The Canadian BDS Coalition stands in strong solidarity with the Wet’suwet’en people’s struggle to defend their territory from Canadian settler colonialism and the Coastal GasLink pipeline.
The Coalition denounces what is the reflection of Canada’s own apartheid system.
The Indian Act of 1876 is not only the centrepiece of Canadian colonial policy towards Indigenous peoples, but it has been the blueprint for apartheid in South Africa and Israel.
The South African government inspired by Canada’s Indian Act and legal classification of “status Indians” examined Canada’s Indian reserve system and used this in modelling aspects of South African apartheid after the Canadian system.
Canada enacted the pass system in 1885 which required approvals from local Indian agents for indigenous people to leave their reserves and served as a form of control against resistance. This model of restricting the basic human right of mobility for indigenous has served as a blueprint for the Israeli permit system. Israel has mirrored Canada’s use of never-ending negotiations as a deliberate stalling tactic and a means of control of indigenous lands and resources. Canada has its own interest in ensuring that Israel retains impunity including by not recognizing Palestine’s accession to international treaties, including the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court
The RCMP (North West Mounted Police) were created in the first place to “enforce” this apartheid through harassment and intimidation of the indigenous population, and continue to play this role for the colonizer government and business interests.
We urge action and solidarity to free detained land defenders and break the RCMP siege of Indigenous land. We stand in solidarity with all Indigenous struggles for liberation, sovereignty and self-determination in the face of settler colonialism, we salute Indigenous resistance, and we demand the immediate release of Sleydo’ Molly Wickham and all detained land defenders and journalists.
The government’s treatment of Indigenous civil and human rights continues to demonstrate a racist hypocrisy that should shame all Canadians.
The Canadian BDS Coalition salutes Indigenous peoples’ struggle and ongoing resistance and unceasing defense of their land and people.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will be remembered for being on the wrong side of history with his government’s supremacist and racist legacy.
#WetsuwetenStrong
#AllOutForWedzinKwa
#ShutDownCanada
For more information, follow the Gidimt’en social media accounts:
Website: Yintahaccess.com
IG: @yintah_access
Twitter: @Gidimten
Facebook: @wetsuwetenstrong
See other statements from Canadian BDS Coalition member organizations:
Canada Palestine Association
http://cpavancouver.org/2021/11/in-solidarity-with-indigenous-land-defenders/
Samidoun: Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network
Just Peace Advocates