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Native America Calling

07:54 min | 3 years ago

The continuing Wet'suwet'en pipeline dispute

"This is native America calling. I'm Tara Gate. Would this morning. Ontario provincial police moved in on the tiny data. Mohawk railway blockade taking several of those standing in solidarity with some of the whistle whitten hereditary chiefs and those backing them into custody. This area is recognized as traditional Mohawk territory. It's the latest action in the ongoing fight over the coastal gasoline pipeline plan for would so it in traditional territory in British Colombia. This Mohawk Stan is one of many in solidarity with the movement to try and stop this pipeline route. The four hundred mile pipeline is proposed to carry natural gas across British Columbia twenty-first nations along the pipeline route have signed on to the project but some hereditary chiefs of the wit. Sohan are opposed to the main Opposed and maintain. They have say over what happens because of a nineteen ninety seven court decision on Friday Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Said the barricades must come down. Canadians have been patient. Our government has been patient but it has been two weeks and the barricades need to come down the issue. We face today began with disagreement over a provincial natural gas pipeline in British Columbia. What was a matter of provincial? Jurisdiction has since turned into a broader question on the nature and extent of indigenous rights resulting in blockades across the country. That's why the federal government had to involve itself directly and a week and a half ago both to address these underlying issues and restore sale rail. Service Flea engaged from day. One are ministers have engaged directly with indigenous leaders and premieres are work was always focused on finding a peaceful and lasting resolution in a way that builds trust and respect among parties involved. That focus does not change. This is a complex issue and the situation we now find ourselves in is a delicate one. History has taught us how governments can make matters worse if they fail to exhaust all other possible avenues when some urged us to use force immediately we chose dialogue and mutual respect when others urged us to give up. We extended a hand in good faith. And what you just heard comes from audio from C. TV. We'll hear more about all of this coming up here but when we talk about different stances that tribal nations are taking. We want to hear from you today. we'll also hear from multiple sides of the issue and we want to hear your thoughts again. What do you think about this? Fight over gas pipeline in Canada. Do you really to it. Something that maybe you even faced in urination Here in the States. All opinions are welcomed. The number is one eight hundred nine six two eight four eight. That's also one eight hundred nine nine native and today we're going to start off by saying hello to chief Dan George. He is an elected chief of the Burns Lake Ben and our pleasure to have him here. Chief George Welcome. Thank you for inviting me to Data American calling. Thank you very much. I appreciate you being here and Chief. George tells a little bit about where things stand with you. Your band signed onto the coastal. Gasoline pipeline Tells us a little bit about why that decision was made well if you know northern BC we've had a mountain endemic that devastated Eighty percent of all defined in BC and in the northern in two years. Mostly Pine for her. So that was that was a livelihood for most First Nation people myself is a logger for twenty years and a lot of a lot of search nation. People are in the logging industry but now that the MO pining has devastated our force. The logging indices going downhill very fast right now and there's still opportunities for US and north. We don't have time real estate like they do like some of the bands and Vancouver and In so use area where they have prime released real estate that they can lead hope for millions of dollars. We've got nothing into north. This pipeline was once in a lifetime opportunity for us to put our people back to work. So that's that's why I had a community vote and Eighty percent of my community voted to sign up for the L. N. G. So negotiate the best deal. I could for my people. So that's why I signed on in chief George. We hear a lot of times in the news. And we're also very careful to also say Hereditary chiefs Because that is a little bit different from elected officials in. Tell me the difference between the two and your understanding of the roles in when we do here hereditary chief say Our Word is what should be listened to your thoughts. Well the difference between An elected chief like myself is we. We have different clans in our communities. And what a rectory chief does is they. Look after one clan of people like I'm a beaver clan so we ever see my head. Cheese looks after the Bieber clan and that bear clan and the Cariboo clan but as an elected chief I look after everybody. I have no discrimination around which clan you're from we look after everybody has a whole and those elected those hereditary chiefs live in our communities. And where did they get their housing from from the cheeks the elected chiefs we give them housing? We pay for their guys. We pay for everything and another thing. Also is you gotta realize too the officer where to read Jerry Chiefs In smithers their offices. Run by natural gas and a lot of the chiefs. Homes are run by natural gas also and it you you support the oil and gas industry like a lot of our closys made out of the petroleum byproducts to and and we drive trucks and drive all kinds of vehicles are using propane and in the camps also that that if you look at their supporting that industry no matter how you look at it in just understanding more about you know how this works and of course these are also members of tribes in people that elected officials are to have their ears open to in. How do you weigh this when you do have people Who are you know? Still citizens of nations whether they be a hereditary chief. And they're saying we don't want this what do you do? How do you weigh some of that? And how do you find common ground? Is there such a thing? Glad chief George There is common gown is like we're all went to it and people and they voted for the natural gas Hereditary chiefs gotta follow what the people want. Just like US elected chief all All the different clans on our in our community. We'd follow what they want us to do. They give us a mandate to do what we need to do. So we follow that. But if you look at the grand jury change they gotta follow what people are saying. And these hereditary chiefs are not