Wet'suwet'en supporters demonstrate in Saskatoon
- NC Raine | February 17, 2020
More than a hundred protestors occupied a busy intersection in Saskatoon in support of the people of Wet'suwet'en and their opposition to a pipeline project.
On the intersection of Idylwyld Drive and 22nd Street in downtown Saskatoon, Wet'suwet'en supporters, many of whom carried signs displaying messages of solidarity, gathered for over an hour, where there was a round dance, smudging, and chanting. Starting about about 4:30 PM, the Saskatoon Police Service provided the protestors with a safe area to occupy by redirecting traffic in the area.
After about an hour, the protestors made their way in front of the Police Headquarters and into the downtown area, before dispersing by about 6:30. The Saskatoon Police reported the protest was peaceful, with no injuries or arrests made in relation to the demonstrators.
The gathering was in support for the Wet'suwet'en hereditary chiefs,who oppose a Coastal GasLink natural pipeline, which crosses their traditional territory near Houston, British Columbia.
The pipeline is a major piece of the $40 billion LNG Canada liquified natural gas export project. Last week, protests began after the RCMP enforced a court injunction against Wet'suwet'en hereditary chiefs and supporters, who had been halting construction of the pipeline.
Eagle Feather News spoke with several of the protestors in Saskatoon, both Indigenous and non-Indigenous, to hear why they support the people of Wet'suwet'en:
Aiden, 17, Saskatoon: “What is happening in BC is so wrong. When you have a government trespassing on Indigenous land for economic benefit and arresting those who just want to live, it is wrong. And it is disgusting. And everyone involved should be ashamed of themselves,” Aiden, 17, Saskatoon.
Brennan Daniels, Saskatoon: “We're here supporting the people of Wet'suwet'en. It's a big environmental issue. There are other ways you can go about it. To be honest, I'm all for pipelines, but I don't think it should go directly through where it is. I think there should be alternate routes. That's what I'm here for.”
Caitlyn M, Cowessess First Nation: “It doesn't matter if you're Indigenous or non-Indigenous. As Canadians, we all share this problem. The people of Wet'suwet'en, all of us are their brothers and sisters. So this here is about respect. It's about respecting treaties, respecting mother nature, respecting who and what we are as Canadians.”
Manuela Valle, Saskatoon: “As a settler here, as a guest of Treaty 6 territory, I feel it is my responsibility to stand with the Wet'suwet'en and against these illegal actions of the Canadian government, which are violating not only the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, but also the court's supreme ruling that the Indigenous people have ruling over their own territories. I also think it's time for Canada and Canadian people to demand climate action urgently. This project goes against everything we are saying and doing in Canada; climate action, reconciliation, care for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls, this project represents the opposite.”
'Ziggy', Saskatoon: “Why should they give up their lands for a pipeline that shouldn't have been there? For what? Money? Personal gain? This is more than Wet'suwet'en. This is for the Indigenous people. For the rights of Indigenous people, to protect our identity. By letting this go we are letting go our ways of being. We can't allow that.”
Similar protests are making their way across the country, including one in Regina on the Albert Memorial Bridge. Demonstrations have prompted Via Rail to cancel all train services in Canada on Thursday.
Related Photo Gallery: Wet'suwet'en supporters demonstrate in Saskatoon
Related Story: SK Indigenous leaders stand in solidarity with Wet’suwet’en