PTP PIPELINE SURVEYORS ORDERED OFF UNIS’TOT’EN TERRITORY

21 Nov

From the beautiful unceded Unis’tot’en Yintah (Territory):

On the evening of November 20th, 2012, Wet’suwet’en Chief Toghestiy intercepted and issued an eagle feather to surveyors from the Can-Am Geomatics company who were working for Apache’s proposed Pacific Trails Pipeline (PTP). In Wet’suwet’en law, an eagle feather is used as a first and only notice of trespass. The surveyors and all other people associated with PTP were ordered to leave the territory and told that they are not ever allowed to return to Unis’tot’en land. As a result of the unsanctioned PTP work in the Unist’ot’en yintah, the road leading into the territory has been closed to all industry activities until further notice.

Toghestiy stated, “I have invoked the Wet’suwet’en Inuk nu’ot’en (Law) called Bi Kyi Wa’at’en (Responsibility of a husband to respectfully use and protect his wife’s territory) to issue a trespass notice to Pipeline workers on her sovereign territory. My Clan’s territory called Lho Kwa (Clore River) is located behind the Unist’ot’en territory adjacent to the Coastal town of Kitimat and it is our responsibility to protect our territory as well. We will be stopping all proposed pipelines.”

The Wet’suwet’en are made up of five Clans, with territories that they are expected to manage for their future generations. The Unis’tot’en clan has been dead-set against all pipelines slated to cross through their territories, which include PTP, Enbridge’s Northern Gateway, and many others. The Unis’tot’en have established a permanent community along the Widzin Kwa (Morice River) directly in the path of the proposed energy corridor and made their opposition extremely clear.

Freda Huson, spokeswoman for the Unis’tot’en Clan, states: “PTP does not have permission to be on our territory. It’s unceded land. We said “NO!” in their meetings. We’ve written them letters; I’ve sent them emails, saying “absolutely NO!” to their projects. Consider it trespass when you enter our territory without permission. You’ve received your warning. Don’t come back!”

This marks the second time that eagle feathers have been issued to pipeline workers. On August 23rd, 2010, Toghestiy and Hagwilakw of the Likhts’amisyu clan gave Enbridge representatives trespass warnings during a Smithers Town Council meeting where Enbridge attended to attempt to smooth over their recent oil spill on the Kalamazoo River.

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7 Responses to “PTP PIPELINE SURVEYORS ORDERED OFF UNIS’TOT’EN TERRITORY”

  1. Monte Merrick November 21, 2012 at 10:13 pm #

    This is very inspiring. I worked on the response to the Kalamazoo spill… rescuing and rehabilitating wildlife that was contaminated and poisoned. They wrecked 37 miles of river and the town people (Marshall MI) barely even knew there was a pipeline passing through. Well over 3000 animals were collected alive and struggling. Who knows how many died and were never found. The river is still not clean. And it won’t be for a very long time.

  2. jacob December 14, 2012 at 11:06 am #

    I’d like to offer thanks to those opposed to the ptp. The wetsu’wet’en are perhaps the only canadians capable of stopping this, as you’ve claim over the land. Though there is a great deal people against the ptp, we remain helpless under laws. All I can currently offer to you my support and thanks.

Trackbacks/Pingbacks

  1. Raising Resistance – Global Day of Action #nopipelines « unistotencamp - November 27, 2012

    […] Today Unist’ot’en allies are rising up in cities across North America, and around the world, to deliver a message to industry and government warning them to cease their trespass against sovereign Wet’suwet’en territory. The Global Day of Action is in response to an incident last week where Wet’suwet’en Chief Toghestiy intercepted and issued an eagle feather to surveyors from the Can-Am Geomatics company who were working for Apache’s proposed Pacific Trails Pipeline (PTP). (see full story here) […]

  2. Raising Resistance – Global Day of Action re-cap #nopipelines « - December 1, 2012

    […] Today Unist’ot’en allies are rising up in cities across North America, and around the world, to deliver a message to industry and government warning them to cease their trespass against sovereign Wet’suwet’en territory. The Global Day of Action is in response to an incident last week where Wet’suwet’en Chief Toghestiy intercepted and issued an eagle feather to surveyors from the Can-Am Geomatics company who were working for Apache’s proposed Pacific Trails Pipeline (PTP). (see full story here) […]

  3. Pipeline Company issued trespass warning « The Daily Deconstructor - December 3, 2012

    […] Feelings are running high about any pipelines through BC.  A survey crew for the Pacific Trails Natural Gas Pipeline got handed an eagle feather by a clan of the Wet’suwet’en nation.  That was a formal notice of trespass.  Years of bogus dog-and-pony ‘consultation’ between BC First Nations groups and the government and gas industry have gone nowhere.  But that is its intended purpose.  I don’t fancy the chances of these multinational corporations punching pipelines through hundreds of miles of bush.  It would be a security nightmare.. ;o) […]

  4. Raising Resistance – Global Day of Action re-cap « Earth First! Newswire - December 4, 2012

    […] Today Unist’ot’en allies are rising up in cities across North America, and around the world, to deliver a message to industry and government warning them to cease their trespass against sovereign Wet’suwet’en territory. The Global Day of Action is in response to an incident last week where Wet’suwet’en Chief Toghestiy intercepted and issued an eagle feather to surveyors from the Can-Am Geomatics company who were working for Apache’s proposed Pacific Trails Pipeline (PTP). (see full story here) […]

  5. Raising Resistance – Global Day of Action re-cap #nopipelines « subMedia - February 5, 2013

    […] Today Unist’ot’en allies are rising up in cities across North America, and around the world, to deliver a message to industry and government warning them to cease their trespass against sovereign Wet’suwet’en territory. The Global Day of Action is in response to an incident last week where Wet’suwet’en Chief Toghestiy intercepted and issued an eagle feather to surveyors from the Can-Am Geomatics company who were working for Apache’s proposed Pacific Trails Pipeline (PTP). (see full story here) […]

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