This week, Premier Christy Clark is putting a shiny bow on her government’s LNG effort with a huge summit and trade show in downtown Vancouver. Captains of the oil and gas industry have flown in from around the world (the President of Shell Oil among them), and several B.C. and Alberta ministers are representing. Trouble is, many key B.C. First Nations are still not on board.
“Right now, I don’t think they have social license,” said Tribal Chief Terry Teegee on Tuesday. He leads the Carrier Sekani Tribal Council, representing eight First Nations in northern B.C.
“They have not addressed the cumulative effects of these pipelines, at least within our territory,” he said.
The province's LNG website shows there are now proposals for a staggering 9 natural gas pipelines, that would connect to 13 coastal LNG plants. All the projects trespass aboriginal territories.
Chief Terry Teegee - Carrier Sekani Tribal Council - photo provided by chief
Teegee is just one of several First Nations leaders who spoke with the Vancouver Observer about their concerns about the Premier’s strong push for LNG projects. They say the province does not yet have enough support from First Nations to turn Clark’s $178 billion LNG plan into a reality.
Carrier Sekani territories would be crossed by five massive natural gas pipelines, worth a staggering $18 billion. Worrying many Sekani though, are the pipeline’s environmental effects on the land, water and fish.
“We haven’t agreed to anything yet. Until that time…we have to make informed decisions on these projects,” said Chief Teegee.
From the northeast
One can track B.C. Aboriginals' concerns about LNG starting in the province's remote northeast, where thousands of underground frack drills would explode petroleum-rich rock to bring the gas and oil to the surface.
Fort Nelson First Nation's 33-year-old leader -- Chief Sharleen Gale -- recently and dramatically raised a feather at an LNG summit there, demanding that provincial officials remove themselves from a recent industry conference. Her worry? The effects of LNG on her people's air and watersheds.
Fort Nelson First Nation Chief Sharleen Gale - YouTube
“In those kind of moments, you just have to do what’s right in your heart. I had no idea what I had to say, but bringing my eagle feather gave me the strength and the courage,” she said last month.
“The way things are going now – [LNG] is a no go,” she said.
Since then, Chief Gale had a meeting with Premier Clark, and has softened her statements:
“We support the Province’s goal of a new LNG industry, but it must be done right – environmentally, culturally and economically.” She was not available for comment on Tuesday.
Gitxsan and Wet’suwet’en shown on B.C. tribes map
Along the LNG pipelines' path are north central B.C.’s many tribes. Two among them in particular -- the Gitxsan and Wet’suwet’en – have clashed with government and industry over the multi-billion-dollar LNG projects.
'All they are pushing is money'
For several years, Wet’suwet’en protesters from the Unist'ot'en house have held a “soft blockade” against LNG on a key bridge south of Houston, B.C. They disallow any pipeline contractors from working in the territory.
“All they are pushing is ‘money, money, money. We will give you money.’ But they are not giving particulars about the project,” said protester Freda Huson.
“People are misinformed. They use the term LNG as ‘liqui[fied] natural’ – so natural sounds very safe, and it’s not detrimental to the environment, but it’s actually ‘frack-gas’, and people aren’t educated on what fracking can do.”
And while a local band chief is in support of LNG, hereditary chiefs – who hold sway over the much larger Wet’suwet’en territory of 22,000 square kilometres – are in “near unanimous” opposition against LNG, said Wet'suwet'en Tsayu Clan Chief Na’moks (English name John Ridsdale):
“You have a government that is strictly looking at a tax base, rather than impacts to the land, water and people,” said Na’moks.
Wet’suwet’en proteser Freda Huson at an anti-Chevron LNG rally - March 2013 - photo by Caelie Frampton
Chief Samson Muldoe and local resident Gene Allen at a pipeline drill test site, near Hazelton, B.C. - photo by Mychaylo Prystupa
Cease and desist order issued
In neighbouring Gitxsan, mere “test drilling” sites for pipelines have had hereditary chiefs serve TransCanada contractors with a “cease and desist” order in March to remove themselves within 24 hours.
“I want it to be stopped....It’s going to ruin everything,” said 81-year-old Samson Muldoe, a hereditary chief who spoke with the Vancouver Observer on a mountainside near Hazelton, last month.
TransCanada has a legal permit for the drilling, signed off by two Gitxsan officials. But the company heded the chief's demands at first.
"Out of respect, we complied. However, what isn’t noted is that we subsequently approached the Chief to confirm his support for the borehole work," wrote spokesperson Davis Sheremata from Calgary.
“We would never conduct any work without the proper regulatory authorizations.” Davis added, the pipeline company had 13 Gitxsan house groups on side.
But Sampson denies their authority.
“I told [the contractor on site,] ‘well, who signs for it?’ ‘Oh - big chief’ he said to me. I asked him, ‘who is the Big Chief?’ ‘Earl (Muldoe) and George is the big chief.’"
Several Gitxsan chiefs have raised alarm that their names are allegedly being “stolen” – meaning their names are being used to sign for LNG agreements, without their consent.
Coastal concerns
At B.C.’s northwest coast, there are several LNG plants proposed for Kitimat and Prince Rupert areas, to cool the gas to -160 degrees Celsius, and to reduce the fuel’s volume 600 times for its convenient transport to Asia.
Premier Clark signs revenue-sharing LNG deals with Lax Kw’alaams and Metlakatla - April 2014 - BC gov't photo
In these costal B.C. regions, the province has successfully signed up the Haisla, Metlakatla, and Lax Kw’alaam on to what could be very lucrative revenue sharing agreements.
But environmental concerns are growing about the hundreds of new tankers that would port there annually. The worry is, might they hurt whales, salmon and other marine life.
“We’re talking about huge tankers – they’re going to have an impact, there’s no doubt about it,” said Art Sterritt, executive director of Coastal First Nations.
LNG carrier WikiCommons
The liquefaction process also spews enormous air pollution. The Coastal First Nations organization demanded the province study the cumulative effect of the massive LNG smokestacks on the area’s air shed. A provincial report is expected any day.
A citizens group in the region called No More Pipelines estimates that B.C.'s greenhouse gases from just three of the LNG plants could soar by 73 per cent. These pollution issues fuel many First Nations' concerns that a huge increase of tankers and LNG development could radically alter the landscape of their traditional territory.
For its part, the province’s Aboriginal Relations and Reconciliation ministry said:
“Aboriginal people have a crucial role in our LNG strategy. First Nations have been telling government and industry that they want to be part of the economic development and that they want to enter into business and other partnerships to meet their communities’ social and economic priorities,” wrote spokesperson Robin Platt.
He added the Province has also achieved agreement with 15 First Nations in support of Pacific Trails Pipeline and has economic benefit agreements with five Treaty 8 First Nations.
_0.jpg "First Nations Summit - Grand Chief Edward John")
First Nations Summit - Grand Chief Edward John
Speaking from New York while attending United Nations meetings this week on the rights of Indigenous Peoples, Grand Chief Edward John said both government and industry need to do more to respect First Nations' concerns about LNG.
“They are going through First Nations people’s territories. And government and industry need to respect that," said Edward John.
"That is absolutely fundamental. And not just give lip service to this. They can’t just say ‘oh well we consulted with [some] First Nations and we’re going ahead' – that approach won’t work."