July 1st, the day Canadians celebrate Canada Day is for many Indigenous
people and their allies a day that is a very insulting and painful
reminder of what Canada represents. The history of Canada is based on the
assimilation, enslavement and genocide of Indigenous People across the
continent. We are wondering if this is something you think is worth
celebrating? We feel we have a lot of work confronting our history. Lets
start with not shamelessly waving flags.
Grassroots Wet’suwet’en land defenders have taken action. The Unist’ot’en
Camp sits in the path of the Pacific Trails (fracked gas) and Enbridge
(tar sands oil) Pipelines as well as several others proposed disasters.
These pipelines will run through salmon bearing rivers, beautiful forests
and the habitats of thousands of wild animals. This land has sustained
the Unist’ot’en people for countless generations. Relying on their
traditional knowledge, communities, and new found affinities with settler
allies, they are intent on defending their territories and they will allow
no treaty or legal route to do it for them.
From the Hudson’s Bay Co. trading furs over 200 years ago to the logging
of old growth forests for the last century to the Pacific Trails Pipeline
trying to cut through their sovereign territories today. The government of
Canada stands as a stark reminder that the colonization of the Indigenous
communities is still on the forefront of the government and corporation’s
agendas. The weak attempt at reconciliation put forward by the Harper
government was simply a ploy to smooth things over for industry to
continue the destruction and exploitation of the amazing ecosystems they
call home.
On this day of nationalist drivel we have decided to take a stand against
the Canadian State to say: We are not proud of the history of atrocities
against indigenous communities, we are not proud of the relentless
destruction of beautiful eco systems in the name of the “economy” and we
are not proud of the militarized state we have come to call home. We stand
in unwavering defense and confrontation with the Unist’ot’en people and
together we will not compromise the land and those it sustains. We will
stop these pipelines.
Please join us in opposing this terrible celebration and start standing up
for something real and genuine. Join us on July 1st for the second
demonstration to celebrate the ongoing resistance of the Unist’ot’en land
defenders.
Accomplices Not Allies:
http://beatthepipelines.wordpress.com/2014/05/09/accomplices-not-allies-...
More Info:
http://beatthepipelines.wordpress.com/2014/05/20/confronting-canada-day/
