We need to stand with our Indigenous Canadian brothers and sisters while they defend their land and lives. For months now, the Wet’suwet’en people have been defending their lands. Again, another gas line is being proposed to be built on Indigenous land with no consent from the Indigenous people who are the rightful owners of that land. Many none-indigenous people will remember the movement in Standing Rock in North Dakota when Indigenous people came together from around the world to fight against the Dakota Access Pipeline. Indigenous people are coming together in Wet’suwet’en Canada to fight again.
The Coastal Gas Link Pipeline wants to transfer liquefied natural gas from Northeast BC to the coast which crosses through Wet’suwet’en territory. The chiefs were never given the opportunity to give consent to the pipeline coming through their lands.
Now, Indigenous people are uprising, coming together, and organizing on each other’s behalf. In a significant and powerful demonstration, Kahnawake Mohawks held a blockade on a railway in solidarity with Wet’suwet’en while Indigenous students and allies are walking out in colleges to bring attention to the issue.
As Americans, we often turn a blind eye to issues that don’t concern us but we need to stay aware no matter what. Indigenous rights are human rights, and those rights are violated every day. Circumstances like what is happening in Wet’suwet’en are not special and rare occurrences. For many indigenous peoples, reading about another pipeline violating indigenous lands is no longer shocking. The more you educate yourself about indigenous fights like Wet’suwet’en, the more cognizant you are about humanity and our common struggles.