The Unist鈥檕t鈥檈n Clan of Wet鈥檚uwet鈥檈n is standing firm after TransCanada鈥檚 Coastal GasLink received the green light to start construction of their pipeline.

READ MORE: LNG Canada gives green light to Kitimat export facility

Located south of Houston, their territory has become known as the Unitst鈥檕t鈥檈n camp, which has received the support of environmentalists who also oppose pipeline development.

READ MORE: An inside look into the Unist鈥檕t鈥檈n camp

鈥淥ur position is still the same,鈥� Unist鈥檕t鈥檈n camp spokesperson Freda Huson told Lakes District 亚洲天堂 last week. 鈥淲e鈥檙e not going to negotiate anything; that鈥檚 never what it was all about.鈥�

鈥淚t鈥檚 our way of life out here,鈥� she continued. 鈥淭heir project will impact the water that we drink, our medicine, our berries, and the track that they want to clear-cut will impact the moose.鈥�

鈥淢y hereditary chiefs have said no, and our answer is still no.鈥�

The Office of the Wet鈥檚uwet鈥檈n, which represents the hereditary chiefs, recently sent out a release re-affirming their opposition to the pipeline project.

鈥淭he territory 鈥� the Yin鈥檛ah, the land, the air, the water 鈥� that all belongs to the Wet鈥檚uwet鈥檈n people. We鈥檝e never ceded nor surrendered nor signed a treaty to give away any of that authority to anybody,鈥� stated head chief of the Tsayu Clan Din茂 ze鈥� Na鈥橫oks (John Ridsdale) in the release. 鈥淚f there are decisions to be made on our land, it is our decision and nobody else鈥檚.鈥�

The 1997 Delgamuukw-Gisday鈥檞a Supreme Court of Canada case recognized the hereditary chiefs system. The Supreme Court also ruled that 鈥渇ree prior and informed consent鈥� must be sought from title holders.

Huson said she counts on the support of environmentalists from all over the world to help protect their land.

鈥淥ur support system is still there; we have people from all over the world watching what our government and industry is doing,鈥� she said. 鈥淎 lot of people said they would come to support us if it came down to it鈥� if they try to bulldoze their way through, even though they don鈥檛 have consent.鈥�

According to Coastal GasLink, the company has and will continue to engage and work toward a mutually-agreeable resolution with parties that engage with them.

鈥淲e are focused on working collaboratively with the government of British Columbia and the leaders of the Wet鈥檚uwet鈥檈n people to resolve this issue,鈥� said Terry Cunha, a spokesperson for Coastal GasLink.

Meanwhile the First Nations LNG Alliance of B.C., a collective of First Nations who are supportive of LNG development, says the Coastal GasLink pipeline means 鈥渂ig and long-term benefits鈥� for First Nations.

鈥淚t means jobs and training and education and it means opportunities for First Nations businesses,鈥� said the alliance鈥檚 CEO, Karen Ogen-Toews, former chief of the Wet鈥檚uwet鈥檈n Nation. 鈥淎nd in the longer term it means lifetime careers, and steady, reliable, sources of revenue for First Nations and communities.鈥�

With a positive final investment decision for the Kitimat-based liquefied natural gas facility announced earlier this month, Coastal GasLink aims to begin construction of their 670-km pipeline from the Dawson Creek area to the west coast of B.C. in early 2019.

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