By What Right Does Canada and Its Gendarmerie Invade Wet’suwet’en Territory?
People need to see what the government of Canada is doing!
Global Research, February 09, 2020
In the nineteenth century, Gilbert Sproat, a
colonial official, wrote an account of his time among the Nuu Chah Nulth
people on the west coast of Vancouver Island. He noted that the
original inhabitants have “known every inch of the west coast for
thousands of years.”1
Despite this acknowledgment of long-term habitation, the mindset of settler-colonialists toward the Original Peoples was condescending. This comes across clearly in a conversation between Sproat and a Tseshaht chief:
Chief: “We see your ships, and hear things that makes our hearts grow faint. They say that more King-George-men will soon be here, and take our land, our firewood, our fishing grounds; that we shall be placed on a little spot, and shall have to do everything according to the fancies of the King-George-men.”
Sproat: “… [I]t is true that more King-George-men (as they call the English) are coming: they will soon be here. But your land will be bought at a fair price.”
Chief: “We do not wish to sell our land nor our water; let your friends stay in their own country.”
Sproat: “My great chief, the high chief of the King-George-men, seeing that you do not work your land, orders that you shall sell it. The land is of no use to you…. The white man will give you work and buy your fish and oil.”
Chief: “Ah, but we don’t care do to as the white men wish.”
Sproat: “Whether or not, … The white men will come. All your people know that they are your superiors…”
Chief: “We do not want the white man. He will steal what we have. We wish to live as we are.”2
Sproat was fine by the outcome. He and other settler-colonialists
often talked about our rights as strangers to take possession of the district [of Alberni]. The right of boná fidepurchase we had, for I had bought the land from the Government, and had purchased it a second time from the natives. Nevertheless, as the Indians denied all knowledge of the colonial authorities at Victoria, and had sold the country to us, perhaps, under fear of loaded cannon pointed towards the village, it was evident that we had taken forceful possession of the district.3In a paean to white supremacism,4 Kleecoot, a large lake on Vancouver Island,5 was renamed in Sproat’s honor.
This colonial past points to widespread racism and an egregious moral mindset of white ancestors. This belongs to the distant past. Or does it?
Plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose
A 7 February email from the Unist’ot’en Solidarity Brigade headlines with: “RCMP Have raided the Gidemt’en Checkpoint with Helicopters, Snipers, Police Dogs, and Tactical teams.”
The invasion was carried out by heavily armed RCMP despite the Wet’suwet’en having made it clear that they are unarmed and peaceful.
Read more & videos
Despite this acknowledgment of long-term habitation, the mindset of settler-colonialists toward the Original Peoples was condescending. This comes across clearly in a conversation between Sproat and a Tseshaht chief:
Chief: “We see your ships, and hear things that makes our hearts grow faint. They say that more King-George-men will soon be here, and take our land, our firewood, our fishing grounds; that we shall be placed on a little spot, and shall have to do everything according to the fancies of the King-George-men.”
Sproat: “… [I]t is true that more King-George-men (as they call the English) are coming: they will soon be here. But your land will be bought at a fair price.”
Chief: “We do not wish to sell our land nor our water; let your friends stay in their own country.”
Sproat: “My great chief, the high chief of the King-George-men, seeing that you do not work your land, orders that you shall sell it. The land is of no use to you…. The white man will give you work and buy your fish and oil.”
Chief: “Ah, but we don’t care do to as the white men wish.”
Sproat: “Whether or not, … The white men will come. All your people know that they are your superiors…”
Chief: “We do not want the white man. He will steal what we have. We wish to live as we are.”2
Sproat was fine by the outcome. He and other settler-colonialists
often talked about our rights as strangers to take possession of the district [of Alberni]. The right of boná fidepurchase we had, for I had bought the land from the Government, and had purchased it a second time from the natives. Nevertheless, as the Indians denied all knowledge of the colonial authorities at Victoria, and had sold the country to us, perhaps, under fear of loaded cannon pointed towards the village, it was evident that we had taken forceful possession of the district.3In a paean to white supremacism,4 Kleecoot, a large lake on Vancouver Island,5 was renamed in Sproat’s honor.
This colonial past points to widespread racism and an egregious moral mindset of white ancestors. This belongs to the distant past. Or does it?
Plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose
A 7 February email from the Unist’ot’en Solidarity Brigade headlines with: “RCMP Have raided the Gidemt’en Checkpoint with Helicopters, Snipers, Police Dogs, and Tactical teams.”
The invasion was carried out by heavily armed RCMP despite the Wet’suwet’en having made it clear that they are unarmed and peaceful.
Read more & videos
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