Indigenous Group: 17 First Nations communities

Business: LNG Canada & TransCanada

Issue: Construction of approximately 670 km pipeline to transport natural gas in BC from the Dawson Creek area to Kitimat. Wet’suwet’en hereditary chiefs are opposed to the project that criminalizes Anuk Nu’at’en (Wet’suwet’en laws)

Comment: This $40 billion project has been met with a mix of opposition and support from First Nations groups. In July 2018, the Coastal GasLink Pipeline project conditionally awarded $620 million in contract work to northern BC Indigenous businesses for the project’s right-of-way clearing, medical, security and camp management needs.

The hereditary chiefs of the Wet’suwet’en Nation remain opposed (even though their elected band council has endorsed the project). Under the authority of Wet’suwet’en hereditary chiefs, a non-violent gathering of Indigenous land defenders and members of the Unist’ot’en house group in Wet’suwet’en territory actively practiced their inherent Indigenous Title and Rights to protect the land and pursue their right to self-determination. Coastal GasLink sought an interim, interlocutory or permanent injunction, as well as financial damages against the Unist’ot’en land defenders for “occupying, obstructing, blocking, physically impeding or delaying access” to their proposed project site.

Latest Updates: Dec. 5, 2018 – Union of BC Indian Chiefs –Under the authority of Wet’suwet’en hereditary chiefs, a non-violent gathering of Indigenous land defenders and members of the Unist’ot’en house group in Wet’suwet’en territory actively practiced their inherent Indigenous Title and Rights to protect the land and pursue their right to self-determination. Coastal GasLink sought an interim, interlocutory or permanent injunction, as well as financial damages against the Unist’ot’en land defenders for “occupying, obstructing, blocking, physically impeding or delaying access” to their proposed project site.

A central tenant to the standards and rights affirmed within the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, which both Canada and BC have endorsed and committed to implement, is the right of Indigenous peoples to protect their lands and territories, to maintain and strengthen their distinctive spiritual relationship with the lands and to own, use, develop and control those lands. Article 8 of the UN Declaration calls on States to provide effective mechanisms for prevention of any action which has the aim or effect of dispossessing indigenous peoples of their lands, territories or resources.