{"id":28856,"date":"2020-02-10T16:46:42","date_gmt":"2020-02-10T21:46:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/canada\/?p=28856"},"modified":"2020-02-10T16:49:03","modified_gmt":"2020-02-10T21:49:03","slug":"what-you-might-not-know-about-indigenous-law-and-the-raids-on-wetsuweten","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/canada\/en\/story\/28856\/what-you-might-not-know-about-indigenous-law-and-the-raids-on-wetsuweten\/","title":{"rendered":"What you might not know about Indigenous law and the raids on Wet’suwet’en"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Chief Na\u2019Moks, Hereditary Chief of the Wet\u2019suwet\u2019en.\n\nThousands gather in Metro Vancouver, British Columbia, for Indigenous-led “Protect the Inlet” mass mobilization against the Kinder Morgan Trans Mountain Expansion pipeline.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n

The images and stories coming out\u00a0of the the RCMP raids on Wet\u2019suwet\u2019en are disheartening, disturbing and reflect a certain dishonesty about Canadian officials’ self-described commitment to Indigenous rights and reconciliation. <\/p>\n\n

Lands Defenders of the Wet\u2019suwet\u2019en Nation are resisting a $6-billion, 670-kilometre pipeline set to be constructed through their territory. Raids by armed RCMP officers<\/a> over the past few days have led to the arrest, detainment and denied access of Indigenous Peoples from their lands. The Canadian Association of Journalists and others have condemned police crackdowns<\/a> on reporters covering the raids.<\/p>\n\n

The complexity of what<\/em> laws and whose<\/em> laws apply is something you won\u2019t always see or hear in news reports. Erin Seatter<\/a> and Gitxsan journalist Jerome Turner<\/a> (who has been embedded in the Land Defender camps during the raids), put together an amazing explainer piece<\/a> to help people understand it. <\/p>\n\n

We encourage everyone to read this piece in full<\/a>. If you can\u2019t, here are some things we learned.<\/p>\n\n

<\/p>\n\n

Hereditary chiefs are the title holders of the land.<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n

Under the traditional Wet\u2019suwet\u2019en land system, the hereditary chiefs from each of the five clans (divided into 13 house groups) that make up the Wet\u2019suwet\u2019en Nation have the right to control access over the territory. Trespassing is considered a terrible offence and must be immediately corrected.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n

\u201c190 kilometres of the proposed route will run through our territory.  It threatens our water, our salmon, and our rights, our title, our jurisdiction,” Hereditary Chief Na\u2019Moks of the Tsayu Clan told APTN<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n

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Just learning about the siege on Wet'suwet'en territory?

Essential background reading on the legal and jurisdictional issues at stake: https:\/\/t.co\/2V9qZuKGtu<\/a> #cdnpoli<\/a> #Wetsuweten<\/a> #Unistoten<\/a><\/p>— Ricochet Media (@ricochet_en) February 7, 2020<\/a><\/blockquote>