Chief Crystal Smith’s speech: cheers, and tears
Our Alliance chair, Crystal Smith, elected chief councillor of the Haisla Nation, spoke at the BC Natural Resources Forum in Prince George Jan. 30. More than a few in the audience were moved to tears. . . . The following transcript of her speech has been in a few places very lightly edited or condensed,…
Premier sees way forward for CGL pipeline
At the BC Natural Resources Forum in Prince George, BC Premier John Horgan spoke on the Wet’suwet’en/Coastal Gas Link issue, and the role in it of his new “intermediary” liaison man, former NDP MP Nathan Cullen: “We are confident that there is a way forward. “I spent a day in a smokehouse feast at the…
We respond to BC’s human rights commissioner
The following is our open letter to BC’s human rights commissioner, Kasari Govender, in response to her letter to us of 23 January 2020. It all centres on First Nations issues related to construction of the Coastal GasLink pipeline. Dear Commissioner: Re: Your letter of January 23, 2020 This is in response to your above…
Response from BC’s human rights commissioner, 23 Jan. 2020
The following is the response from BC’s human rights commissioner, Kasari Govender, to our open letter of 19 January, 2020: January 23, 2020 To Karen Ogen-Toews and the First Nations Natural Gas Alliance, Thank you for the open letter dated January 19, 2020. Your letter raises some of the challenges of communicating on this complex…
Our declaration to the City of Victoria: no meddling in Wet’suwet’en affairs
The City of Victoria voted on 24 Jan. 2020 to demand that BC and Ottawa halt construction of the Coastal GasLink pipeline, in a city resolution labelled ‘Declaration of Solidarity with Wet’suwet’en People.’ Our response: A declaration on the audacity of a city government to meddle in the affairs of First Nations, having done nothing…