Despite objections from some elected leaders of the Wet’suwet’en First Nations, the federal and B.C. governments plan to sign an agreement with the hereditary chiefs that charts a path for transferring jurisdiction of their territory to its traditional leadership.
Despite objections from some elected leaders of the Wet’suwet’en First Nations, the federal and B.C. governments plan to sign an agreement with the hereditary chiefs that charts a path for transferring jurisdiction of their territory to its traditional leadership, a group that includes those same hereditary chiefs.
The agreement, a memorandum of understanding (MOU), aims to avoid a repeat of last winter’s cross-country protests and rail disruptions that supported the hereditary leaders against the construction of a natural gas pipeline through Wet’suwet’en unceded ancestral lands.
While the MOU doesn’t resolve the ongoing dispute over the Coastal GasLink project, it sets out steps for preventing conflict over future resource development — by recognizing that the traditional Wet’suwet’en governance system holds rights and title to their 22,000 square kilometres of territory in northern B.C.
But some elected Wet’suwet’en leaders have raised concerns over how the MOU was crafted, and that they weren’t consulted either in its development or during the ratification process.
They have retained legal counsel and are exploring a possible legal challenge, said Wet’suwet’en First Nation Chief Maureen Luggi.
“It’s completely appalling that they [the federal and provincial governments] insist on moving forward with this,” said Luggi, one of four elected chiefs who are trying to stop the MOU’s signing.
“What is going to be happening on our lands, our resources? What does this mean regarding jurisdiction? Does this mean major economic development projects will now be delayed? There’s so much uncertainty.”
Ottawa could be in for a court bat