February 7, 2020

ACME: An International Journal for Critical Geographies in Solidarity with the Wet’suwet’en Hereditary Chiefs and Land Defenders

We, the ACME editorial collective, stand in solidarity with the Wet’suwet’en Hereditary Chiefs and land defenders who are lawfully defending their unceded territories from violent raids, invasions, and unlawful uses in efforts to advance development of the Coastal GasLink (CGL) pipeline by TC Energy (formerly TransCanada).

In the early morning hours of February 6th, 2020, 13 Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) units descended upon a trading/supply post with the aid of dog teams, drones with infrared sensors, and tactical officers with assault and sniper rifles. Six arrests were made in this area while the RCMP threatened media outlets who were present, in order to prevent any photographic or filmed documentation of the arrests.

Despite two rulings from the Supreme Court of Canada recognizing Wet’suwet’en Hereditary chiefs as titleholders with full authority and jurisdiction over Wet’suwet’en lands, CGL is continuing its unlawful, aggressive, and violent treatment of Wet’suwet’en land defenders, with the aid of the British Columbia and Canadian Governments. The abhorrent actions made by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) are a shameful reminder of how the interests of settler colonial governing bodies of Canada remain in the greed of financial gain, rather than respecting the human rights of Indigenous peoples, and upholding ‘Anuk nu’at’en (Wet’suwet’en law) and Canadian laws regarding unceded territory.

The actions by the RCMP, and the Governments of British Columbia and Canada, violate Canda’s promised investment in processes of reconciliation, as well as the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP). ACME urges the Governments of British Columbia and Canada to abide by federal legislation dictating the autonomy of Wet’suwet’en peoples over their lands, and to immediately cease the violent acts against Wet’suwet’en land defenders, and unlawful occupation of Wet’suwet’en territories.

ACME asks all elected leaders across Canada to insist that the RCMP stand down, remove all charges against Wet’suwet’en land defenders, and abide by Canadian and international law protecting Indigenous land sovereignty. We stand with the Wet’suwet’en peoples, land defenders, Hereditary Chiefs, and all other Indigenous peoples who are defending Wet’suwet’en sovereignty against this colonial violence. 

We vehemently condemn these actions.

For additional ways to support the Wet’suwet’en Land Defenders, both financially and otherwise.

In solidarity,

The ACME Editorial Collective

#AllEyesOnWet’suwet’en #WetsuwetenStrong #NoTrespass