The School of Social Work at the University of Ottawa, recognizes that we are situated on the traditional and unceded territory of the Anishinabe Algonquin peoples. This recognition goes well beyond words. It involves an ongoing commitment to developing meaningful relationships with the Indigenous peoples who have protected, known and respected these lands for centuries. At the center of this relationship is respect and affirmation of Indigenous self-determination. The School of Social Work unites our voice with that of the Canadian Association of Social Work Education and the Canadian Association of Social Workers in expressing our support and solidarity to the peoples of the Wet’suwet’en Nation.
We call on the federal and provincial governments to uphold the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), the Constitution, and ‘Anuc niwh’it’en (Wet’suwet’en Law). It is under the Anuc niwh'it'en that opposition to the construction of the Coastal Gaslink is rooted. In particular, Article 3 of the UNDRIP affirms that “Indigenous peoples have the right to self-determination” and Article 10 explicitly states that “Indigenous peoples cannot be forcibly removed from their lands or territories.” We also call on the Government of Canada to obtain free, prior and informed consent from First Nations, according to section 35 of the Constitution, which recognizes First Nation’s right to self-determination and the moral, political and legal obligation of the government to obtain their consent on decisions that impact their territories. The Delgamuukw decision of the Supreme Court of Canada recognizes the hereditary chiefs of the Wet’sewet’en as the rightful holders of title, and their underlying sovereignty over the territory was established.
We also call for the RCMP to remove themselves from Wet’suwet’en territory. The pre-dawn, militarized, forced removal of the Wet’suwet’en from their territory on February 6, 2020, the establishment of an “Exclusion Zone”, and the prevention of complete and free media coverage have contravened the inherent right of First Nations to have unobstructed access to their traditional territories, as per the UNDRIP, and inhibited the public’s knowledge of what is unfolding on the ground.
This impasse is a defining opportunity for the Canadian government to demonstrate its willingness to go beyond an ideological discourse of reconciliation and demonstrate a real commitment to its realization among nations.