Please see the new Press Release from the Council of the Haida Nation on Trudeau’s announcement. According to CHN President Peter Lantin:
“There has to be a better government-to-government consultation process to deal with these projects before they get rolling,” said Lantin. “Avoiding this type of confrontation through frank dialogue will result in more common ground. Protecting the coast and the waters surrounding Haida Gwaii is paramount for our Nation. But within this framework there is room to develop practical solutions and resolve issues nation-to-nation and to do that we have to talk.”
On Friday July 3rd, Haida Gwaii came together on Masset inlet to show their support for a Tanker-Free ocean, and rode the tide from Gaauu (Old Massett) to Masset harbour. Part of Pull Together’s “Week to End Enbridge,” the ‘Ride the Tide’ event shaped up in true Haida Gwaii style with Christian and Candace’s Haida Canoe alongside paddle boarders and kayakers from across the islands. There was a crush of people, naaniis (grandmothers), youth and spectators all along the shore following the action and cheering on the paddlers.
A huge thank you/haw’aa to Christian White and Candace Weir for bringing the canoe out. As well to Guy Kimola for documenting the event so well, and Jim Hart and his crew for coming out to show their support. Haw’aa to Harmony and Old Massett Youth Centre for providing rides. A big haw’aa/thank you to all who came out to paddle and take show that Haida Gwaii stands unified in protection of our waters!
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Please read the latest letter from the CHN presenting the affirmation by Haida Hereditary Chiefs, Band Councils and citizens stating the continuing role of the Council of the Haida Nation in representing all Haidas, and their continuing opposition to the Enbridge Northern Gateway Project.
Read the letter here: Enbridge Letter 2015-06-28-FB
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Please read this open letter from the Council to the Haida Nation regarding the efforts companies like Enbridge are making to buy people off from First Nations communities in order to push their pipeline through.
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Kaalts’ida Kah, Laughing Crow Productions is proud to announce the release of their newest Animation, a music video for recording artist Kinnie Star called Save Our Waters. Prime Minister Harper sets out on the maiden voyage of the supertanker Bitumen Valdez and is met by opposition out on the waters in the form of a floatilla of canoes, fishing boats and killerwhales!
Check it out on Youtube:
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AP – Masset, BC – The crew of Haida Raid 3 is hard at work on sets and cardboard creation at the Haidawood Studios in Masset, Haida Gwaii. As you can see from the photo here, the characters are starting to get restless. The more they hear about the threat of supertankers posed by the Northern Gateway pipeline, the more they start protesting around.
Thanks to all the volunteers from the community who have been helping make this happen. Looking forward to seeing the whole production up in time to respond to the Harper government’s blessing of another destructive mega-project…
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The Haida delegation at this year’s All Native Basketball Tournament brought T-Shirts with them promoting unity amongst First Nations on the coast. Members of Haida Gwaii CoASt screen printed the Tees in Masset to get a strong message out that we don’t want the pollution of our waters brought on by supertankers.
Watch for more T-Shirt and sticker campaigns in the upcoming months. Let’s get the word out that we don’t need tarsands bitumen travelling through our waters. We want healthy salmon, killerwhales and people!
]]>HAIDA GWAII: Haida Gwaii CoASt is disappointed that the JRP approved Enbridge’s pipeline that would bring oil supertankers to Northern BC. Island communities came together to participate in the hearings and almost 200 spoke directly to the panel. Every single speaker stated his or her vehement opposition to Enbridge’s proposal for countless different reasons.
Haida Gwaii relies heavily on wild foods from the ocean and land. An oil spill puts all of that at risk and Island communities are not prepared to accept that risk. Haida Gwaii communities – both Haida and non-Haida – hold strong stewardship values. With a tradition of working together, we are committed to protecting our home from unsustainable, large-scale development projects. This was very clear at the JRP hearings – the Islands are strong and united against the Northern Gateway. Enbridge does not have social license for this project.
“The Panel’s recommendation doesn’t reflect our values. This whole project is absurd from start to finish – it’s totally destructive. We will not allow oil supertankers through our waters and we’re not backing down”, declared Gwaai Edenshaw.
“’The Haida Nation is the rightful heir to Haida Gwaii. Our culture is born of respect; and intimacy with the land and sea and the air around us. Like the forests, the roots of our people are intertwined such that the greatest troubles cannot overcome us. We owe our existence to Haida Gwaii.’ That’s from the preamble of our Constitution and that says it all,” explained April Churchill, former Vice-President of the Haida nation. “We have love and respect for Haida Gwaii, the Earth, and all of its beings. We will persevere in unity.”
