February 19, 2020

SASC Stands with Wet’suwet’en

As an organization which operates on the unceded, traditional, ancestral, and occupied lands of the hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓ (Halkomelem) speaking xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam) nation, we, the SASC, stand in solidarity with the Wet’suwet’en people and the Unist’ot’en and Gidmit’en camps.

For time immemorial, the We’suwet’en people have lived on and protected their land, waters and climate. As Wet’suwet’en peoples, they hold full and lawful governance over their unceded land, and that their clan governance system and hereditary chiefs are sovereign and have the unfettered right to self-determine.

We would like to draw explicit attention to how the federal and provincial governments along with Coastal Gaslink are violating the constitutionally protected rights of the Wet’suwet’en people as affirmed by the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People (UNDRIP) and how they are breaching their commitments outlined in the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC). As the SASC is committed to fostering a culture of consent, we reinforce the necessity of respecting Indigenous people’s legal right to Free, Prior, and Informed Consent, a right affirmed in both UNDRIP and the TRC.

The violence which has been acted upon Wet’suwet’en people and their allies is a blatant representation of the ongoing effects of colonialism. We condemn RCMP, police, the Federal and Provincial governments, and other authorities for their continued involvement in the violence and genocide against Indigenous people.

Reasserting the demands outlined by Indigenous Youth for Wet’suweten we affirm:

  1. That the province cease construction of the Coastal Gaslink Pipeline project and suspend permits
  2. That the UNDRIP and our right to free, prior, and informed consent (FPIC) are respected by the state and RCMP
  3. That the RCMP and associated security and policing services be withdrawn from Wet’suwet’en lands, in agreement with the most recent letter provided by the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discriminations (CERD) request.
  4. That the provincial and federal government, RCMP and private industry employed by CGl respect our laws and our governance system, and refrain from using any force to access our lands or remove our people.

Below are some resources for anyone who would like to support:

Unist’ot’en Supporter Toolkit: http://unistoten.camp/supportertoolkit2020/

Unist’ot’en Wish/Need List: http://unistoten.camp/support-us/wishlist-needslist/

Donate to the Unisto’ot’en Legal Fund: http://unistoten.camp/support-us/donate/

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