Lelu Island occupation camp receives support from Gitxsan Hereditary Chiefs

The current camp of occupation on Lelu Island received some added support on Monday as a number of Gitxsan Hereditary Chiefs offered their support and guidance to the local group that have looked to stop any work from Pacific Northwest LNG on Lelu Island.

In a statement released on Monday, the Gitsxan Hereditary Chiefs outlined their support for the Lax Kw'alaams Hereditary Chiefs and their occupation of their traditional  territory of Lax Eula (Lelu Island), offering up the nature of their shared concerns and opposition to the prospect of LNG development both through pipelines and terminal development.

 “We are standing together with the Chiefs on Lelu Island in opposition to the same LNG project. Our Madii Lii territory is on the pipeline route, and their Lelu Island territory is on the terminal site. We have both said no. This project threatens the salmon that all Skeena River and North Coast people depend on, and we thank the Yahaan (Don Wesley) and other Tsimshian Chiefs for what they are doing for all of us,” -- Gitxsan Hereditary Chief Luutkudziiwus (Charlie Wright) speaking to the current situation on Lelu Island 

In the information release of Monday, the Gitxsan chiefs noted their ongoing legal efforts related to what they say has been a lack of consultation and inadequate baseline information related to the Prince Rupert Gas Transmission pipeline proposal that is slated to cross through 34 kilometres of their territory

You can review the full statement from Monday afternoon here.

Hereditary Chiefs from the Gitxsan First nation have arrived at
Lelu Island to offer their support to those members of Lax Kw'alaams
currently hosting an occupation camp on the island
(photo from the Gitsxan Hereditary Chiefs media release)

As we outlined on the blog on Sunday night, those members of the Lax Kw'alaams First Nation that have set up their camp on Lelu Island provided some background on recent weekend events. Two days which saw members of the camp stop survey and drilling crews working for Pacific NorthWest LNG from beginning their exploration work in the vicinity of Lelu Island.

Media reports through the day on Monday noted that the Prince Rupert Port Authority had dispatched the Port's patrol boat Charles Hays to the area to ensure that the principles of maritime safety in the surrounding waters of Lelu Island are being upheld.

While the Port has the past spoken to the theme of the right for peaceful protest, on Monday Port spokesman Michael Gurney noted for CFTK TV, that should any vessel refuse to remove itself from causing a dangerous situation, that is a situation that could be referred to the RCMP for further action.  (see video here)

You can find more information on the Pacific NorthWest LNG project from our archive page here.