{"id":16265,"date":"2020-10-22T12:03:33","date_gmt":"2020-10-22T16:03:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/canada-info.ca\/?p=16265"},"modified":"2020-10-23T12:09:39","modified_gmt":"2020-10-23T16:09:39","slug":"election-2020-the-wetsuweten-conflict","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/canada-info.ca\/en\/election-2020-the-wetsuweten-conflict\/","title":{"rendered":"Election 2020: The Wet’suwet’en conflict"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Max Thaysen<\/p>\n

This past winter\/spring, the conflict between Coastal Gaslink<\/a> pipeline, the BC government and the Wetsuweten Nation<\/a>\u00a0resulted in nation-wide solidarity actions and mass protest. The issue was not resolved and protest was quieted by the pandemic.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>

RCMP arriving at Unist\u2019ot\u2019en camp on Feb 12, 2020 - Courtesy Max Thaysen<\/strong><\/p><\/div>\n

Cortes Currents reached out to the NDP, Liberal, Green and Conservative candidates for their views on the conflict in Wet\u2019suwet\u2019en territory. We asked how the\u00a0UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous\u00a0Peoples<\/a> could accord with the Coastal Gaslink Pipeline project.<\/p>\n

Reconciliation looks different in every location<\/h2>\n

John Twigg<\/a>, the nominee for the\u00a0Conservative Party<\/a> said that he didn\u2019t think the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), gave indigenous peoples veto power over economic development, but neither did he think that they should be steamrollered. He also said that he supports reconciliation and that looks different in every location.<\/p>\n

Committed to reconciliation<\/h2>\n

Alexandra Morton<\/a>,\u00a0Green Party<\/a> candidate, stated that the history of colonization destroyed traditional indigenous governments, and they have been doing heroic work reestablishing their systems. We have to be patient and supportive and if companies can\u2019t handle that process and schedule, then they need to walk away from the resource.<\/p>\n

She went on to say that she was part of the\u00a0Fish Farm occupation<\/a> in the Broughton Archipelago. That occupation was led, as is the Wet\u2019suwent\u2019en land defence, by the members of first nations and their hereditary chiefs \u2013\u00a0 the elected chiefs were encumbered by their relationship with the provincial government.<\/p>\n

She said that both\u00a0Adam Olsen<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Sonia Furstenau<\/a>, Green MLAs, came to visit and demonstrated a serious commitment to reconciliation.<\/p>\n

She went on to say that the systems of government that were created on the land by indigenous people are primarily concerned with the issues on the land and are therefore often the best systems for caring for the people and places we love.<\/p>\n

Did not respond<\/h2>\n

Liberal Candidate<\/a>,\u00a0Norm Facey<\/a>, did not respond to a call and an email in time for publication.<\/p>\n

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\"Wet'suwet'en<\/a>

Some of the 70, or so, pro-Wet-suwet\u2019en demonstrators in Campbell River on February 12th, 2020. Photo by Roy L Hales<\/strong><\/p><\/div><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

Not sufficient time or local interest<\/h2>\n

NDP\u00a0<\/a>candidate\u00a0Michele Babchuk<\/a>\u00a0directed Cortes Currents to her campaign manager, Kassandra Lowell, who initially sounded positive about making time for an interview. But after consulting with the NDP Regional Media Team, it was decided that there would not be time for an interview. Kassandra said that if the issue had been more urgent or local, she might have been able to make the case to the Regional Media Team to discuss the matter with us, adding we would be on a list if any time became available.<\/p>\n

Links of interest:<\/h2>\n