UNBC Livestream | University of Northern British Columbia
Watch the live stream of a panel discussion with Freda Huson, Helen Knot and Goot-Ges! 2pm today!
UNBC Livestream | University of Northern British Columbia
I don’t have the heart to sit here and see it happen. Right now they’re drilling on Digby Island to
see how far they go before they reach rock bottom and then they’ll understand
how much, they call it bio mass waste, they have to take out, which is all the
living peat moss and rare plants and then they’re just going to dump it on the
other side of the island.
–Goot-Ges
We realised people need to occupy that Island. We learned form Enbridge that we can’t count
on the government of Canada’s processes, we can’t count on petitions, we can’t
count on protests; the government just ignores all this stuff. And we need
the people who have legal rights and title to that land. It’s unceded territory.
–Christie Brown
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/i-dont-have-the-heart-to-sit-here-and-see-it/
Three hundred and thirty million juvenile salmon come out of
that river, through the estuary and you know that’s a victory right there,
that’s a victory… I know one day our future generations will talk about what we
have all done together no matter how it turns out that will be a victory.
–Goot-Ges
About three years ago I had a dream that I was in a long
house. I was sitting around thirteen grandmothers and they were all speaking to
me in all the west coast languages. I
could hear a little bit of Sm’algyax, a little bit of
Nisg’a and Haida and then all up the line I could here there was one
grandmother from each different nation.
They were talking to me and I couldn’t understand everyone but I think
my spirit knew. They said, “you know we’re going to be losing our salmon and
we’re asking you to go find the salmon warriors and to bring the people back to
the land to protect the waters because if we lose our salmon we are not going
to be who we are supposed to be anymore.”
-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.
https://www.voicesfrontlines.com/three-hundred-and-thirty-million-juvenile-salmon/
We left Lekqungen Territory to cross the Salish Sea on the last day of May on our way to Lax U’u’la (Lelu Island) in Tsimshian territory. On our first day out of so called vancouver we stopped in at Ulluisc to deliver donated food supplies, cash donations and photographs to Christine Jack, the caretaker and protector of the mountains there. We were also able to sleep along the banks of Wedzin Kwah in the Gitemden Clan’s territory. Wedzin Kwah is the life giving river that flows through Wet’suwet’en territory and has been fiercely protected by hereditary leadership of the Unist’ot’en clan. Wedzin Kwah is a tributary to the Skeena river and we would eventually follow the Skeena along the highway of tears to the sea.
Lax U’u’la, is located at the mouth of the Skeena river. Adjacent to the island are the Flora Banks, an area made up of glacial silt from the last ice age where eelgrass flourishes. The Flora Banks and the eel grass that grows there is a crucial habitat for young Salmon smolts who as adults will run the Skeena river. The eelgrass provides shelter from the strong currents and tides while the smolts acclimatize to their new lives in saltwater and adult salmon re-adjust to begin their journey up the river. This is a place where one generation of salmon passes another. The straight next to Lax U’u’la teams with porpoises, humpback whales pass through the region and wolves hunt the deer who find bountiful food on the island. We were told the ancestors and wild spirits of the animals protect Lax U’u’la.
It is on this small marshy island, covered in berries, ancient cedars
and eagle’s nests that Petronas and Pacific North West LNG (PNW LNG)
scheme to build an export facility for gas fracked in the North East of
so called bc.
There are 8 facilities planned for the Tsimshian’s territories around colonial Prince Rupert.
In August of 2015 five Women of Haida, Gitxsan and Tsimshian descent, with the support of the Hereditary House Leader for the Gitwilgyoots tribe responsible for Lax U’u’la, began an occupation of the Island. Since that moment they have been offering their prayers, utilizing the medicines of the island, raising their children and going out onto the water to courageously stop the work of surveyors hired by PNW LNG. Many warriors and supporters have joined these women in their fight for the land, waters and air.
We were honoured to have the opportunity to sit down with Christie Brown in her home and talk about her experiences protecting Lax U’u’la and beginning the occupation. Once on the island we joined Goot Ges and her three children who harvest medicines there, offer prayers and join supporters in stopping industry on the water. We were able to assist with cooking meals for supporters, constructing a cedar smokehouse, building a composting toilet and joining patrols to protect the island.
If you are interested in learning more about Lax U’u’la you can check out their facebook page or this short documentary.
If you would like to support the Land Defenders who are out there protecting the salmon, waters, land and air there are two specific needs:
The first is for financial donations to fuel the boats necessary for patrols, and you can donate to the go fund me, or e-transfer funds through: Lelu_island@hotmail.com.
The second is a need for people to be out there on the land. Supporters are welcome and skills related to working collaboratively, navigating conflicts, care work, boating, cooking and construction are super helpful.
If you have questions about accessibility or anything at all, please do not hesitate to contact us!
xo beyon and wulfgang
https://www.voicesfrontlines.com/we-left-lekqungen-territory-to-cross-the-salish/