BC and Federal Government abruptly cancel talks with Chiefs

Details: Published on Sunday, 29 November -0001 16:00; Written by editor

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Indigneous Youth have re occupied the BC Legislature and have vowed to stay until Nation to Nation talks between the Wet'suwet'en and Canada take place. The BC and Federal Governments have abruptly stepped away from talks that were scheduled for this week as the Wet'suwet'en Hereditary chiefs justly stated they would not ask other Nations to stand down as a precondition to having Nation to Nation talks.

Powerful actions and a widespread will to struggle against injustice have proliferated in response to the raid on Tyendinaga as anger grows at the Government's use of force and steadfast refusal to negotiate in good faith.

The Government's demand that blockades end for talks to begin illustrate how powerful this movement is and how afraid they are of widespread and sustained Indigenous resistance. The Wet'suwet'en Hereditary chiefs have asked for people to continue to act in support of their demands.

The last two days have been incredibly powerful as people have risen up in defiance of colonial injunctions and set up new rail and road blockades across the country: Over 500 people shut down rail traffic in Toronto, The Port of Vancouver was shut down for over 24 hours, Kahnawake Mohawks reinforced their barricades in response to an injunction, Indigenous youth retook the BC Legislature vowing to stay until Nation to Nation talks occur, and new rail blockades went up in Chase, Abbotsford, Maple Ridge, Hamilton, Gitxsan territory, Lennoxville among many other incredible actions.

See photos below of this powerful and expanding resistance.

As police begin to act more aggressively towards new blockades many people have made tactical temporary retreats avoiding arrests and setting themselves up to continue to struggle in a sustained fashion.

As the Government refuses to move an inch continuing the resistance is critical!
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Statement from Indigenous Youth Leader Kolin Sutherland Wilson on the arrests at the Gitxsan Rail Blockade

“Last night [the RCMP] arrested three of my chiefs. 40 RCMP officers descended on the tracks. They made a line with their vehicles ... to stop people from witnessing as they arrested our elders and our young ones and our leaders who speak for our Nation. Is that a Nation-to-Nation to dialogue?

When they arrested those chiefs — in the heart of Gitxsan country — our people descended on them like a tsunami ... and they shutdown Highway 16. Last night, the Gitxsan shut down the highway of tears ✊ And they kept bringing in more officers and RCMP [but] there were not enough cops in northern B.C. to suppress our Nation. That’s the power of the people coming together. And they did so in a good way, in a peaceful way. They facilitated dialogue. They simply asked that they release our leaders, our matriarchs, our elders. This is Gitxsan territory you must adhere to Gitxsan law. So our leaders were returned. .

This criminalization of Indigenous peoples is not the way forward, because when they attack one of us, they attack all of us. .

We all stand together because we recognize that what is happening in this country is 500 years of colonial policy perpetuating assimilation and genocide finally bubbling to the surface. What his happening on Wet’suwet’en territories is not simply the result of one single natural gas pipeline; it is the result of Canada’s systematic erasure of Indigenous law and sovereignty and their attempts to extinguish our rights and title to our territories.

A victory for Wet’suwet’en is a victory for all of us.”

#youthforyintah #indigenousyouthforwetsuweten #wetsuwetenstrong
#westandwithwetsuweten

Mohawk Kahnawake Secretary Kenneth Deer speaks about CP rail getting injunction against the ongoing Kahnawake rail blockade

"There are no plans to take down the barricades at this time."

Kahnewake Mohawks reinforcing their rail blockade

Port Shutdown in Vancouver Yesterday

SIX NATIONS OF THE GRAND RIVER TERRITORY: Six Nations Land Defenders blockaded Highway by pass between Argyle and Greens Road near the town of Caledonia. Six Nations Land Defenders blockaded the same during similar indigenous uprisings, such as the reclamation of Kanonhstaton in 2006 and is a symbol of indigenous struggle in so-called Canada. The blockade is ONGOING at this hour and is in need of reinforcement

Indigenous youth occupying the BC legislature and watching Invasion, and Kahnasatake 270 years of Resistance a documentary on the so called Oka Crisis tonight.

Join them this morning at 8 AM for a mass action and teach in

They have vowed to stay until Nation to Nation talks between the hereditary chiefs and the BC and Federal government occur. Sign up to help keep the occupation going here.

Watch and share this video of Ta'kaiya Blaney speaking at the BC legislature

"What we are doing is demanding the bare minimum from Canada and standing against injustice, and doing so with love in our hearts, love for our land, and we should not face arrests for that! We are unarmed indigenous youth and we are trying to facilitate a good faith conversation between Wet'suwet'en hereditary chiefs and the Canadian government, and the Canadian government has refused to engage in a good way, and has instead employed paramilitary invasion and surveillance tactics. These are coercive measures. they are not conducive to consent. Indigenous consent cannot come with a gun at the other end!"

Mass action in Ottawa outside of Parliment

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Update on Rail Blockade in Chase BC

A Secwepemc Hereditary Chief, his daughter, and one other was arrested at a rail blockade in Chase BC stopping most freight going to the Port of Vancouver. The Sacred Fire lit at the blockade was moved back to the Neskolith Hall outside of Chase BC where people are gathering to continue to organize.