The RCMP moved Monday to break up a First Nations protest. Here’s how we got to this point. Where is the Unist’ot’en blockade and what’s it about? The gated checkpoint is on a forest service road about 120 kilometres southwest of Smithers in Unist’ot’en territory at the Morice River Bridge. Two natural gas pipelines are […]
Indigenous
Site C Injunction Request Has Strong Argument but Poor Odds
Construction needs to stop so that rights ‘aren’t gone before the First Nations can have their day in court,’ lawyer says. The federal government made a splash in the Site C news cycle earlier this month when Attorney General Jody Wilson-Raybould announced it would not oppose an injunction application from two First Nations groups. It […]
Pain, Anger, Sorrow after Boushie Verdict
The Colten Boushie case should be a wake-up call for Canadians, says Jerilynn Webster, an activist from Nuxalk and Onondaga nations who did much of the planning for Vancouver rallies Saturday and Tuesday. Hundreds of people came to Saturday’s rally to show their dissatisfaction with an all-white jury’s decision to find farmer Gerald Stanley not guilty […]
Site C: What Happens Next?
From expropriation to First Nations lawsuit to political shifts, dam decision brings change. Premier John Horgan has announced his government will continue building the Site C dam, increasing the project budget to $10.7 billion from $8.8 billion. Work should never have started under the previous government, Horgan said, but stopping now would would mean writing […]
Surprised to be Heard: Presenters at Site C Inquiry Find Their Voice
‘I’ve been to many of these things and this was refreshingly good.’ On a Saturday afternoon in late September, the 12th-floor room in a downtown Vancouver office tower was buzzing. People looked around for familiar faces, quietly talking. The list of speakers read like signatures on a petition. Folks seemed nervous; they were full of […]
Site C called first test for NDP’s commitment to Indigenous rights
‘It’s the issue that’s out front and in everybody’s faces.’ Recent experiences with the federal government have left Prophet River First Nation member Helen Knott wary of government promises. So while she and other Indigenous people are excited about NDP provincial government commitments to adopt the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, words […]
Wildfires: Should BC Do More to Help Homeowners ‘Stay and Defend’?
It’s risky, but many saved their property by not evacuating. The Tl’etinqox First Nation fought side by side with firefighters. As wildfires ravage much of B.C., strange reports of evacuation dodgers were coming in. Of course, you don’t have to evade evacuation orders here, but that’s how the coverage sounded. People were “defying” or “ignoring” evacuation […]
Video: Site C & Treaty 8 First Nations Consultation
Site C is located in Treaty 8 territory. Consultation happened, but lots of First Nations people I spoke with say it was meaningless and did nothing to address the treaty infringement. This video was produced for The Tyee and Discourse Media as part of a series exploring Site C. View the accompanying article on First […]
First Nations members on Site C: ‘You don’t consult after you make the decision’
Despite many meetings, some Treaty 8 members say the consultations should’ve focused less on compensation and more on protecting treaty rights. “There’s spiritual sites all over this place,” says Chief Roland Willson of the West Moberly First Nation. “Anywhere around here you put a shovel in the ground and start digging, you’ll find arrowheads, remnants […]
Culture camp teaches provincial staff about area First Nations
Eighteen provincial workers recently spent two days camping in the Peace River valley learning about Treaty 8 First Nations beliefs and culture. They camped through a hailstorm on Bear Flat, learned the basics of smudging, and the surprisingly difficult process of taking down a teepee. Renee Simard frequently interacts with First Nations people with her […]