protest

On
August 4th we rolled up to YUCT
NE SENXIYMETKEW on unceded Secwepemc territory to join
the gathering organized by the Secwepemc Womens Warrior Society to mark the
2-year anniversary of the Mount
Polley Disaster.

Around
the sacred fire Sacheen of Ancestral Pride and Chrissy of the
West Coast Women’s Warrior Society led a workshop discussing how allies can throw down, supporters prepared wild
salmon, elders shared stories and we joined a dozen kids playing in the nearby
woods so their mamas could complete the skill shares they were leading and
start the blockade.

Under
the direction of Secwepemc Women, Elders and organizer Harsha Wallia a blockade
was set up at the entrance to the road leading to Mount Polley. Workers
were permitted to leave and no one was permitted to enter. We joined in
with kids on our shoulders while Kanahus of the Secwepecm Women’s Warrior
Society approached vehicles to inform them they were breaking Secwepemc law and
supporters stood strong in soft blockade. Despite the assault committed by one of the mine-workers on land defenders and
the injury of Sacheen, the Sewepecm Womens Warrior Society
with their allies including Ancestral Pride, Downtown Eastside Power of Women,
Native Youth Movement and No One Is Illegal, successfully shut down the mine
for hours.

That
evening a thunderstorm rolled in, lightning struck setting fire to a nearby power line and the
temporary camp was packed up so folks could return home. It was as if creator was telling us it was time to leave. We stuck around
the William’s Lake area for a couple nights as Sacheen attempted to file a police report and was met with some
fucked up, typical and boring as hell racist bullshit from the RCMP.

We
returned to Lekwungen Territory only to jump back on the ferry the very next
day to throw down with Sacheen, Kanahus and Chrissy on Musqueam
Territory. On August 9^th a solid crew successfully occupied
the offices of Imperial Metals until cops stormed in, beat the shit out of our
friends and arrested four of us: beyon and our friends Julie Anne and Noah among
them. While some of us headed to the cop shop to do jail
support Kanahus, Sacheen and other West Coast Warrior Women went and occupied
the offices of the BC Mining Association.

The
following evening Sacheen and Kanahus hosted a debrief delivered to a packed
room. At this event Sacheen’s father, Tytun (Shane) Pointe honoured those
arrested, there was a blanketing ceremony for Julie Anne, beyon, Noah and David, thanking them for their work
supporting his daughter and affirmed they now shared the same canoe.

The
creeks, rivers, lakes and ocean are all connected. The poisons being discharged
into Hazeltine Creek by Imperial Metals flow through the connected waterways.
The salmon which return to the rivers from the oceans must pass through the
toxins never cleaned up by Imperial Metals. This is not just an Indigenous
issue, we all live downstream. The destruction of the land by mining is violence
and enough is enough.

Two
full years after the catastrophic breach of Mount Polley’s Tailings Pond,
Imperial Metals continues to operate illegally destroying the land and
endangering the lives of all the surrounding people.

Support
the work of Indigenous Women to shut down Imperial Metals.

And learn more here.

Xo
beyon and Wulfie

https://www.voicesfrontlines.com/on-august-4th-we-rolled-up-to-yuct-ne-senxiymetkew/

On May 27th the Corporate Scum behind the Mount Polley disaster, where a four kilometer tailings pond emptied into Polley Lake, Hazeltine Creek and Quesnel Lake, met on unceded Musqueam territory for their annual shareholders meeting.

Secwepemc Warrior, Kanahus Manuel, and supporters were there to greet them and remind the decisions makers of the company that they do not have permission to be on unceded Neskonlith Secwepemc territory and in fact have been told to leave.

Although Kanahus had the legal documentation to enter the AGM as a Proxy Voting member dozens of the Colonial Corporation of Canada’s hired guns blocked her way.

Imperial Metals is responsible for one of the most horrific acts of terror in this region since agents of the Hudson Bay company committed acts of violence through biological warfare, known as smallpox. The destruction of the land upon which the Secwepemc people live and contamination of their food sources is part of a legacy of colonial violence and genocide committed by the Corporation of Canada and the Corporations they partner with.

Sovereign Indigenous communities living on their unceded territories, who are not a part of the so called Canadian State, all over the region are resisting the invasive and destructive actions of Imperial Metals. The Tahltan people have been fighting hard against Imperial Metal’s Red Chris Mine, which has recently been given the ‘permits’ to operate at full capacity despite the opposition of the people responsible for the lands.

Members of Ancestral Pride, an Indigenous resistance organization from the village of Ahousaht on Nuu-chah-nulth territory have been organizing against Imperial Metal’s plans to open pit mine the sacred Chitaapii Mountain located directly across from the village.

On unceded Wet’suwe’ten territories Imperial Metals has been illegally operating an open pit copper mine without permission of the hereditary peoples responsible for protection of the lands there. Although the mine is currently not in operations due to low copper costs, it must not be permitted to open again.

We support the Talhtan, Secwepemc, Nuu-chah-nulth, Wet’suwe’ten and all sovereign Indigenous peoples and their protection of the lands we all rely on to live.

We’re also looking forward to visiting with Kanahus and Sacheen of Ancestral Pride in August and to be including them in Voices.

If you want to know more about how you can support these rad women led movements get at us and shoot us an email!

xox