Image: Wet’suwet’en Nation Supporters of an Indigenous camp blocking access to a planned pipeline in northern British Columbia say they are anticipating RCMP action over an injunction filed against them. Jennifer Wickham, a member of the Gidimt’en clan of the Wet’suwet’en First Nation, said on Sunday that police have gathered in Smithers and Houston, B.C., which are the closest towns to the Gidimt’en checkpoint. “They have a charter bus, RV, and what seems to be a tactical vehicle,” she said. TransCanada has said it has signed agreements with all First Nations along its Coastal GasLink pipeline route to LNG Canada’s $40 billion liquefied natural gas project in Kitimat, B.C. Stay current on industry headlines, upcoming events and gain access to specialty reports by subscribing to our free daily oil and gas e-news alert. But Wickham says the company does not have the authority to build through Wet’suwet’en territory because the house chiefs, who are hereditary chiefs rather than elected band council leaders, have not given consent. “Our traditional governance system is separate, and that is who has jurisdiction over the house territories and clan territories,” she said. RCMP said in a statement Sunday morning that while it is responsible […]
