Support K&A ~ Support Unist'ot'en Camp

Kyra Power is organizing this fundraiser.

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Friends, family, strangers

We write to you with a request.

At the end of the month, we will travel up to Unist’ot’en to be of service at this year’s action camp. As uninvited guests on stolen Indigenous land, we want to support communities who are practicing their traditional ways on their traditional territories. At this years action camp, we will be assisting with various building projects to expand the Healing Centre at Unist’ot’en. As years go on, numerous extractivist industries have/are threatening the Unist’ot’en's ability/right to practice their traditional ways on what has been their land since time immemorial.

As part of our service at this year’s action camp, we’ve pledged $500. This will go entirely to Unist’ot’en, and will support urgent healing work happening within this community. There is a saying at Unist’ot’en: Heal the land, heal the people. Let us carry this sentiment forward together, combing it through our own lives and communities.

We have each benefited directly from many Indigenous cultures across what is now called Canada and would like to acknowledge our appreciations, in turn:

From Aaron:

Thanking Lori Snyder for her teachings about plants and medicine; Robin Wall Kimmerer for Braiding Sweetgrass, which cued new understanding of the earth as sensuous and alive; Alanis Obomsawin for Kanehsatake 270 Years of Resistance, and the tears it drew out of me; Dr Lynn Gehl for materials on Allyship, which guides my service; Freda Huson and Molly Wickam, whose strength inspired new forms of courage in me; all the brave land defenders who protect the sacred fire, water, air, trees, and all the creatures throughout this beautiful land that I love so deeply; Cottonwood Bud Salve, medicine that makes my hands soft, smooth, and sweet smelling; Katzie men, women, youth, children, and elders for being so kind, generous, and welcoming during an afternoon in the Pierre long house, and the beam of light that pierced through the smoke; the courageous teachings and beautiful performances at Koksilah; Snotty Nosed Rez Kids for The Average Savage and TRAPLINE; Pulxaneeks whose workshop changed my entire spiritual landscape, and helped me hear my ancestors’ voices for the very first time; and most of all Kays, who tickles my spirit.

From Kyra:

Thanking Grandmother Agnes for giving me the opportunity/permission to be healed by her wild lands and river; Indigenous Youth who occupied the leg and every Land Defender out there, you inspire me to resist, thank you for the Work you do; Candance Curr for your strength and conversation in the lunchroom; Pulxaneeks whose unwavering cracking of my skin to connect with my ancestors and splatter my whiteness; SNRK for TRAPLINE; Tribe Called Red for taking me to deep dance dives; Katzie Nation for your openness to share your fires; Kays for your goofiness, for your high-kick screams. I bow in reverence and awe to Robin Wall Kimmerer and Lori Synder who have sent me on this wild wavy plant path to understand myself, community, and the animate Earth we are all a part of.

Blessings to you all, for whatever you can give.

A, K

History

“The Unist'ot'en (C’ihlts’ehkhyu / Big Frog Clan) are the original Wet’suwet’en Yintah Wewat Zenli distinct to the lands of the Wet’suwet’en. Over time in Wet’suwet’en History, the other clans developed and were included throughout Wet’suwet’en Territories. The Unist'ot'en are known as the toughest of the Wet’suwet’en as their territories were not only abundant, but the terrain was known to be very treacherous. The Unist'ot'en recent history includes taking action to protect their lands from Lions Gate Metals at their Tacetsohlhen Bin Yintah, and building a cabin and resistance camp at Talbits Kwah at Gosnell Creek and Wedzin Kwah (Morice River which is a tributary to the Skeena and Bulkley River) from seven proposed pipelines from Tar Sands Gigaproject and LNG from the Horn River Basin Fracturing Projects in the Peace River Region.”

Context

"The Unist’ot’en homestead is not a protest or demonstration. Our clan is occupying and using our traditional territory as it has for centuries. Our free prior and informed consent protocol is in place at the entrance of or territory as an expression of our jurisdiction and our inherent right to both give and refuse consent. Our homestead is a peaceful expression of our connection to our territory. It is also an example of the continuous use and occupation of our territory of our territory by our clan. Our traditional structures of governance continue to dictate the proper use of and access to our lands and water.

Today all of our Wet’suwet’en territory, including Unist’ot’en territory, is unceded Aboriginal territory. Our traditional indigenous legal systems remain intact and continue to govern our people and our lands. We recognize the authority of these systems.

The Wet’suwet’en Hereditary Chiefs have maintained their use and occupancy of their lands and hereditary governance system. Wet’suwet’en Hereditary Chiefs are the Title Holders and maintain the authority and jurisdiction to make decisions on unceded lands. The 22,000 square km of Wet’suwet’en Territory is divided into 5 clans and 13 house groups. Each clan within the Wet’suwet’en Nation has full jurisdiction under their law to control access to their territory."