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CANCELLED! Reconciliation Is Dead: Update on the Struggle at Unist’ot’en
March 10, 2020 @ 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm
submitted anonymously
THIS EVENT HAS BEEN CANCELLED. ONLINE MATERIALS PROVIDED BELOW.
As Trudeau, Coastal Gas Link, and the colonial government of Canada have shown repeatedly since January of 2019, any governmental approach to reconciliation with hundreds of years of indigenous genocide is dead. The Unist’ot’en people of the Wet’suwet’en Nation in so-called British Columbia have been fighting for sovereignty and to preserve their ancestral territories from the creeping reach of industrial capitalism. Come and hear from long-term supporters about recent updates in the struggle against pipelines and get plugged in to supporting the fight for Indigenous sovereignty!
The Unist’ot’en Info-night has been cancelled due to health concerns. Continue reading below for a list of online resources in regards to the ongoing struggle and the rich historical background of the anti-colonial fight in so-called Canada.
INVASION
A 20 minute film about the Unist’ot’en Camp, Gidimt’en checkpoint and the larger Wet’suwet’en Nation standing up to the Canadian government and corporations who continue colonial violence against Indigenous people.
The Unist’ot’en Camp has been a beacon of resistance for nearly 10 years. It is a healing space for Indigenous people and settlers alike, and an active example of decolonization. The violence, environmental destruction, and disregard for human rights following TC Energy (formerly TransCanada) / Coastal GasLink’s interim injunction has been devastating to bear, but this fight is far from over.
In early February 2020, RCMP forces raided Wet’suwet’en Nation in an effort to clear way for pipeline construction workers and force access onto the land to continue work. The two videos below detail some of the events of this raid.
Shortly following the violent actions of the RCMP on Wet’suwet’en land, accomplices and supporters across North America began blockades of their own in a fierce show of solidarity.
When All Else Fails, Wet’suwet’en Supporters Block the Rails
One of the longest solidarity blockades was done by the Tyendinaga Mohawk Nation, hundreds of miles away. They held steadfast in the face of police repression and harsh wintery conditions. Eventually the colonial Canadian police enacted their will upon the Tyendinaga blockade.
The struggle is not over!
Below are links to short videos by Sub.Media that show history of recent Canadian efforts to suppress Indigenous sovereignty across Turtle Island. These documentaries are crucial in understanding a historical and contemporary analysis of resistance to colonization.
GUSTAFSEN LAKE STANDOFF, 1995
Twenty years ago, brave indigenous land defenders in so called British Columbia, squared off with the Royal Colonial Mounted Police, in the Secwepemc territory of Ts’Peten, colonially known as Gustafsen Lake. Comic book artist and indigenous historian Gord Hill, recounts these events in five minutes.
IPPERWASH CRISIS, SEPTEMBER 6TH 1995
On September 6, 1995, the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) violently attacked the occupation of the Ipperwash Porvincial Park, by members of the Stoney Point Ojibway band, shooting and killing indigenous land defender Dudley George. But George’s death was not in vain, and to this day, the members of the Stoney Point Band continue to live on the former army base in Ipperwash. As part of our series “Indigenous Resistance in Five Minutes” historian and comic book artists, Gord Hill retells the story of Ipperwash.
ELSIPOGTOG, SUMMER 2013
In the summer of 2013, the Mi’kmaq in New Brunswick began a campaign against fracking in their territories. Through protests, blockades, and sabotage, they managed to kick SWN Resources out of their territories and inspire indigenous people across the country. As part of our series “Indigenous Resistance in Five Minutes” historian and comic book artist, Gord Hill retells the story of Elsipogtog.