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What's happening in BC
Things are pretty apocalyptic in British Columbia right now. Maybe you've heard? Catastrophic flooding and mudslides, brought about by intentional decisions made by countries including Canada, have killed at least one person so far, flooded towns, submerged highways, and cut off BC from the rest of the country. Abbotsford almost disappeared. Stores are empty. More people are likely to die. People I care about are dealing with the potential loss of loved ones, not because they got caught in mudslides, but because necessary medical supplies can't get there and surgeries can't take place. I can't emphasize enough how devastating this is on a human and an environmental level.
This post is not about that.
This post is about how, despite the fact that we as a country can't get food and medical supplies to a huge part of the country, we were somehow able to get a charter plane full of RCMP onto Wet'suwet'en territory to conduct militarized raids against Indigenous land defenders.
The land defenders have been under siege for 54 days. The RCMP is blocking access to their Healing Centre and are blocking food, medicine, and people from accessing the camp. They threatened to arrest a driver bringing in medical supplies. This against the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP). This is a war crime.
Think on this for a moment. Canada has prioritized committing a grotesque act of violence violence against Indigenous people, including Elders, media, and legal observers over the safety and lives of all people in the province. That is staggering. This lays bare the cruelty at the heart of the Canadian state.
As a reminder, the Wet'suwet'en are defending their unceded territory from oil and gas companies that are trying to build a pipeline through their land. This not only threatens their land and water, but it threatens all of us by contributing to the very climate chaos that is currently drowning BC.
From Unist'ot'en Camp:
Call your representatives & tell them this is no way to treat Indigenous people.
For more information and live updates, you can also follow Gidimt’en Checkpoint.
This post is not about that.
This post is about how, despite the fact that we as a country can't get food and medical supplies to a huge part of the country, we were somehow able to get a charter plane full of RCMP onto Wet'suwet'en territory to conduct militarized raids against Indigenous land defenders.
The land defenders have been under siege for 54 days. The RCMP is blocking access to their Healing Centre and are blocking food, medicine, and people from accessing the camp. They threatened to arrest a driver bringing in medical supplies. This against the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP). This is a war crime.
Think on this for a moment. Canada has prioritized committing a grotesque act of violence violence against Indigenous people, including Elders, media, and legal observers over the safety and lives of all people in the province. That is staggering. This lays bare the cruelty at the heart of the Canadian state.
As a reminder, the Wet'suwet'en are defending their unceded territory from oil and gas companies that are trying to build a pipeline through their land. This not only threatens their land and water, but it threatens all of us by contributing to the very climate chaos that is currently drowning BC.
From Unist'ot'en Camp:
Call your representatives & tell them this is no way to treat Indigenous people.
Mike Farnworth
BC Minister of Public Safety
EMAIL: PSSG.Minister@gov.bc.ca
PHONE: (250) 356-2178
Murray Rankin
BC Minister of Indigenous Relations
EMAIL: IRR.Minister@gov.bc.ca
PHONE: (250) 953-4844
Marc Miller
Minister of Crown Indigenous Relations
EMAIL: Marc.Miller@parl.gc.ca
PHONE: (613) 995-6403
Sample Call Script:
"I am calling in regards to the illegal exclusion zone set up by the RCMP on Wet'sutwet'en territory. The RCMP denying indigenous people access to their territory is a direct violation of the UN Deceleration of the Rights of Indigenous People. Preventing access to medical and food supplies to starve a population in a conflict between nations is considered a siege and is a war crime and a gross violation of human rights. The RCMP's use of illegal exclusion zones has already been condemned by the BC courts and must end now! Use your power to make them stand down immediately. The world is watching!"
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And God, yeah, pretty horrifying in BC. One might think it would make the Liberals rethink their love of pipelines and tar sands and so forth... but nah.
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