By Erasmus Baxter
Only 20 hours’ drive to the east lies the Standing Rock Reservation. A protest camp has been established there by the Standing Rock Sioux, in the path of an encroaching oil pipeline. They are fighting to preserve their sacred lands and natural resources. This has drawn national media attention and is therefore known by many people.
Less known is this. A similar distance away to the north, two camps have been established. They have been established by First Nations peoples, the Lax Kw’alaams and the Unis’tot’en. The goals of these camps are the same as those of Standing Rock: to protect land, water and indigenous rights. Soon, they will be joined by students, some of whom are from Western.
The reason for the students’ visit is as follows: they are needed. The First Nations’ opposition are fossil fuel companies as well as the Canadian government. People, supplies and time are all needed for the indigenous peoples to continue in their struggle. Their opponents possess these things in abundance but they are scarce for the native peoples. The students will help provide these things.
The group travelling to the aid of the Lax Kw’alaams is named Students for the Salish Sea. Money is needed for this endeavor, so they are fundraising. One way they are doing this by auctioning art. Another is by holding a salmon dinner. Both of these will occur on the night of December 8.
After these events, there will be a movie. The movie is called “A Last Stand for Lelu.” It is a 24-minute documentary about the Lax Kw’alaam’s resistance. The story of that resistance is this:
Liquid natural gas is produced in Northwestern British Columbia by Progress Energy using fracking. Progress Energy is owned by Petronas, a Malaysian government oil and gas company. Another company owned by Petronas, Pacific NorthWest LNG (Liquid Natural Gas), decided to build an export terminal so that gas could be exported to Asia. Progress Energy hired a company to build a pipeline to get to that terminal.
The place that the terminal would be built is called Lelu Island. It is next to the Flora Bank, a massive sand bar that is part of Canada’s second largest salmon run. It is also the traditional land of the Lax Kw’alaams people.
Petronas offered the Lax Kw’alaams 1.25 billion dollars to use the land. The Lax Kw’alaams voted no unanimously three times.
The government of British Columbia ignored this. In July 2015, they approved the construction of the terminal on Lelu Island. Test drilling began in September.
This was anticipated, and a camp was established on the island in late August by Sm’yooget Yahaan, or Donald Wesley, the hereditary chief of the Lax Kw’alaams. By land and by sea, contractors attempting to access the area have been turned away.
Of concern to the Lax Kw’alaams is the impact the terminal and connecting pipeline would have on salmon habitat. The Flora Bank is a unique and necessary habitat for salmon. For this reason, over 200 scientists and salmon experts have written letters opposing the project.
This did not deter the prime minister’s cabinet from conditionally approving the project. It was the final step that Petronas needed. Three lawsuits oppose this. Two argue that First Nations’ rights were violated. The third says that the environmental assessment data provided by Petronas are incorrect.
Lawsuits take time. The camp has existed for over a year. Volunteers and supplies are needed to make sure it continues to exist. Students for the Salish Sea will provide both. This fundraiser’s money will help pay for their winter break trip, and the supplies they will deliver.
To the east lies the camp of the Unis’tot’en. For over seven years they have lived in this camp that lies in the path of a proposed pipeline. They refuse to allow pipeline companies access to their land as it would threaten their traditional food supplies on water and land. The Canadian government has harassed them as a result. They ask for volunteers to help with winter preparations and construction at the camp. Currently, Students in Solidarity with Indigenous Peoples are undertaking fundraising to answer that call. If successful, they will travel to them over Winter Break.