The leader of the Wet-so-wet-en Nation was in New York last week voicing concerns over the Pacific Northwest LNG project for a presentation to the United Nations.
Namoks, also known as John Risdale, Hereditary Chief of the Wet-so-wet-ten Nation, wants to hold Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to his promises, including his stance on large projects like the LNG.
“We needed to find out if this is another round of words or are there actions behind it,” says Namoks.
He wants the government to look at how projects affect their land upstream when pipeline and development projects are approved outside of reserve boundaries.
“There’s 70 per cent of our salmon going through the Skeena. Now if they start killing off percentages, high percentages, of salmon – who’s to say that’s not our salmon,” he says. “They say they have support for bands, but in reality bands only have jurisdiction within their boundaries. the territory belongs to the people.”
Pacific Northwest LNG says they will “minimize the impacts to the marine environment as well as conduct extensive environmental studies.”
Something going on in the Bulkley Valley Lakes District you think people should know about?
Send us a news tip by emailing [email protected].
