A hereditary chief in British Columbia says people standing in the way of the LNG pipeline need to step aside and let the project get up and running.
“I’m just getting tired of hearing about it,” she says. “I’m just waiting for the shovel to get into the ground , let’s get on with our lives,” says Helen Michelle.
Michelle has been a hereditary chief for 43 years.
When the Coastal GasLink pipeline project was proposed in 2012, she says she made sure to participate in the consultation.
“Our elders told us that when you have opportunity with good business we are not prejudice,” she said. “If there is opportunity, work with them and this is the first opportunity we have ever had to work with a company, and they worked directly with us.”
The pipeline will run 670 kilometres from Dawson Creek, B.C. to a processing plant in Kitimat on the coast. There, the fractured gas will be liquefied and shipped to Asian markets.
190 kilometres of the pipeline will run through the Wet’suwet’en’s traditional lands.
Michelle grew up fishing and picking berries in the area.
She says she isn’t worried about damage to her territory.
But there are now two camps that have been set up within the territory to stop the pipeline.
In that territory, there are six different First Nations. Michelle is from the Skin Tyee Nation.
She says the pipeline will benefit her people.
“We as a small band are really struggling and we want better education and economic development for our young generation and also we have housing problems,” she says.
Michelle says negotiations with Coastal GasLink have been going on with elders and elected council for years.
She says the deal they signed with the company is good.
“This talk with Coastal GasLink didn’t start yesterday, it’s been years in progress. We supported it,” she says.
“We walked the line where Coastal GasLink was going to go, we were on the ground.”
The pipeline has the backing of elected leadership – but five Wet’suwet’en hereditary chiefs don’t want the project and say the band council doesn’t have the jurisdiction to give consent.
Michelle doesn’t agree.
“Myself and my hereditary chiefs and my elders and our community we worked with our young chief, and we worked with him to make this happen.”
Michelle says if the pipeline doesn’t go through, millions of dollars and many jobs will be lost for the Wet’suwet’en Nation.
At the moment, the gate Unist’ot’en camp on the Morice River Road bridge is still in place despite an interim injunction announced Friday by a B.C. judge. Access past the gate would allow the company to start work on a section of the pipeline.
A new checkpoint was built 20 kilometres down the road by another clan of the Wet’suwet’en Nation that is currently blocking access to the Unist’ot’en camp.
Indigenous people should not be living in poverty in Canada, and put into the position of accepting these projects that clearly cause such acrimony between their people.
Canada was built on primarily stolen Indigenous land and their standard of living should be at the top of the scale, not the bottom, where they have little choice but to allow destructive projects just to provide housing, education, etc.
There are non-Canadians purchasing homes and condos in Canada for investment only purposes. These fancy places remain empty while Indigenous people on reserve can live in mouldy, uninsulated, small houses with several people.
Our Government needs to ramp up the share of income provided to Indigenous people to properly reflect what they have contributed (lost wihout compensation), ie most of the land and resources that finances the lifestyle we all enjoy.
This leader makes perfect sense and knows whats good for her people and Canada. You have to earn to be top of the pile not just sit around do nothing and take take take. There was a war the natives lost get over it and join society.
You need some reading comprehension skills and even just the slightest bit of understanding as to how progress is made in this country! Indigenous people have signed contracts, and proposed additional contracts totaling 1.2 billion in place! Does that not register with you that this is good for Indigenous people? What would you propose, no pipeline, no work, no 1.2 billion? Run the pipeline somewhere else, so these nations don’t get any economic benefit from it? Or do you propose never developing anything, so everyone can stay in poverty? That sounds like a Liberal plan to me!! Oh, and the lifestyle we all enjoy; “is because we worked for it, it wasn’t handed to us”, not the vast majority of us anyway! Was your lifestyle handed to you? Are you a trust fund baby? Maybe a millennial that has their hand out for everything, never wanting to work for anything, waited for your parents to die so you could have their hard earned money? Which is it?
Indigenous people should not be living in poverty in Canada, and put into the position of accepting these projects that clearly cause such acrimony between their people.
Canada was built on primarily stolen Indigenous land and their standard of living should be at the top of the scale, not the bottom, where they have little choice but to allow destructive projects just to provide housing, education, etc.
There are non-Canadians purchasing homes and condos in Canada for investment only purposes. These fancy places remain empty while Indigenous people on reserve can live in mouldy, uninsulated, small houses with several people.
Our Government needs to ramp up the share of income provided to Indigenous people to properly reflect what they have contributed (lost wihout compensation), ie most of the land and resources that finances the lifestyle we all enjoy.
This leader makes perfect sense and knows whats good for her people and Canada. You have to earn to be top of the pile not just sit around do nothing and take take take. There was a war the natives lost get over it and join society.
