STATEMENT ON SITUATION IN WET’SUWET’EN TERRITORY
02/12/2020
Forwarded on behalf of The Iroquois Caucus
The Iroquois Caucus today unequivocally condemns the actions taken against the Wet’suwet’en people by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and the governments of British Columbia and Canada.
State sanctioned violence and the use of force against First Nations appears to be the preferred solution whenever Indigenous people stand up to defend their lands and territories. This is not reconciliation and must stop.
The many statements made by the Prime Minister regarding the importance of a relationship with First Nations, and the recent adoption of the UNDRIP by the Provincial government, become no more than hollow rhetoric, considering the use of an armed force to subdue and remove peaceful protesters.
The Prime Minister is currently meeting with African Nations where Canada is being portrayed as a staunch defender of human rights in order to garner votes for a Canadian seat on the U.N. Security Council, yet the Canadian state continues to violate the rights of Indigenous people.
We call on the Federal and Provincial governments to meet with the Wet’suwet’en Hereditary Chiefs immediately and to address this issue in a manner that upholds the principle of reconciliation, the authority of Wet’suwet’en law, the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and the honor of the Crown.
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