MOHAWK COUNCIL OF AKWESASNE STANDS IN SOLIDARITY WITH WET’SUWET’EN

The Mohawk Council of Akwesasne is standing in solidarity with the Wet’suwet’en and Unist’ot’en Camp supporters in their efforts to protect their traditional land from the unwanted development of a gas pipeline.

We call on Canada to exercise peaceful negotiations and to utilize their vast resources to explore resolutions and alternatives that will respect the Indigenous People of this land, will honour our inherent rights, and will recognize and uphold our duty as Onkwehonwe (Indigenous) people to protect Mother Earth and the precious land we have very little of.

The Mohawk Council of Akwesasne calls on Canada and the RCMP to uphold the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People, which states,

“Indigenous peoples have the right to maintain and strengthen their distinctive spiritual relationship with their traditionally owned or otherwise occupied and used lands, territories, waters and coastal seas and other resources and to uphold their responsibilities to future generations in this regard.”

Consultation and consent are critical elements to the peaceful co-existence of First Nations people and Canada. We call on Canada to be diligent in their responsibilities and resolve this matter peacefully. Violence of any kind is unquestionably condemned.

As indigenous people, we can and must stand together in great numbers to protect our lands, culture and our future generations. We send our support and strength to all those supporting the Wet’suwet’en, and call for good minds to come together.

We encourage all Canadian supporters to call your local Member of Parliament to express your support for a mutual solution that respects the rights of the Wet’suwet’en people.

To contact your local Member of Parliament, please visit: https://www.ourcommons.ca/members/en/search