You need some reading comprehension skills and even just the slightest bit of understanding as to how progress is made in this country! Indigenous people have signed contracts, and proposed additional contracts totaling 1.2 billion in place! Does that not register with you that this is good for Indigenous people? What would you propose, no pipeline, no work, no 1.2 billion? Run the pipeline somewhere else, so these nations don’t get any economic benefit from it? Or do you propose never developing anything, so everyone can stay in poverty? That sounds like a Liberal plan to me!! Oh, and the lifestyle we all enjoy; “is because we worked for it, it wasn’t handed to us”, not the vast majority of us anyway! Was your lifestyle handed to you? Are you a trust fund baby? Maybe a millennial that has their hand out for everything, never wanting to work for anything, waited for your parents to die so you could have their hard earned money? Which is it?
Protect Mother Earth, this proposed pipeline will destroy the traditional habitat of fish and other wildlife.
Tell my how that will happen and provide proof!
Bull crap you don’t have any idea what your talking about
RCMP genocide First Nations
Protect Mother Earth, this proposed pipeline will destroy the traditional habitat of fish and other wildlife.
Tell my how that will happen and provide proof!
Bull crap you don’t have any idea what your talking about
RCMP genocide First Nations
a very divisive article -band councils -with titles like-Skin Tyee first nations band # 729 -population 60 –total registered population 165-are not nations -nor do they speak for or represent the_ “Wet’suwete’en “_nation in any -way-shape -or form and why do they not give there real titles and names ?
a very divisive article -band councils -with titles like-Skin Tyee first nations band # 729 -population 60 –total registered population 165-are not nations -nor do they speak for or represent the_ “Wet’suwete’en “_nation in any -way-shape -or form and why do they not give there real titles and names ?
You’re not a creator – you’re a corrupt deceiver.
There are more that one chief of the Wetsuweten Nation and responsibility of territory’s by each chief of each clan Corporate deals are being made here by industry .Industry and corperations have no clue how the clan system or this culture works and that proves that these consultations have never been properly executed with any firstnation in northern bc.
So how can Trans Canada use one chief and their words to bullshit a way to proceed with a pipeline through a territory and people TransCanada has no concept of .Im from Nfld and have been with the people over 25 years living there and still learning at my own pace.The people are transparent as can be concerning their cultural lifestile or if you will, there way of life.
The only thing of concern i witnessed at a couple of lng meetings is that they were repeatedly by myself and others even a chief sittin beside me, what if a pipeline blows up and causes a fire? Lng guy said its impossible for them to blow up and even went as far as showing us a demonstration on a tiny scale of lng .The class left and people were saying that the guy was lieing.Then Prince George pipline blew up.
impossible to blow up. yeah right!! what can happen will happen
You’re not a creator – you’re a corrupt deceiver.
There are more that one chief of the Wetsuweten Nation and responsibility of territory’s by each chief of each clan Corporate deals are being made here by industry .Industry and corperations have no clue how the clan system or this culture works and that proves that these consultations have never been properly executed with any firstnation in northern bc.
So how can Trans Canada use one chief and their words to bullshit a way to proceed with a pipeline through a territory and people TransCanada has no concept of .Im from Nfld and have been with the people over 25 years living there and still learning at my own pace.The people are transparent as can be concerning their cultural lifestile or if you will, there way of life.
The only thing of concern i witnessed at a couple of lng meetings is that they were repeatedly by myself and others even a chief sittin beside me, what if a pipeline blows up and causes a fire? Lng guy said its impossible for them to blow up and even went as far as showing us a demonstration on a tiny scale of lng .The class left and people were saying that the guy was lieing.Then Prince George pipline blew up.
impossible to blow up. yeah right!! what can happen will happen
Yes, this First Nation needs better education. They obviously haven’t heard of global warming and climate change.
Does she live in her community od does she have a Mansion in Hawai od Florida, like so many Chiefs and councilors do and let their people suffer at home alone.
Yes, this First Nation needs better education. They obviously haven’t heard of global warming and climate change.
Does she live in her community od does she have a Mansion in Hawai od Florida, like so many Chiefs and councilors do and let their people suffer at home alone.
I don’t mind the work for the people but what’s goin to b left for the young generation comin bhind us money mades our people fight each other that the whites man puts on the table I seein this happin all my life so far.
I don’t mind the work for the people but what’s goin to b left for the young generation comin bhind us money mades our people fight each other that the whites man puts on the table I seein this happin all my life so far.
She appears to desire mone and jobs
Im laughung at her desperateness.
Her alignment ensures that other nations that will be the barer of this project will become contamination zones.
She cares little for the natural environment.
She advocates for the ruin of her own lands as she pretends to know anything about the project and its downfalls.
Fracking is no myth.
Its a danger to water and life.
The “elected leadership” is a foreign governance system which is why there is so much unrest among First Nations people caused by the federal government who put the system in place. Both federal and provincial governments won’t recognize that the traditional governance system is the hereditary chiefs and the membership. There will never be reconciliation until the traditional governance system is honoured, acknowledged and implemented. I call upon all governments and corporations to quit creating unrest among First Nations and Aboriginal peoples. Implement a true government to government relationship. Only then will you see progress.
