The Yinka Dene Alliance is a coalition of six
First Nations
First Nations or first peoples may refer to:
* Indigenous peoples, for ethnic groups who are the earliest known inhabitants of an area.
Indigenous groups
*First Nations is commonly used to describe some Indigenous groups including:
**First Natio ...
from northern
British Columbia
British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, ...
, organized to prevent the
Enbridge Northern Gateway Pipelines
The Enbridge Northern Gateway Pipelines were a project to build a twin pipeline from Bruderheim, Alberta to Kitimat, British Columbia. The eastbound pipeline would have imported natural gas condensate and the westbound pipeline would have expo ...
being built through their traditional territories. The coalition first comprised the
Nadleh Whut'en,
Nak'azdli,
Takla Lake
Takla Lake is the fifth largest natural lake in British Columbia, Canada. It is a deep fjord-like lake with the Swannell Ranges to the east, the Driftwood River flowing into it from the north, and the Middle River draining it. It is the termin ...
,
Saik'uz and
Wet'suwet'en First Nations. The
Tl'azt'en First Nation has since joined.
These bands represent the interests of around 5,000 aboriginals. They are utilizing indigenous, Canadian and international law, and organizing various public protests across
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
.
Opposition to Enbridge Northern Gateway Pipelines
The
Northern Gateway project is a proposal by
Enbridge Inc. to build a twin pipeline between
Bruderheim
Bruderheim is a town in the Edmonton Metropolitan Region of Alberta, Canada. It is located just north of the junction of Highway 15 and Highway 45, approximately northeast of Edmonton.
The town's name is derived from two German words: "Br ...
,
Alberta
Alberta ( ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is part of Western Canada and is one of the three prairie provinces. Alberta is bordered by British Columbia to the west, Saskatchewan to the east, the Northwest Ter ...
and
Kitimat, British Columbia
Kitimat is a district municipality in the North Coast region of British Columbia, Canada. It is a member municipality of the Regional District of Kitimat–Stikine regional government. The Kitimat Valley is part of the most populous urban distr ...
. The pipeline would carry natural gas condensate to Bruderheim, and crude oil to Kitimat, where it would be transported to Asia by oil tankers. The Yinka Dene Alliance, and many other First Nations groups, oppose the project because of the threat it poses to the environment, their ways of life, and their land rights.
The pipelines would cross nearly 800 streams and rivers, and oil tankers would have to navigate rough waters and jagged coasts.
A pipe leak or oil tanker spill - which the Yinka Dene Alliance has deemed "inevitable" - could devastate the water supply, imperiling the ecosystem and local communities' health.
This poses a clear economic and cultural threat as well, since their ways of life depend on the waters, most notably through their fishing of the salmon population.
The Yinka Dene Alliance also opposes the project as a matter of land rights. The project would traverse around 50 First Nations' territories, much of which has never formally been ceded. Land title is still being negotiated through the
BC Treaty Process
The British Columbia Treaty Process (BCTP) is a land claims negotiation process started in 1993 to resolve outstanding issues, including claims to un-extinguished indigenous rights, with British Columbia's First Nations.
Two treaties have be ...
. The Yinka Dene Alliance, whose traditional territories make up 25% of the land directly affected by the Northern Gateway project, argues that Enbridge has no legal right to proceed without First Nations' approval. However, based on the
1997 Delgamuukw case, the
Supreme Court of Canada disagrees. According to Canadian law, the First Nations must be consulted, which is happening through the project's
Joint Review Panel and through private negotiations between Enbridge and First Nations, but they do not have the power to veto. The Yinka Dene Alliance are not participating in the
Joint Review Panel public hearings, calling them "bogus" on the grounds that the Canadian government has already made up its mind to support the project.
Save The Fraser Declaration
The Save The Fraser Declaration is a document of indigenous law, banning the Northern Gateway pipeline, and any similar projects, from crossing the signatories' territories. The signatories declare: "We will not allow the proposed
Enbridge Northern Gateway Pipelines
The Enbridge Northern Gateway Pipelines were a project to build a twin pipeline from Bruderheim, Alberta to Kitimat, British Columbia. The eastbound pipeline would have imported natural gas condensate and the westbound pipeline would have expo ...
, or similar
Tar Sands
Oil sands, tar sands, crude bitumen, or bituminous sands, are a type of unconventional petroleum deposit. Oil sands are either loose sands or partially consolidated sandstone containing a naturally occurring mixture of sand, clay, and wate ...
projects, to cross our lands, territories and watersheds, or the ocean migration routes of
Fraser River Salmon."
The Declaration was negotiated in November 2010 by the Yinka Dene Alliance and the St'át'imc Nation. It was then signed by representatives from over 60 First Nations, who call themselves the Save The Fraser Gathering of Nations.
