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After an initial effort to arrest protesters, the RCMP have withdrawn their actions to clear blockades on Wet’suwet’en territory in British Columbia. The new strategy comes as protests sympathetic to the Wet’suwet’en hereditary chiefs ignited elsewhere in Canada, including a blockade of rail traffic in Ontario by members of a Mohawk tribe that has severely disrupted commerce throughout the country. At the heart of the conflict is construction of the Costal GasLink pipeline, which has support from elected Wet’suwet’en tribal leaders, but not the hereditary chiefs. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is facing pressure from conservative members of Parliament to use force to facilitate pipeline construction, while liberal elected leaders are urging a solution through dialogue. We’ll get an update on the situation and hear from those who have a stake in the ongoing conflict.
Guests:
Dan George (Burns Lake Band) – elected chief of the Burns Lake Band
Dr. Jeff Corntassel (Cherokee Nation) – associate professor of Indigenous Studies and acting director of the Centre for Indigenous Research and Community-Led Engagement at the University of Victoria
Kolin Sutherland-Wilson (Gitxsan) – spokesperson for Indigenous youth for Wet’suwet’en
Break 1 music: Smokedance remix (single) Eastern Sky Ambassadors (artist)
Break 2 music: Smoke Dance One (feat. Frazer Sundown) (song) DJ Shub (artist) PowWowStep EP (album)