Contacts
Haida Gwaii CoASt Spokesperson, April Churchill:
250.559.2332 | [email protected]
Haida Gwaii CoASt Spokesperson, Gwaai Edenshaw:
778.828.9165 | [email protected]
“The Haida Nation grilled Enbridge executives and pipeline experts with questions about the price of oil, how much money the federal government stands to make and which First Nations are in favour of the pipeline during final hearings for the Northern Gateway project last week in Edmonton. Council of the Haida Nation president Guujaaw and lawyer Terri Lynn Williams Davidson spoke on behalf of the Haida Nation at the Sept. 20 session.
Guujaaw began his questions by asking about prices for crude oil, and how they would be affected by the proposed pipeline, which would carry tar sands oil to Kitimat for transport to markets in the Far East.
Responding, Enbridge’s Neil Earnest said that the price for crude oil in Western Canada would definitely be higher if there was more transportation infrastructure. However, in response to more questions to Guujaaw, he said there is not a clear link between that higher price and the price that consumers in Western Canada would pay for gas at the pump.”
Read the rest of this article at http://www.qciobserver.com/Article.aspx?Id=5631
]]>The Haida culture is based in our spiritual, mental and physical relationship to the land, waters and all life forces. The very core of our culture is our spiritual connections, which govern our use of the Creator’s gifts.
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We well know the sweat of our brow. We follow our ancient harvest calendar to provide for self and community. Harvesting, preparing and preserving for the year takes a great deal of work and community effort from the spring through winter. On Haida Gwaii, our people are working intimately with all life forms: seaweeds, clams, cockles, all species of fish, sea cucumber, geoduck, mussels, octopus, to name a few of the ocean foods. The forest gifts include trees, medicines, berries and greens.
All is connected. We watch the bears, birds and tide feed the forest and lands. Everything depends on the well-being of the other. The inevitable oil spills will kill and poison the ocean and waterway that feeds the oceans and even the land and forests will suffer. We have lived through ice ages on Haida Gwaii. We know if we care for Haida Gwaii, she will care for us. We also know from millenniums of experience that, when we are not respectful of the Creator’s gifts, there are grave consequences, as our oral histories and stories tell us.
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The difficulty is that everyone’s lives are so full, it is difficult to think about matters that don’t seem to directly affect one’s self. Bad things happen when good people do nothing, yet the good people of Canada live in a world of stress and trying to deal with one’s own life and problems. Media coverage has left the general population believing that first nations are “radical” and “adversarial” people. Canada has changed its language from “in the interest of Canadians” to “in the interest of national security.” We are not an adversarial people. We work closely with the province of British Columbia to manage the lands of Haida Gwaii – just the other day, there was an announcement by the province and the Haida Nation jointly making a determination for the annual allowable cut in Haida Gwaii’s forest. See haidanation.ca to see that we work with others.
In some media, people who oppose the Northern Gateway project have been characterized as being against jobs, while those who support it are for jobs. We are not against jobs or development; in fact, we have just established a corporation that makes respectful use of Haida Gwaii and her gifts in shellfish farming, timber harvest, renewable energy and eco-tourism. But all of this depends on healthy ecosystems. One spill from an oil tanker could destroy that. The economic burden of the Indian Act and deliberate removal of the Haida and other aboriginal people from Canada’s economy has resulted in terrible social and health problems that all taxpayers are burdened with. Just as we are returning to our rightful place in the economy and regaining our ability to lead productive lives, we find ourselves playing defence yet again.
Everyone has influence on at least 200 people. People who do not live on the coast have no idea what this project will do to us or understand why all of B.C., including all the communities of Haida Gwaii, oppose this project. Social media work to send short messages. We really believe that our position is for the well-being of Canada and her people and, in fact, all of the Earth and its people. Our principles of sustainability, balance, care and respect are needed now more than they have ever been. We have a story of the hummingbird who was caught in a forest fire. While all the others were escaping, the little hummingbird kept flying in and out of the fire, dropping a small droplet of water each time. When asked what he was doing, he said, “I am doing what I can.” That is all that each of us can do. One drop – one letter – one e-mail – one prayer – we just all need to do what we can.
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]]>The Haida are part of the aboriginal community in Canada. But, remember, we are individual nations of people and none of us can speak on behalf of all aboriginal people – only to that which we know.
There is enough for everyone, and I believe that all of our spiritual understandings include taking care of each other and that the poor are given for our well-being and are our responsibility. Thank you for including me in the conversation.