First Nation, Métis, and Inuit SCCDSB Knowledge Buidling

Wet'suet'en Classroom Resources

Who are the Wet'suet'en?

Pronunciation: Wet-SO-ih-ten

Territory, a nation, and a people, 22,000 square km of 5 matreilineal clans, 13 house groups.

http://www.wetsuweten.com/culture/governance

Wet'suet'en Terriotry:

Elected Chiefs vs Hereditary Chiefs and Land & Rights

Hereditary Chief definition and 5 FAQsThis short article includes a hereditary chief definition, a bit of history on hereditary and elected chiefs and some hereditary chief FAQs

21 Things You May Not Have Known About The Indian ActHere are 21 facts you may not know about the Indian Act. Understanding the historical and ongoing impact of the Indian Act is crucial for those committed to reconciliation. This article provides some important insight.

The First Nations, Métis, and Inuit Education Association of Ontario provide the following breakdown to better understand the Wet’suwet’en law and governance system:

"The Wet’suwet’en hereditary governance system predates colonization and continues to exist today.

The Wet’suwet’en and Gitxsan Hereditary Chiefs, not the Indian Act Chiefs and Councils, were the plaintiffs in the landmark Delgamuukw-Gisday'way Aboriginal title case.

They provided the court with exhaustive and detailed evidence of the Wet’suwet’en and Gitxsan governance system and the legal authority of Hereditary Chiefs.

Unless otherwise authorized by the Indigenous Nation members, the authority of elected Chiefs and Councils is limited to the powers set out under the Indian Act. The Indian Act does not provide authority for a Chief and Council to make decisions about lands beyond the boundaries of the First Nation’s reserves.

By contrast, the Hereditary Chiefs are responsible under Wet’suwet’en law and governance for making decisions relating to their ancestral lands.

It is these lands that the Hereditary Chiefs are seeking to protect from the impacts of the pipeline project, not Indian Act reserve lands. "

(First Nations, Métis, and Inuit Education Association of Ontario)

Thinking About Land and Rights

The myth of band councils as First NationsBand councils were created from the 1876 Indian Act and designed to undermine and replace centuries of traditional governments across Canada. Under in...

Resources to Support Learning

Wet'suwet'en Supporter Toolkit 2020 Resource guide including ways to take action, information on Wet'suwet'en jurisdiction, legal background, facts about fracking, key resources, and more

Map of Wet'suwet'en Solidarity Actions | Real People's MediaThe following is a map of solidarity actions taken to support the Wet'suwet'en people following the RCMP invasion of their lands.

Wet'suwet'en and Coastal GasLink

Wet'suwet'en and Coastal GasLinkIn 1984, the Hereditary Chiefs of the Wet’suwet’en and Gitksan Houses launched a court case against the government of BC over Aboriginal title to their ancestral territory in BC. The Supreme Court …

Wet'suwet'en: Why are Indigenous rights being defined by an energy corporation? - Yellowhead InstituteAn unsigned agreement between a Wet’suwet’en First Nation and Coastal GasLink along with financial documents, obtained by Yellowhead Institute, provide reinforcement to Yellowhead's assessment of the ways these private contracts can dramatically undermine First Nation rights and jurisdiction

Wet’suwet’en Hereditary Chiefs Reject the BC Supreme Court Decision to Criminalize Wet’suwet’en LawWet’suwet’en Hereditary Chiefs representing all five clans of the Wet’suwet’en Nation reject the BC Supreme Court decision to extend Coastal GasLink’s injunction order, which has criminalized the practice of Anuk ‘nu’at’en (Wet’suwet’en law) and inflicted violence against Wet’suwet’en people on our own unceded lands.

Resources

Resources to teach about the Wet'suwet'en and the current blockades — Dr. Angela NardoziPlease check back daily for updates to these tools Wet’suwet’en Supporter Toolkit 2020 Timeline for Wet’suwet’en vs. Coastal Gaslink Complete transcript between Marc Miller and Kanyen’kehaka (Mohawk) The Wet’suwet’en, Aboriginal Title, and the Rule of Law Wet’suwet’en: Why

CBC Podcast (6 min) March 2, 2020

Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations Carolyn Bennett discusses the “proposed arrangement" reached over the rail blockades supporting the Wet'suwet'en hereditary chiefs, who are opposed to a proposed Coastal Gas Link pipeline.

Key voices in the Wet'suwet'en pipeline conflict | CBC NewsFrom outside Wet'suwet'en Nation, the conflict over a gas pipeline seems complex, but key players have emerged. Here's a guide to some of them and how they fit into the organizations that make up Wet'suwet'en Nation.

wetsuweten_pdf_eng.pdf

wetsuweten_pdf_fr.pdf

Unsettling Canada | CBC BooksA book by First Nations leaders Arthur Manuel & Grand Chief Ronald M. Derrickson about the place of Indigenous peoples in Canada.

Check out the following pages on this website for more information:

Treaty Education

Indian Act