Skip to content
Join our Newsletter

Wet'suwet'en hereditary chiefs stop in Prince George to finish Canada-wide tour

Chief Na’moks speaks to the continued opposition against the Coastal GasLink Pipeline project

Wet’suwet’en Hereditary Chief Na’moks stopped in Prince George at Lheidli T’enneh Memorial Park on the last stop of a three-week Canada-wide tour.

Wet’suwet’en Hereditary Chiefs have embarked on a nation-to-nation tour across the country this summer to visit Indigenous communities and share their struggle against the Coastal Gaslink pipeline project.

“There are so many pressures put on each nation across this country that we need to be together, show that we have one heart one mind when it comes to protecting the land, air, and water because everything that we do actually affects the planet,” said Na’moks, whose English name is John Risdale.

Wet'suwet'en Hereditary Chiefs have said they have never surrendered rights to 22,000 square kilometres of traditional territory in northern British Columbia, and have not consented to the Coastal GasLink pipeline project.

Tensions are once again rising as Coastal GasLink is currently preparing to start drilling under the Wedzin Kwa, or Morice River, which are the sacred headwaters of the Wet'suwet'en.

“We as Wet’suwet’en, we've never wanted more than what we have, but we do want to protect what we have before it’s gone forever,” said Na’moks.

“Our rivers, if they get poisoned by these proposed pipelines — you will never remediate it, you'll never have it back to the pristine condition it is. We drink out of our lakes, rivers and streams and our salmon, which we live on, are in full migration right now.”

Wet'suwet'en Hereditary Chiefs have opposed the pipeline for years, but 20 elected First Nations band councils along the route have signed off on the project, which also has the approval of the B.C. government.

Na’moks was welcomed by a performance from the Khast’an Drummers before sharing experiences from the Canada-tour with the audience and presenting gifts. During each stop the Wet’suwet’en Hereditary Chiefs have presented gifts from the the Wedzin Kwa to each Nation.

When they return to Wet’suwet’en territory, they will also host a feast to celebrate the journey.

“We’ve constructed a feast hall out on the territory at 44 kilometre and on Saturday at noon we will be collecting the waters that we have from across Canada and mixing it with our waters then we will hold our first feast in our feast hall right on the territory to celebrate what's in the rivers and ourselves as human beings.”

In late November 2021, the RCMP conducted raid at Gidimt’en Checkpoint after land defenders set up a blockade on the shores of the Wedzin Kwa southwest of Houston, B.C.

The RCMP arrested a number of supporters as well as two journalists who were later released.

“You have to realize their strategy is to have the world believe that we are less than human, that they can continue with the violence that they bring to our territory,” said Na’moks.

“I think it has to be remembered that we've never been violent once. The violence has come to us and the spin that they put on us, and the label that they put on us is totally untrue. This is why we thought it was best to go out to Canada, speak to our cousins across this country.”

Meanwhile, proceeding against those facing charges of contempt of court for their roles in the blockades south of Houston have been transferred to Smithers from Prince George.

B.C. Supreme Court Justice Marguerite Church ordered the move Aug. 11 in answer to an application from lawyers representing the defendants in which they noted Smithers is the closest B.C. Supreme Court to the place of the arrests.

Many members of the Wet'suwet'en Nation and neighbouring Gitxsan Nation have been "closely following" the proceedings via videoconferencing at the Smithers courthouse.

Until now, they have "largely been administrative in nature" but are expected to turn to pre-trial applications where evidence is called, trials and potentially sentencing hearings where the accused would be required to attend in person.

According to an initial position on sentencing, Crown prosecutors will be seeking penalties ranging from 25 hours community service to 30 days in jail for those found guilty of the offence.

An update posted to the Coastal GasLink website in late July says the project is 66 per cent complete overall, with 58.5 per cent of the construction finished.

The pipeline would transport natural gas from Dawson Creek in northeastern B.C. to Kitimat on the province's north coast.

The update shows nearly 97 per cent of the route along the Morice River has been cleared, with 14 per cent of grading completed. 

The update says pipeline has yet to be installed along that 77-kilometre stretch, while half has so far been installed in the final section toward Kitimat and just over 32 per cent has been installed in the 86-kilometre section to the east, stretching toward Burns Lake.

- with files from Mark Nielsen and The Canadian Press