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 9th 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.
Xo
beyon and Wulfie