On December 2, 2010, the Declaration was made public. The group took out a full-page advertisement in ''
The Globe and Mail
''The Globe and Mail'' is a Canadian newspaper printed in five cities in western and central Canada. With a weekly readership of approximately 2 million in 2015, it is Canada's most widely read newspaper on weekdays and Saturdays, although it ...
'' announcing their opposition to the project, and staged a march in
Vancouver
Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the ...
to deliver the Declaration to the
Enbridge
Enbridge Inc. is a multinational pipeline and energy company headquartered in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Enbridge owns and operates pipelines throughout Canada and the United States, transporting crude oil, natural gas, and natural gas liquids. ...
headquarters.
Many new signatories were added in ceremonies in
Vancouver
Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the ...
on December 1, 2011 and
Edmonton
Edmonton ( ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Alberta. Edmonton is situated on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Metropolitan Region, which is surrounded by Alberta's central region. The city ancho ...
on January 27, 2012.
Over 130 First Nations have now signed the Save The Fraser Declaration.
Appeals to the international community
On February 6, 2012, the Yinka Dene Alliance released an open letter to
Chinese
Chinese can refer to:
* Something related to China
* Chinese people, people of Chinese nationality, citizenship, and/or ethnicity
**''Zhonghua minzu'', the supra-ethnic concept of the Chinese nation
** List of ethnic groups in China, people of ...
President
Hu Jintao.
Canadian
Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of ...
Prime Minister
Stephen Harper was about to meet
Hu Jintao to discuss Chinese investment and trade in Canadian energy, which the
Northern Gateway project would facilitate greatly. In the letter the Yinka Dene Alliance asked
Hu Jintao to raise human rights concerns with
Stephen Harper. They outlined a number of human rights issues concerning First Nations, including land rights, injustices in the judicial system, and the imposition of resource development projects like the
Northern Gateway. On the same day, the Yinka Dene Alliance also released an open letter to the Chinese people, declaring their opposition to the
Northern Gateway. In it they stated that an oil spill "could destroy the extremely rare
spirit bear – a bear with white fur that is as beautiful as the Chinese
panda bear
The giant panda (''Ailuropoda melanoleuca''), also known as the panda bear (or simply the panda), is a bear species endemic to China. It is characterised by its bold black-and-white coat and rotund body. The name "giant panda" is sometimes ...
".
The Yinka Dene Alliance has also appealed to the
United Nations
The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be a centre for harmoniz ...
Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination
The International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (ICERD) is a United Nations convention. A third -generation human rights instrument, the Convention commits its members to the elimination of racial discri ...
. In February 2012 they submitted a request, calling on the Committee to intervene against the Northern Gateway project on the basis that it infringed
Aboriginal title. The complaint also argued that the Canadian government was practising a type of racial discrimination by prioritizing Enbridge's interests over the First Nations', by propagating negative images in the media of the First Nations's opposition, and by classifying Aboriginal groups as "adversaries" in a confidential internal document. Anne Sam, from
Nak'azdli First Nation, went to Geneva to speak to the committee as a representative of the Yinka Dene Alliance.
The Freedom Train
From April 30 to May 9, 2012, the Yinka Dene Alliance sent 30 representatives travelling across Canada on the so-called Freedom Train. The protest began with a rally in
Jasper, Alberta
Jasper is a specialized municipality and townsite in western Alberta within the Canadian Rockies. The townsite is in the Athabasca River valley and is the commercial centre of Jasper National Park.
History
Established in 1813, Jasper ...
, and continued with events in
Edmonton
Edmonton ( ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Alberta. Edmonton is situated on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Metropolitan Region, which is surrounded by Alberta's central region. The city ancho ...
,
Saskatoon
Saskatoon () is the largest city in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. It straddles a bend in the South Saskatchewan River in the central region of the province. It is located along the Trans-Canada Yellowhead Highway, and has served as th ...
,
Winnipeg
Winnipeg () is the capital and largest city of the province of Manitoba in Canada. It is centred on the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine rivers, near the longitudinal centre of North America. , Winnipeg had a city population of 749, ...
and
Toronto
Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the anch ...
. The final event was a protest outside
Enbridge's annual general meeting (AGM).
Wet'suwet'en Chief Na'Moks,
Nadleh Whut'en Chief Martin Louie and
Saik'uz Chief Jackie Thomas attended the AGM itself.
RCMP monitoring
In May 2012 it emerged that the
Royal Canadian Mountain Police (RCMP) had been closely monitoring the Yinka Dene Alliance for signs of "acts of protest and civil disobedience". The RCMP unit gathered evidence from public and social media sources, and seem to have also monitored private meetings. Chief Jackie Thomas, from the
Saik'uz First Nation, said, "We've always been peaceful, but this is how they try to paint us as the enemy".
References
External links
*
Save the Fraser Gathering of NationsFreedom Train 2012Enbridge Northern Gateway Pipeline
{{authority control
First Nations in British Columbia
Oil pipelines in Canada
Enbridge
Proposed pipelines in Canada
Indigenous politics in Canada