The Cause of Violence: How Government Policy Creates Conflict on Wet’suwet’en Territory
You can see the media machine at work right now.
There is a crisis unfolding on Wet’suwet’en territory, and yet much of the coverage frames the Wet’suwet’en people as if they are acting unlawfully. That framing is not neutral—it’s manufactured. It’s the result of a long-standing system where violence is not random or reactionary—it is the predictable outcome of government policy.
Make no mistake: the issue lies squarely with the British Columbia government and its public policy toward Indigenous peoples. This isn’t a misunderstanding or a bureaucratic mix-up. It’s a pattern. It’s systemic. That’s why I contacted the National NDP, and they responded with clarity and urgency—because they recognize what this is.
Below is a diagram based on extensive research showing how public policies disproportionately harm racial minorities. These are not abstract theories. They are patterns of governance that—when applied to Indigenous communities—consistently lead to dispossession, criminalization, and confrontation.
Policy Is the Root of the Violence
At the heart of this situation is a legal and ethical failure: the courts themselves. Specifically, the BC Supreme Court and Justice Marguerite Church have issued injunctions that appear to sidestep not only federal Supreme Court precedent, but international human rights law. This judicial failure gives cover to police raids and corporate expansion into unceded territory.
Let’s be direct:
- UNDRIP (the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples) has been adopted by Canada.
- Supreme Court rulings like Delgamuukw and Tsilhqot’in affirm the existence and authority of Indigenous legal systems.
- The United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) has explicitly condemned Canada’s actions on Wet’suwet’en territory.
UN Decision: CERD Decision 1 (100), December 2019
The Committee, at its 100th session, stated:
Concerned by the refusal to consider free, prior and informed consent as a requirement for large-scale development projects that may cause irreparable harm to Indigenous rights, culture, lands, and way of life.
Disturbed by forced removal, disproportionate use of force, harassment, and intimidation by law enforcement officials against Indigenous peoples who peacefully oppose such projects.
Alarmed by the violent arrest and detainment of land defenders, including those opposing the Coastal GasLink pipeline on Wet’suwet’en territory.
Calls upon the State party (Canada):
- To immediately halt construction of the Coastal GasLink pipeline and suspend all permits until free, prior and informed consent is obtained from the Wet’suwet’en people.
- To cease forced evictions of Wet’suwet’en and Secwepemc peoples.
- To withdraw the RCMP and associated security forces from traditional lands.
- To prohibit the use of lethal force by the RCMP against Indigenous peoples.
- To freeze all future approvals of large-scale development projects that lack full consent from affected Indigenous nations.
- To incorporate free, prior and informed consent into domestic legislation in consultation with Indigenous peoples.
- To seek technical guidance from the UN Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
(Full text adopted at the 2801st meeting, 13 December 2019)
What I’m Doing
As of now, I’m operating in a journalistic capacity. I’ve reviewed the Canadian standards for what constitutes a journalistic organization, and Wolves of the West Inc. qualifies. Whether or not this reaches a wide audience, I intend to document and publish everything I uncover.
And so far, it’s not looking good for the RCMP—or for the bureaucrats quietly authorizing this campaign behind the scenes.
Deleted Evidence
One example of how this story is being actively erased is the now-deleted tweet from Gidimt’en Checkpoint:
“#RCMP violently raided Coyote Camp on unceded Gidimt’en territory, Nov 19, 2021, removing #Wetsuweten women from their land at gunpoint on behalf of TC Energy’s proposed Coastal GasLink pipeline. #ShutDownCanada #AllOutForWedzinKwa #WetsuwetenStrong”
— Gidimt’en Checkpoint, Nov 24, 2021
Conclusion
This conflict is not about a pipeline. It’s not about protest. It’s not about law and order.
It’s about state policy producing violence.
The Wet’suwet’en are not breaking the law. They are upholding their law—on their land—with full backing from the highest courts in Canada and international human rights bodies. The ones acting unlawfully are the institutions: the pipeline corporations, the RCMP, and the provincial courts issuing illegal enforcement authority.
And every time we let policy go unchallenged, the system that produces this violence grows stronger.
==== Decision ====
COMMITTEE ON THE ELIMINATION OF RACIAL DISCRIMINATION
Hundredth session
25 November -13 December 2019
ADVANCE UNEDITED VERSION
PREVENTION OF RACIAL DISCRIMINATION, INCLUDING EARLY WARNING AND URGENT ACTION PROCEDURE
Decision 1 (100)
The Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, meeting in Geneva at its hundredth session, from 25 November 2019 to 13 December 2019,
Acting under its Early Warning and Urgent Action Procedure;
Concerned by the refusal to consider free, prior and informed consent as a requirement for any measure, such as large-scale development projects, that may cause irreparable harm to indigenous peoples rights, culture, lands, territories and way of life;
Concerned by the continuation of construction of the Site C dam and the approval of the Trans Mountain Pipeline Extension project without free, prior and informed consent by all the indigenous peoples affected;
Concerned by the approval of new large-scale development projects on indigenous peoples traditional lands and territories without the free, prior and informed consent of affected indigenous peoples, such as the Coastal Gas Link pipeline in the territory of the We’suwet’en people;
Disturbed by forced removal, disproportionate use of force, harassment and intimidation by law enforcement officials against indigenous peoples who peacefully oppose large-scale development projects on their traditional territories;
Alarmed by escalating threat of violence against indigenous peoples, such as the reported violent arrest and detainment of a Secwepemc defender against the Trans Mountain Pipeline Expansion project, on 19th October 2019;
Recalling its previous concluding observations of 2017 on Canada (CERD/C/CAN/CO/21-23) and its general recommendation No. 23 (1997) on the rights of indigenous peoples, the Committee:
Calls upon the State party to immediately cease construction of the Trans Mountain Pipeline Expansion project and cancel all permits, until free, prior and informed consent is obtained
from all the Secwepemc people, following the full and adequate discharge of the duty to consult;
Calls upon the State party to immediately suspend the construction of the Site C dam, until free, prior and informed consent is obtained from West Moberly and Prophet River Nations, following the full and adequate discharge of the duty to consult;
Calls upon the State party to immediately halt the construction and suspend all permits and approvals for the construction of the Coastal Gas Link pipeline in the traditional and unceded lands and territories of the Wet’suwet’en people, until they grant their free, prior and informed consent, following the full and adequate discharge of the duty to consult;
Recommends that the State party establish, in consultation with indigenous peoples, a legal and institutional framework to ensure adequate consultation with the view to obtain free, prior and informed consent regarding all legislation affecting indigenous peoples;
Urges the State party to take the necessary steps to incorporate free, prior and informed consent in domestic legislation, in consultation with indigenous peoples, in compliance with international human rights obligations and jurisprudence, taking into account the Committee’s general recommendation No. 23 on the rights of indigenous peoples;
Urges the State party to freeze present and future approval of large-scale development projects affecting indigenous peoples that do not enjoy free, prior and informed consent from all indigenous peoples affected;
Urges the State party to immediately cease forced eviction of Secwepemc and Wet’suwet’en peoples;
Urges the State party to guarantee that no force will be used against Secwepemc and Wet’suwet’en peoples and that the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and associated security and policing services will be withdrawn from their traditional lands;
Also urges the State party to prohibit the use of lethal weapons, notably by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, against indigenous peoples;
Encourages the State party to seek technical advice from the United Nations Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
2801st Meeting 13 December 2019
