Heiltsuk Nation adds to voices against Enbridge

The Heiltsuk First Nation is known as one of the north and central BC coast Nations that are home to the Great Bear Rainforest—described as “a hub of teeming plant and animal life and a vast storehouse of biological carbon.” Now the Heiltsuk First Nation is taking very public steps to voice its opposition to Enbridge’s proposed Northern Gateway Pipeline.

In March, opposition took the form of a march and rally in Vancouver. In a call for mass action, the organizers’ media release stated that “we respectfully request the support of the Coast Salish communities, whose land we will be rallying on, all Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people residing in Vancouver/Lower Mainland, the Power to Women and other Aboriginal groups, and our other allies such as Sierra Club, Dogwood Initiative, and Pacific Wild.”

Meanwhile, back in Heiltsuk territory, school children have been organizing a 48-hour hunger strike, for April 1-3. This will coincide with the Enbridge hearings being held in the community. As the organizers’ media release noted, “we hope to open a dialogue with other concerned students from around the province and communicate through video conferencing during the hunger strike.”