Olympia, Seattle Step Up for Coast Heroes
- Details
- Published on Sunday, 29 November -0001 16:00
- Written by editor
Wish you had been there with us Paov,
Picture this: a group of Indigenous drummers form a circle under a marbled dome. As their song and drumbeats reverberate through the lobby of the Washington state legislature, lobbyists and officials stand in tight clusters outside the chambers where bills are being debated, talking intently. Zoom in to Frank and Kathy Brown, their regalia adorned with abalone buttons, moving from official to official to share the grim tale of a tug-and-barge crash that spilled 125,000 litres of diesel on Heiltsuk beaches on the BC coast.
"When governments and corporations fail, it’s Nations like the Heiltsuk that are left to pick up the pieces.We’re asking the leadership of this government to do the right thing. To make systemic change through this legislative process. " — Frank Brown, Heiltsuk Nation
Frank and Kathy have travelled to the U.S. for Salish Sea lobby day, to lend their voices to the chorus of Indigenous peoples, organizations and activists working to defend the coast. As Heiltsuk members, they are drawing on wisdom that goes back tens of thousands of years, spelling out risks posed by increasing marine fossil fuel transit — a deadly trade whose devastating impacts their community knows all too well. The unsafe oil-barge traffic has has become a transboundary issue since much of it originates in Washington State and travels along the BC coast.
The Washington State legislators Frank and Kathy are meeting in Olympia have the power to place tighter restrictions on these unsafe shipments — but it’s all abstract until Frank explains the impacts the disaster had on his family members and on the marine environment which they have stewarded since time out of mind. When called to attention by a passionate first person account, accompanied by the ringing of tribal drums, busy officials begin to slow down and listen up.
Frank Brown in lobby mode. See more pics and read the legislation being discussed on RAVEN's website: https://raventrust.com/2018/02/26/olympia-and-seattle-step-up-for-coast-heroes/
Also known as “ghost tankers” the articulated tug barges (ATB's) under discussion here in Washington State sail from Washington State refineries and ply the BC coast on their way to Alaska. Such vessels were not designed for use in the stormy open sea conditions found in the Great Bear Sea. Unlike tankers, these American owned vessels don’t require escort tugs and have a smaller crew, reducing costs for operators and downloading the risks to coastal communities. The combination of dangerous cargo and poor design has been deadly: with no regulatory change following the Nathan E. Stewart disaster, last November, the ATB Jake Shearer broke apart in high seas and narrowly avoided spilling 3 million litres of diesel into the Heiltsuk’s breadbasket.
We can't wait until another disaster happens. RAVEN is working to raise funds for a Heiltsuk legal challenge that would compensate the Nation for losses and expenses from the 2016 spill, and help Canada move toward tighter marine oil transport regulations and spill response protocols to prevent further disasters. Will you join the Heiltsuk campaign to protect the Great Bear Sea from ghost tanker calamity?
DONATE"My hope is that people will listen. That they’ll hear, really hear our experience and make the right decisions. This whole apparatus of government is very young. The coastal indigenous communities have existed for thousands of years. We’ve learned a thing or two. It’s time to listen to local indigenous people who have local ecological knowledge, that could help to move forward in a more sustainable way not just for us, but for everybody. That’s my hope. That we’ll be able to really create change, not just for now, but for our future generations." — Frank Brown
As one of the key Nations whose legal challenges put a stop to the Enbridge Northern Gateway Pipeline, the Heiltsuk have done us all a great service by protecting the coast for future generations. Now, as they work to rebuild and restore their traditional fishing grounds, they are once again leading the way by demanding tighter controls so their community can survive and thrive. Let's stand with them.
Thank you for hearing Frank and Kathy’s story, and for taking action to protect what you love.
Ana, Andrea + The RAVEN Team
P.s. Much gratitude and appreciation to Seattle Port Commissioner Fred Felleman (Friends of the Earth), Students for the Salish Sea, Stephanie Hillman and Victoria Leistman from the Sierra Club, Urban Indigenous North-West, and many others who made this trip possible, and hosted two fundraising events for the Heiltsuk in Olympia and Seattle. Frank and Kathy were warmly appreciated and returned home knowing that their message has been delivered into good hands.
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