As protests across the country continue to plague construction of Coastal GasLink鈥檚 (CGL) pipeline through Wet鈥檚uwet鈥檈n territory, about 200 supporters of the project gathered in Houston Wednesday afternoon to hear from Indigenous leaders eager to see the pipeline completed.
The event, which hosted five speakers, was organized by The North Matters, a natural resource industry lobby group.
鈥淭he protesters get one side of the story, and they want to stand up with their fists in the air,鈥� Robert Skin, an elected councillor for the Skin Tyee Nation, which is part of the Wet鈥檚uwet鈥檈n Nation. 鈥淐ome and listen to us. Get both sides of the story before you go out and stop traffic and stop the rail line. All you鈥檙e doing is alienating people who are trying to put a roof over their children鈥檚 heads and food on their table.鈥�
Skin praised CGL for its consultation with elders and leaders, saying the company went on numerous interpretive walks through the nation鈥檚 traditional territory to map out the best possible route for the pipeline.
Nationwide protests and blockades of rail lines followed a move by RCMP to enforce a court injunction earlier this month against the hereditary chiefs and their supporters, who had been obstructing an access road to the CGL鈥檚 work site.
Four of the five Hereditary chiefs flew to Ontario Wednesday to thank Mohawk supporters blocking key rail lines.
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Spokesperson for The North Matters, Steve Simons, said his group organized the event at Houston鈥檚 Pleasant Valley Plaza Theatre because national attention has focused largely on opposition to the pipeline, while the voices of many Wet鈥檚uwet鈥檈n members who support the project have been drowned out by negative news coverage, fracturing communities down racial lines across the Northwest.
Wednesday鈥檚 gathering was billed as an event to bring the community together by allowing Indigenous members in support of the project the chance to share their perspectives in a safe environment, free from intimidation and fear of harm.
Skin commended CGL for its ecological and cultural sensitivity and said his nation鈥檚 benefit agreement with the company is key to the prosperity of future generations. Some of the money has already been used for professional training among members. More has been earmarked to help alleviate a housing crisis and allow more members to move back to their community, Skin said.
鈥淚nstead of saying 鈥榥o鈥� to everybody all the time, now we can say 鈥榶es, we have the money for housing. Yes, we have the money for education鈥�.鈥�
The North Matters organized the session over the long weekend, to which Simons said he was pleased at the number of people who came out, particularly because it took place in the afternoon.
鈥淭here鈥檚 been a lot of bullying going on. And intimidation. Intimidation into silence,鈥� Simons said of what Wet鈥檚uwet鈥檈n supporters of the pipeline have faced through social media and other means.
鈥淲hat we wanted was a place where people could speak without fear of a backlash.鈥�
A Victoria resident and mostly now retired but who does offer courses and speaks on natural resource issues, Simons said he concentrates on trying to deescalate hard line 鈥榶es鈥� and 鈥榥o鈥� positions on resource development. He volunteered his time for the North Matters event.
鈥淲hat I try to do is reach out for solutions for common values,鈥� said Simons.
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Speaker Marion Tiljoe Shepherd echoed those calls for solutions.
She owns her own trucking company in Houston and is a member of the Wet鈥檚uwet鈥檈n Gilseyhu (Big Frog) clan. Her mother is a shareholder of a trap line near the pipeline route where police have twice raided protest camps.
鈥淚t鈥檚 been really hard for us,鈥� she said to the audience. 鈥淚 love my family, and my mom misses her family鈥� but because we live here in Houston, we鈥檙e ostracized just because we want to work. We鈥檙e from an industrial town and we鈥檝e always worked for industry. There鈥檚 two sides to every story.鈥�
While a staunch supporter of the industry, Tiljoe Shepherd told the crowd mistakes were made on all sides, including CGL鈥檚 ineffective consultation with hereditary chiefs, and the chiefs failure to consult with their members. But she also lays a lot of blame on the protesters who mobilized around the hereditary chiefs without access to other points of view.
鈥淲ho do you think you are?鈥� she said of the protesters. 鈥淚 didn鈥檛 ask you for help. I can speak for myself.
鈥淢y choice is my choice. My husband and I have a job. We want to work for CGL; we want to work for the industry, and we have every right to.鈥�
- with files from Rod Link
