Voices

Indigenous Women on the Front Lines Speak

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My Dad always told me, life is not about
you, it’s not about me, it’s about the future.

-Queen Sacheen

When I say that leadership sells us out
they are literally signing deals with companies like Cermaq to stand against
their own people.  I am afraid that there
are not enough people who can take the time or effort to fight.  Industry and complicit leadership use tactics to bully people and silence them.

-Queen Sacheen

Xhopakelxhit, Sacheen Seitcham, is a Snuneymuxw, Nuu Chah Nulth,
Coast Salish and Cree Grandmother, Medicine Maker, Water Protector and
Strategist.  Co-Founder of the Coast Salish Native Youth Movement, The West Coast
Women Warrior Society Media Cooperative, Yaakswiis Warriors, Imperial No More and Ancestral Pride Sacheen’s life is
dedicated to the futures of the children.  In August of 2016
Sacheen and 3 others were arrested for attempting to block the restocking of a
fish farm in Ahousaht waters and in the autumn Sacheen and her family were
throwing down with Red Warrior at Standing Rock and providing crucial on the
ground media coverage.

Sacheen’s work relies on the support of people like you dedicated to
Indigenous Sovereignty and Protection of Water, Land and Life.  With
court dates coming up on both sides of the colonial border, family to
support and Imperial Metals, the Kinder Morgan Pipeline and Cermaq to fuck up
your donations are crucial.

Please support Warriors.

E- transfers can be made to: mamazonscreations@gmail.com

Sign up to make a monthly
donation

Donate Sacheen’s work
with Imperial No More

or Donate
directly to support Sacheen

https://www.voicesfrontlines.com/my-dad-always-told-me-life-is-not-about-you-its/

Voices shot an update for the wonderful Christine Jack on our last visit.  Christine Jack is a St’at’imc Life-Giver, Two-Spirit Land Defender and Spiritual Leader.  She lives on a territory called Ulluisc which is the location of ancestral villages, diverse wildlife and medicines.  Christine was asked by her Elders to defend Ulluisc and now that is what she does.  From Standing Rock to Ulluisc Defend the Lands and Waters.

(Source: https://www.facebook.com/)

https://www.voicesfrontlines.com/voices-shot-an-update-for-the-wonderful-christine/

Even though [as land defenders through out so-called BC] we might not physically be there all the time
with each other we know we’re all in it together. We know that we’re fighting the same fight
and that we’re fighting for freedom.
We’re not fighting to save one area from one pipeline, we’re not
fighting to save one thing, like a lake or the ocean, we’re all fighting for
freedom from colonization.  We’re
fighting to live as sovereign people, to be connected to our lands, to have
healthy families, to have healthy Nations. That’s what we’re fighting for.  We know that healthy lands are essential to
our existence.  It feels really good to
know that we’re not alone.  

-Molly Wickham

Molly Wickham is a Wet’suwet’en land defender, mother and hunter from
the Gitemden clan’s Spookw house.  She lives with her husband and two
children at Lhudis Bin, “The Lake Way Out There,” a place where her
ancestors and elders lived, hunted, gathered medicine and fished.  
Lhudis Bin was the planned site for a tailings pond that would hold
chemicals from mining operations on Nanika Mountain, a project that has
never moved forward.  Through her work with the Life School and
leadership with the Wet’suwet’en drum group Molly shares stories of
resistance with the next generation, passes on skills and creates the
songs that will tell the stories of these times.

Learn more about the Life School at the Cedars R.I.S.E Society.

Donations and offers of support can be made to ror.wickham@gmail.com

And cheques can be sent via snail mail to Box 3664 Smithers BC V0J 2N0

https://www.voicesfrontlines.com/even-though-as-land-defenders-through-out/

I think that we have so much to gain from living on our
territories and living the way our ancestors did.  That is why they were so strong. That is why
they were so smart and so strong physically and mentally and spiritually.  We need it, not only do we need it, but we’re
gonna be an even bigger force to be reckoned with when more of our people gain
that strength. 

