TY to @PhoenixSerenity for making me aware of this news.

B.C. hereditary chief gets house arrest for #pipeline blockade

Chief invoked #Wetsuweten law for protecting land and water against #CoastalGasLink

by Betsy Trumpener · CBC News
Posted: Jul 03, 2024 9:23

"Chief Dtsa'hyl testified that as a leader, he had a duty to protect Wet'suwet'en land, water, burial sites, and historic trails from the degradation of pipeline construction. He said his actions against Coastal GasLink upheld the traditional Wet'suwet'en law of trespass.

"During the sentencing hearing this week, defence lawyer Rebecca McConchie said the chief's actions needed to be understood in the context of 'the oppression of Wet'suwet'en people in colonial history and the ongoing issues with #UncededLand.'

"The defence said the criminal contempt case punished the chief 'for upholding #IndigenousLaw because doing so breached a #colonial court order.'

"The judge acknowledged that questions around the rights and title of unceded #Indigenous territory, as well as how industrial projects consult with #FirstNations, remain unresolved."

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/wetsuweten-hereditary-chief-coastal-gaslink-1.7251161

#ChiefDtsahyl #CorporateColonialism #NoDAPL #NoPipelines #IndigenousRights #IndigenousSovereignty
#BCgovernment
#Injustice #UncededNativeLand
#StopEcocide #NativeLandDefenders
#IndigenousLeader #Consent

* #Canada is still a fucking #racist #colonial corporation. 🤬

#Wetsuweten #HereditaryChief will serve a 60-day jail sentence under house arrest for disrupting #pipeline construction through Wet'suwet'en traditional territory in northern #BritishColumbia in October 2021.

#ChiefDtsahyl, also known as Adam Gagnon, was convicted of criminal contempt for publicly and willfully defying a court order to stay away from Coastal GasLink's pipeline construction.

According to the judgment, Chief Dtsa'hyl appeared in social media videos and called the court injunction obtained by #CoastalGasLink "bogus as hell" because the Wet'suwet'en owned and had #jurisdiction over the territory through which the pipeline was being built.

Chief Dtsa'hyl testified that as a leader, he had a duty to protect Wet'suwet'en land, water, burial sites, and historic trails from the degradation of pipeline construction. He said his actions against Coastal GasLink upheld the traditional Wet'suwet'en law of trespass.

The court heard that Chief Dtsa'hyl is 68 years old and has recently been diagnosed with Stage 4 lymphoma.

Character references submitted to the court describe him as a loving, supportive, compassionate and courageous man.

https://www.cbc.ca/amp/1.7251161

#UNDRIP #BCpoli #CDNpoli #Landback #CorporateGreed #GreedKills #BCNDP #BCNewDeathParty #BCNDPEcocide #BCNDPisKillingUs #ColonialExploition #WhiteSupremacy #IndigenousRights #IndigenousSovereignty #BCgovernment #Injustice #UncededNativeLand #StopEcocide #NativeLandDefenders #IndigenousLeader #GovernmentCorruption #KKKanada