[BCFSN] FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Upstream Opposition to KM Pipeline Growing

[Dawn Morrison]

Tuesday April 17, 2018

*FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE*


*Upstream opposition to KM pipeline growing*


KAMLOOPS (SECWEPEMC TERRITORY) – Indigenous peoples living upstream from
Kinder Morgan’s Burnaby pipeline terminal say their very existence is
already under threat from the massive expansion project.


Working Group on Indigenous Food Sovereignty spokeswoman Dawn Morrison says
proceeding without prior and informed consent is illegal and has increased
the risk and uncertainty the bitumen pipeline poses. She says pipeline
opposition is growing and the group is co-hosting a family friendly Picnics
Not Pipelines educational event in Kamloops on Sunday, April 22.


The Working Group says that while much of the focus has been on the very
real risks to the Salish Sea, Kinder Morgan’s pipeline project has already
negatively impacted rivers and salmon habitat upstream, as well as the
social and economic well being of Indigenous food economies. Anti-spawning
mats placed in streams by Kinder Morgan have been removed by activists
concerned about the threat of reducing the numbers of wild salmon, a
cultural and ecological keystone species who are already seriously
endangered.


“We see people rising up in strength and resiliency to stop and prevent any
further damage to our rivers, oceans, lands and dignity in the traditional
territories where we have been the title holders and stewards for thousands
of years,” says Morrison.


Morrison says financial promises made by Kinder Morgan to some band
councils in the region “do not represent the whole Secwepemc Nation or the
nations downstream who have always shared and protected the entire Fraser
Basin watershed through inter-tribal networks.”


The food sovereignty advocacy group calls the failure to include Indigenous
representatives at Sunday’s meeting between Prime Minister Justin Trudeau
and the premiers of Alberta and BC “a continuation of the historical
injustice of blocking Indigenous peoples from the very decisions that
impact them.” It adds that threats of military or economic oppression
towards Indigenous peoples will only further inflame racist tension and
ignorance.


“The wild salmon provide a powerful metaphor for working in unity to
overcome adversity in the struggle to protect and maintain the health and
integrity of our lands and waterways,” says Morrison. “Indigenous peoples
are rising and reinforcing their vital role in conserving the biodiversity
and cultural heritage of humanity - we are connected to a global movement
of 200 million small-scale farmers, fishers and Indigenous peoples who are
mobilizing under the banner of food sovereignty.”

-30-


Media Contact: Dawn Morrison, 778.879.5106, *dmo6842 at gmail.com
<dmo6842 at gmail.com>*

Event: Picnics NOT Pipelines

Date: Sunday, April 22 11 am – 5 pm

Location: Mission Flats Park, 2710 Mission Flats Rd., Kamloops, B.C.


#Foodnotoil #Cleanwater #Swimmingupstream



Dawn Morrison,


Working Group on Indigenous Food Sovereignty
C/O 555 East 55th Avenue
Vancouver, B.C, V5X 1N6
Mobile: 778.879.5106
Email: dmo6842 at gmail.com
Websites: www.indigenousfoodsystems.org
https://wildsalmoncaravan.wordpress.com/
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://bcfsn.org/pipermail/food_bcfsn.org/attachments/20180417/5c0fcc96/attachment.html>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: image.png
Type: image/png
Size: 25365 bytes
Desc: not available
URL: <http://bcfsn.org/pipermail/food_bcfsn.org/attachments/20180417/5c0fcc96/attachment.png>