 We can’t be Wet’suwet’en if we don’t have the Wet’suwet’en
lands.

-Molly Wickham

Molly Wickham is a Wet’suwet’en land defender, mother and hunter from the Gitemden clan’s Spookw house.  She lives with her husband and two children at Lhudis Bin, “The Lake Way Out There,” a place where her ancestors and elders lived, hunted, gathered medicine and fished.  Lhudis Bin was the planned site for a tailings pond that would hold chemicals from mining operations on Nanika Mountain, a project that has never moved forward.  Through her work with the Life School and leadership with the Wet’suwet’en drum group Molly shares stories of resistance with the next generation, passes on skills and creates the songs that will tell the stories of these times.

Learn more about the Life School at the Cedars R.I.S.E Society.

Donations and offers of support can be made to ror.wickham@gmail.com

And cheques can be sent via snail mail to Box 3664 Smithers BC V0J 2N0

https://www.voicesfrontlines.com/i-think-that-we-have-so-much-to-gain-from-living/

Vigil for Joey English

Hello
dear ones,

This
evening Beyon and I joined Goot-Ges and her three children at the march and
vigil for Joey English an Indigenous Woman and Mother of three murdered in
so-called Calgary. 

Many
powerful Indigenous women drummed, sang and sent prayers for her family and to
honour Joey’s life.  Dozens of children played in the sand and grasses at
our feet and Indigenous Men joined in solidarity and outrage. Settlers from the four corners participated in solidarity.

 Joey’s
Cousin, Brailon English, in a post publicized online had this to share:

“My
people are turned away from medical centers, ignored on the streets, told they
are worthless. When our women are murdered, the news represents them as high
risk or points out their addictions, but nobody sees why. The pain we have
grown up with and the abuse we have endured has become normal,” he
continued.

“I
want a future where I don’t have to worry about my family being killed.”

Indigenous
Women here on unceded Musqueum, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh territories are
organizing another march and vigil in solidarity with Joey’s family and for all
murdered and missing Indigenous Women.  It will be on July 26th, the date
set for the man accused of Joey’s death to appear in court.  You can check
out the facebook page for details about this vigil and
other ways you can support Joey’s family.

If
you would like to make a donation directly to the family you can do so at their
Go Fund Me.

Rest
in Power Joey.  Not one More Missing Sister.

They call this place Heaven on Earth. 

–Goot-Ges

I’m grateful and I feel like when there are things
that you are grateful for you have to work damn hard to keep them and
honour them.

–Christie Brown

I believe there is room for growth for our
people to go back and completely let go of this way of life and strengthen,
strengthen that land and that water and all the life within it.

–Goot-Ges

Goot-Ges is a Haida, Nisga’a and Tsimshian woman from the
village of skulls, Gingolx, in the Nisga’a Nation whose clan is Raven from the
house of T’tanihaulk.  She is a
land defender, freelance writer, radio producer and independent mother of
three.  In August of 2015 in
collaboration with four other Indigenous women Goot-Ges began an occupation at
Lax U’u’la, which continues to protect the island and surrounding waters from
destruction to this day.  Her work is
rooted in cultural practice: prayer, story telling and medicine as healing and
an integral aspect of resistance to ongoing colonization.  She has founded and supported countless
projects assisting her people in healing inter-generational trauma and ending
gender based violence. 

Check out
Goot-Ges’ most recent project Yakguudan, which means ‘to respect all life’ in Haida.

Christie Brown of Gitxan and Scottish descent has worked to
defend the lands, waters, salmon and lives of her people against the Northern
Gateway pipeline and Petronas’ Pacific North West LNG export facility.  Her creative forms of resistance merge the
contemporary tools at hand with the revitalization of traditional skills and
hereditary systems.  In August of 2015 in
collaboration with 4 other Indigenous women Christie organized and began an
occupation of Lax U’u’la on unceded Tsimshian territory.  Christie’s work defending Lax U’u’la, the
Flora Banks and it’s protective eelgrass and the Skeena River continues to this
day. 

