Not our national interest.
- Details
- Published on Sunday, 29 November -0001 16:00
- Written by editor
Dear Friend,
On Saturday, I was arrested for standing up to protect the land, water, and climate. I was arrested resisting the Kinder Morgan tar sands pipeline -- a project that Justin Trudeau claims is in Canada’s national interest. Let’s show him that resistance to the Kinder Morgan Trans Mountain pipeline and tanker project stretches all across the country.
This Friday, on March 23rd, we are inviting people across the country to deliver water collected from the coast of BC to Liberal MP offices across the country along with a call to #DefendtheWater from Kinder Morgan. Click here to find an event close to you!
I took action this weekend on Burnaby Mountain... because I was ready to heed the call that Coast Salish elders and spiritual leaders have made calling on all of us to “warrior up” in the fight to stop the Kinder Morgan tar sands pipeline. After blocking the gates to the Kinder Morgan terminal for the entire day, myself and 25 others, including young people, fellow Indigenous activists, parents and retirees, were arrested.
We were arrested for violating an injunction that grants Kinder Morgan the right to ban public demonstrations within a 5 meter radius of its facility. I am infuriated that our federal government and courts continue to grant a Texas oil company the permission to violate Indigenous rights, provincial laws, municipal regulations, and the laws of physics. Meanwhile, concerned people like myself and my friends are handcuffed for standing up to protect the land, water, and climate from the dangerous Trans Mountain pipeline. That’s why it’s so important for all of us to stand up and challenge the Trudeau government’s twisted logic. Will you join an action close to you this Friday? Find an event near you on the map.
The movement against Kinder Morgan has grown bigger and bolder than I ever expected when I first started fighting this pipeline 7 years ago. On March 17th 10,000 people march Metro Vancouver marched in resistance. It was the largest mobilization to date against the Kinder Morgan pipeline. To catch a glimpse of the power and beauty from March 17th, watch this video:
As I was arrested on Saturday, I closed my eyes to take a moment to remember the future I was fighting for. A future where the land and water which the Coast Salish peoples have depended on since time immemorial was clean and protected. One with a safe climate for my two sons, and for all of our future generations. I thought of my other friends in this fight: Indigenous peoples fighting the tar sands on the frontlines in Alberta, Native Americans who showed us the true meaning of courage in the historic stand in Standing Rock, and my friends from the Pacific Islands who are resolved in their declaration: “we are not drowning, we are fighting.”
I am grateful to stand beside so many courageous people, including you, in this fight. I hope you will continue to step up with me in a big way. The next step for me will be delivering water from the beautiful BC coast to my MP, Natural Resources Minister Jim Carr this Friday. I hope your MP receives a special delivery from you as well -- click here to find a delivery near you.
In respect and peace,
Clayton
PS -- As you might remember, on March 17th, Coast Salish spiritual leaders, elders, and youth built a Watch House along the path of the Kinder Morgan pipeline. A Watch House is a traditional structure that Coast Salish Indigenous peoples have built for generations to watch over their enemies. Now, they are using it to watch over Kinder Morgan. If you can afford it, I know that our friends on the frontlines would really appreciate donations to help maintain the Watch House. Click here to donate.
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