before Canada.
Donate directly to Tsewedielth (Unis'tot'en Camp) at the link to the left. The camp is raising funds for vehicles and legal support.
Action at Unist'ot'en Camp
The camp is 1000 km (650 miles) north of Vancouver, BC. (See locator map, left.) It is 66 km (42 mi) on gravel roads from the town of Houston, BC.
Volunteers should:
* be able to to travel to the camp and camp out on the land
* have an understanding of indigenous rights and responsibilities on their land
* be prepared to help with the day-to-day work of the camp
* make a cash donation to the camp
* be ready to support the camp if needed
* respect that this movement is led by grassroots indigenous women.
Please go here for info about volunteering.
Why an action camp?
There are only a few routes the oil and gas companies can take though the mountains. Expensive projects like these require piles of investment cash, and there's no guarantee of dividends. Even if the company has 90% of the route secured, that doesn't mean they'll have a pipeline. Investors, beware!
The land defenders are turning away pipeline workers and surveyors trying to start work on the pipelines. They are protecting their territory, their water, and their hunting and fishing grounds. The intruders have been warned about trespassing on unceded land. The Unis'tot'en people are supported by their neighbours in the Likhts’amisyu Clan, the Gidem'ten Clan and other indigenous and non-indigenous allies.
Unis'tot'en defenders order pipeline surveyors off their territory
On the evening of November 20 2012, a Wet’suwet’en chief near Houston BC intercepted a pipeline surveying crew and presented them with a notice of trespass and a verbal warning. The surveyors said they were with the Can-Am Geomatics company, working to prepare the way for Apache’s proposed Pacific Trails Pipeline (PTP). Chief Toghestiy handed the crew leader an eagle feather, which is the first and only notice of trespass in Wet’suwet’en law. The defenders ordered the surveyors (and all other people associated with PTP) to leave the territory and not return to Unis’tot’en land.
As a result of the unsanctioned PTP work in the Unist’ot’en yintah (territory), the road leading into the territory has been closed to all industry activities until further notice. Morice River West Forest Service Road is closed at the bridge over Wedzin Kwah (Morice River) 66 km south of Houston.
Toghestiy states: “I have invoked the Wet’suwet’en Inuk nu’ot’en (Law) called Bi Kyi Wa’at’en (Responsibility of a husband to respectfully use and protect his wife’s territory) to issue a trespass notice to Pipeline workers on her sovereign territory. My Clan’s territory called Lho Kwa (Clore River) is located behind the Unist’ot’en territory adjacent to the Coastal town of Kitimat and it is our responsibility to protect our territory as well. We will be stopping all proposed pipelines.”
After the surveyors were turned back, a crew from Unist’ot’en camp snowmobiled out to Crystal Road, 20 kms from camp, to retrieve materials the crew left behind. The materials were brought back to camp where they are being held until Apache and PTP agree to open up appropriate lines of communication with the Unist’ot’en and grassroots Wet’suwet’en, according to the Free, Prior and Informed Consent Protocol and laws of their sovereign unceded territories
The Wet’suwet’en are made up of five Clans, with territories that they are expected to manage for their future generations. The Unis’tot’en clan has been dead-set against all pipelines slated to cross through their territories, which include PTP, Enbridge’s Northern Gateway, and many others. The Unis’tot’en have established a permanent community along the Widzin Kwa (Morice River) directly in the path of the proposed energy corridor and made their opposition extremely clear.
Freda Huson, spokeswoman for the Unis’tot’en Clan, states: “PTP does not have permission to be on our territory. It’s unceded land. We said 'NO!' in their meetings. We’ve written them letters; I’ve sent them emails, saying “absolutely NO!” to their projects. Consider it trespass when you enter our territory without permission. You’ve received your warning. Don’t come back!”
This marks the second time that eagle feathers have been issued to pipeline workers. On August 23rd, 2010, Toghestiy and Hagwilakw of the Likhts’amisyu clan gave Enbridge representatives trespass warnings during a Smithers Town Council meeting where Enbridge attended to attempt to smooth over their recent oil spill on the Kalamazoo River.
More info: Watch subMedia's short video about the Unis'tot'en community. Visit the community’s website.
Please note that the Unis’tot’en People and other Grassroots Wet’suwet’en are not associated with the Office of the Wet’suwet’en.
Call to action
Indigenous people are calling for solidarity to stop the bulldozing of the pipeline route across Northern BC to Kitimat this fall. Pacific Trail Pipeline company has provincial approval to clear hundreds of kilometers of forests, streams, and wetlands for their gas pipeline and the Enbridge Northern Gateway project. Clans in the Wet'suwet'en First Nation say NO. They are calling for support for the Unis'tot'en Camp in the path of the pipelines.
CHEERS TO THE DEFENDERS!
Clockwise from top left: Blocking the bridge, the No Pipelines banner, first cabin built in the pipeline right-of-way, a standoff at the bridge, Andrea in Prince George, the decolonization workshop, Zoe, Kevin and Darius with the Caravan schoolbus.
