CHIEF WII SEEKS OF THE GITKSAN WET'SUWET'EN
(A conversation about the recent freight rail blockade and trial)
Nov 27,1992
Having received information from Dan Smoke of Six Nations
that the Iroquois Confederacy supports the Gitksan Wet'suwet'en
Nation and and also that Chief Wii Seeks was in court, I spoke
with Chief Wii Seeks on Nov 25, 1992 and got the following details.
An injunction had been served on the Chief and a few
associates to move off the railway that had been blockaded.
Because they did not comply they were served with a charge of
Criminal Contempt of Court. (Criminal because there were press
releases and appeals to the media for support. Civil Contempt
would be the charge if no media was involved.)
They spent four days in court. There was no defence for the
contempt. Instead it was pleaded on the reasons for placing the
blockade.
We are trained to protect the Land. Our spiritual and
traditional laws require us to care for the Land. I support my
fellow chiefs in doing the same.
The reason for our dilemma is the collision of two
authorities, our traditional law and the laws imposed on us by
Canada and British Columbia. We're prepared to go to jail for
what we believe in. We will continue to exercise our rights and
traditions. Defending our land is our only way to obtain
justice.
We will take direct political action whenever necessary. It
is the only tool that works. Canadian governments will only
negotiate if we take something away from them, namely the right
to continue to steal our Land.
The result of the Criminal Contempt charge was guilty, with
a four month sentence, a suspended sentence. The Judge suspended
the sentence on the same afternoon on the undertaking of the
defendants that they would not block the train again. Despite
the fact that the sentence is suspended the defendants will have
a criminal record.
A few of the Gitksan Wet'suwet'en are restrained by their
signature on the undertaking, but there are 700 others in the
Nation who were not required to sign.
THE LAND CLAIM CASE
A decision against the Gitksan Wet'suwet'en claims was
delivered by Chief Justice MacEachern of the British Columbia
Court on March 8, 1991. A subsequent appeal has been heard and
the decision of the appeal court is expected in March 1993.
LOGGING
A saw mill was recently closed. A review of the costs to
re-open the mill, run by natives who are now unemployed is being
done. Plans for retraining, and cutting back the annual logging in
the area, are under consideration. The Minister of Forests, Dan
Miller has been suspended for three months. The Gitksan
Wet'suwet'en would prefer that he be removed permanently.
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Interview reported by Harold P. Koehler, 43 Napoleon Drive,
LONDON ON N5V 4A8 Phone (519)453-5452, Fax 453-3676.