You have one opinion of one “hereditary chief,” and you are using as a weapon to reduce the efforts of countless individuals. This pipeline is an effort to export oil and make money quickly before the world realizes they no longer want it. The world is going downhill fast and fracking causes numerous issues not to mention profits a big oil company which is literally the pinnacle of evil. We don’t need it. The world is changing and you are supporting dinosaurs who are ensuring our collective death. Don’t listen to this nonsense. Stop using your time and resources to reinforce a white supremacist society. They will not let you into their armed bunker when the world is on fire.
There’s no turning back if they build the pipeline. You want better eduction, economic development, improved housing??? At the cost of Mother Earth??? First Nations people are supposed to be leaders in protecting our precious land and waters. The above article is all about greed. This is an embarrassment. Shame on you!!
She appears to desire mone and jobs
Im laughung at her desperateness.
Her alignment ensures that other nations that will be the barer of this project will become contamination zones.
She cares little for the natural environment.
She advocates for the ruin of her own lands as she pretends to know anything about the project and its downfalls.
Fracking is no myth.
Its a danger to water and life.
The “elected leadership” is a foreign governance system which is why there is so much unrest among First Nations people caused by the federal government who put the system in place. Both federal and provincial governments won’t recognize that the traditional governance system is the hereditary chiefs and the membership. There will never be reconciliation until the traditional governance system is honoured, acknowledged and implemented. I call upon all governments and corporations to quit creating unrest among First Nations and Aboriginal peoples. Implement a true government to government relationship. Only then will you see progress.
After a colonially elected chief has been bought out. They all speak the same language. Saying they want better education and economy. Its all government chickenfeed. They will never again revere the word of their people and theie
You have one opinion of one “hereditary chief,” and you are using as a weapon to reduce the efforts of countless individuals. This pipeline is an effort to export oil and make money quickly before the world realizes they no longer want it. The world is going downhill fast and fracking causes numerous issues not to mention profits a big oil company which is literally the pinnacle of evil. We don’t need it. The world is changing and you are supporting dinosaurs who are ensuring our collective death. Don’t listen to this nonsense. Stop using your time and resources to reinforce a white supremacist society. They will not let you into their armed bunker when the world is on fire.
There’s no turning back if they build the pipeline. You want better eduction, economic development, improved housing??? At the cost of Mother Earth??? First Nations people are supposed to be leaders in protecting our precious land and waters. The above article is all about greed. This is an embarrassment. Shame on you!!
Does anyone consider where this “fracked gas” comes from in B.C.? Do people understand the consiquences or reprucusions to come? Even with out a leak, and who it will effect? What about our duties to represent the weaker. Dis heartening and sad to know this is how well people look after others. Sounds like some need to give their heads a shake and stop suckling off the tit of Industry, think of others as we where taught
After a colonially elected chief has been bought out. They all speak the same language. Saying they want better education and economy. Its all government chickenfeed. They will never again revere the word of their people and theie
It’s a Natural Gas pipeline like the one going to your house
STOP WRITING ARTICLES SAYING ITS AN LNG PIPELINE!
It’s not liquid until it is chilled at an LNG plant
Everyone gets their panties in a knot when they think it’s a liquid
I know this because I’ve had to explain it to a few people and it’s pretty frustrating!
She is not a recognized chief.
Wow! Come to the feast hall, that’s where our laws are made
Na’Moks
United we stand, divided we fall. I say yes to the protection of Mother Earth.
I am born Gilseyu and my father clan is Laksamshu, my Grandmother held a name guiding the Gilseyu for many years. I have never been talked to about any LNG pipeline discussion or decisions. WHC “step aside” then how did Ms. Michelle assert her HC authority and consult with the YOUNG CHIEF????
Does anyone consider where this “fracked gas” comes from in B.C.? Do people understand the consiquences or reprucusions to come? Even with out a leak, and who it will effect? What about our duties to represent the weaker. Dis heartening and sad to know this is how well people look after others. Sounds like some need to give their heads a shake and stop suckling off the tit of Industry, think of others as we where taught
It’s a Natural Gas pipeline like the one going to your house
STOP WRITING ARTICLES SAYING ITS AN LNG PIPELINE!
It’s not liquid until it is chilled at an LNG plant
Everyone gets their panties in a knot when they think it’s a liquid
I know this because I’ve had to explain it to a few people and it’s pretty frustrating!
She is not a recognized chief.
Wow! Come to the feast hall, that’s where our laws are made
Na’Moks
United we stand, divided we fall. I say yes to the protection of Mother Earth.
I am born Gilseyu and my father clan is Laksamshu, my Grandmother held a name guiding the Gilseyu for many years. I have never been talked to about any LNG pipeline discussion or decisions. WHC “step aside” then how did Ms. Michelle assert her HC authority and consult with the YOUNG CHIEF????