Nootka Island is on the chopping block
- Details
- Published on Sunday, 29 November -0001 16:00
- Written by editor
Support the Nuchatlaht Nation
Last summer, I visited the Nuchatlaht Nation’s territory on Nootka Island — a beautiful place off the west coast of Vancouver Island, home to sea otters, sea wolves, and some of the most spectacular old-growth forests I have ever seen.
I also saw some of the biggest tree stumps, logging equipment, and slash piles I have ever found in the field. Industrial operations have decimated Nootka: there are now over 1,000km of logging roads criss-crossing the rainforest.
Nuchatlaht has launched a title case to regain control over their land, but the process is being held up by B.C. lawyers who are arguing the unthinkable: that the Nation “abandoned” their territory on Nootka Island — when it is the government’s own actions that forced them off the land.
David Eby, B.C.’s Attorney General, clearly needs to have a chat with his legal team. This kind of argument is not just wrong and cruel: it is out of line with new provincial legislation. Send David Eby a message to let him know you’re watching this case and urge him to drop this ridiculous argument.
Supa, it’s up to us to make sure decision-makers know that, in 2020, we will not stand idly by and let this kind of injustice slide.
This case is about many things, and at its heart, it’s about defining the kind of future we want to build together. I hope you’ll join me and stand with the Nuchatlaht Nation.
In solidarity,
Tegan Hansen
Forest Protection Campaigner
Stand.earth
P.S. Want to do more to support the Nuchatlaht Nation and their work to protect salmon-bearing streams and forest ecosystems? Check out the Nuchatlaht Rainforest Defence Fund.
Stand challenges corporations, industries, and governments to prioritize the well-being of people, our environment, and our climate by creating long-term, effective solutions. None of this work is possible without your support. DONATE $5 San Francisco office: 650 California Street, 7th Floor, San Francisco CA 94108 On traditional Chochenyo and Karkin Ohlone Lands
Bellingham office: 1329 N State St., Bellingham, WA 98225 On traditional Lummi and Nooksack Lands
Vancouver office: 151 West Hastings Street, Vancouver BC, V6B1H4 On Unceded Territories of the səl̓ílwətaʔɬ, xʷməθkwəy̓əm, and Skwxwú7mesh Nations