On 27 October, Likhts’amisyu Chief Dtsa’hyl was arrested for enforcing ancient Wet’suwet’en trespass laws. Dtsa’hyl was able to temporarily halt construction of the Coastal GasLink pipeline, a fracked gas line set to run through Wet’suwet’en territory without the consent of the hereditary chiefs. The chiefs have made it clear that the injunction granted to Coastal GasLink by the British Colombia Supreme Court has no validity in Wet’suwet’en territory. Wet’suwet’en is a sovereign nation with its own laws and governance systems. A nation-to-nation relationship with Canada would require that Canada respect Wet’suwet’en sovereignty and jurisdiction and consult the hereditary chiefs prior to implementing resource extraction projects in their territories.
- Pray for Chief Dtsa’hyl and all Wet’suwet’en land defenders and water protectors at Gidimt’en Checkpoint, Unist’ot’en Camp, and Sovereign Likhts’amisyu, who are putting their lives on the line to protect their territories.
- Pray for an end to RCMP interrogation and violence.
- Pray for Mother Earth as she is pillaged and plundered for resource extraction.
- Pray for the provincial and federal governments and a willingness to meet with Wet’suwet’en hereditary chiefs.
