Jeanne —Epic. Ecstatic. Elated. Some of the words today from Indigenous leadership as they took in the Federal Court of Appeal ruling on the now quashed Kinder Morgan pipeline. To quote Squamish elected councilor Khelsilem – “Quash is an old, old, old Squamish word that means ‘told you so!’”
We’re celebrating too – doing the happy dance! From RAVEN’s perspective, this judgment confirms our foundational mandate that the rule of law and Constitution have the potential to hold the Canadian industrial state to account.
The ruling was quite clear: the federal approvals process failed to adequately consult First Nations, and they failed to take into account impacts from increased tanker traffic on the ocean.
This is a MASSIVE win for Indigenous rights, for orcas and salmon and this wild and beautiful coast. It is also a win for the climate, for local economies, and for people everywhere who said no. It is a win for our grandchild
Read a blog post I wrote this morning following a close read of the decision. There will be more to come in the days ahead and our work is long from over but this is a powerful precedent and proof that RAVEN’s theory of change is working!
This morning RAVEN live-streamed the historic press conference where leaders from many involved First Nations communities spoke about the win and the work that went into this moment. If you’re OK shedding some tears of joy, I encourage you to watch the whole thing here:
Today is a day for the history books. THANK YOU each and every one of you who organized, raised funds, attended rallies, signed petitions, attended Indigenous led-events, and took other bold actions that led to this moment. This is your victory too.
Sincerely,
Susan Smitten and he RAVEN team
p.s. Feel like taking action? Send Indigenous leaders a message of thanks via the Pull Together website: https://pull-together.ca. And hug a coast protector near you!!
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