Support Christie and her work
upholding Tsimshian Law to protect Lax U’u’la for future generations.

https://www.voicesfrontlines.com/they-call-this-place-heaven-on-earth-goot-ges/

Food Donations for Unist’ot’en

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Hello Deer ones,

 We are about to head
out again, on July 15th, to visit Unist’ot’en for the Youth Art Camp
and also to visit with Kanahus on Secwepmc territory. While in both of these places we plan to
complete more interviews for the book while throwing down with some rad youth
artists and offering support to the land defenders still working to shut down
Mount Polley Mine and Imperial Metals.

The material and financial donations y’all contributed last
time were so incredible and honestly we couldn’t have shown up the ways we did
without all of you.  Thank you for
collaborating with us and holding us up the way you all have.

We are again reaching out for donations to help us get
supplies up to camp and you will find below the promised list from our wonderful
friend and the amazing cook up at Unist’ot’en.
If you are able to contribute any of these items (food unopened) that
would be amazing! 

If you would like to make a monetary donation you can send e-transfers to voicesfrontlines@gmail.com.  Please let us know whether you want the funds to go towards general supplies or for the cash to be given directly to Freda or Kanahus.

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 Food Items:

Cilantro
Bragg’s Liquid Soy (cheapest at Sunrise foods)
Cheese (esp hard cheese like parmesan)
Cornmeal
Fresh veg and fruits
Meat
Asian style noodles
Rice noodles
Polenta logs
curry paste, especially green curry
Unsalted Nuts
Mushrooms and dried mushrooms
chocolate chips
Olives
Sundried tomatoes
Zatar spice
Nori sheets
lemongrass
fresh chillies
sushi vinegar
rice vinegar
rice wine vinegar
red wine vinegar
Shiro Miso paste (large size)
Kimchi
Corn tortillas
veggie sausages or chorizo
canned tuna in oil
Cannelini beans (white kidney beans)
medium ground coffee beans
Truffle Oil
Olive Oil
Coconut Oil
Textured vegetable protein
Preserves
Canned chilies (esp in adobo)
Pickles
Smoked or preserved meat
Sesame Oil
Coconut cream or milk
Coconut flakes
Smoked wild fish (cheapest at Elenka Foods or farmers market)
Tofu
Fresh herbs

Non Food Items:

Large cast iron cookware (esp with lids)
Oven mitts (any condition, but w/o holes)
Epi Pens
Allergy pills
Tea towels
Skateboard
Spare tires from wheelbarrows
Bronner’s liquid soap or ecosafe Camp Suds
Hatchet
Axe
Whetstone
large metal coffee percolators (20cup one at Army&Navy is $22)
hand powered food processor (known as Mouli)
solar dehydrator
solar charger for usb devices
Books: permaculture, gardening, plant identification, first aid, bush craft,
indigenous issues, feminism, queer theory, how-to books, carpentry, mechanics,
guitar tabs and song lyrics.
Handheld garden saws and gardening tools
Bicycles and parts
Garden or fishing netting
Tents
Medical sutures and butterfly stitches
Fishing line
Wooden cutting boards
Coffee grinder
Herb plants (especially thyme, rosemary, basil, cilantro)
Fishing floats
Rope and twine
barbwire

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xo Wulfgang and Beyon

Imperial Metals AGM

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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

At the offices of PNG the company who will inevitably fail to push through a liquid fracked gas export facility on the unceded Lax U’u’la territory also known as Lelu Island. RCMP have been increasing their pressure on the hereditary people the Gitwilgyoots clan and their supporters. Land Defenders protecting the territory went to industry offices today to pray and remind company representatives that they are breaking Tsimshian law. #fracking #nofracking #solidarity #landdefence #unceded #tsimshian #leluisland #protect #lng #voicesbook #indigenousresistance #frontline #warriors #nolng #indigenoussovereignty

https://www.voicesfrontlines.com/at-the-offices-of-png-the-company-who-will/