First Nations unity on pipe resistance a myth

To read the coverage from B.C., you’d think the centre of the world is a protest camp in Burnaby.

Everything is certainly getting hotter and more ominous, like a thunderstorm waiting to break.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau didn’t have much of substance to say about this escalating crisis on Tuesday. As usual, he takes no sides, just urges people to feel good and get along. His main point — absolutely correct — was that none of his critics would believe anything he said about a pipeline deal anyway. Only action will do it.

That has to come by May 31, Kinder Morgan’s deadline, unless the company chooses to extend its cut-off date for staying or leaving. (On Wednesday, federal Finance Minister Bill Morneau said if the pipeline’s operator loses money because B.C. Premier John Horgan’s actions create opposition to construction, Ottawa will give them that money back).

Meanwhile, the anger and division among B.C. First Nations grows along with the general unease. The many bands in the province seem as divided and diverse as Canada itself.

Here’s a striking case that shows how wrenching this dispute is for Indigenous leaders. Chief Judy Wilson, of the Neskonlith Indian Band of the Secwepemc Nation, went to Houston recently to tell Kinder Morgan’s annual general meeting of her opposition.

The reporting out of that suggested that the nation was against the pipeline. But Kinder Morgan says all the Secwepemc bands whose land is crossed by the expansion have signed agreements with the company.

Judy Wilson’s band does not have a deal because the pipeline does not infringe on its lands. Not that Wilson would agree under any circumstances. She says her opposition is based on First Nations rights.

The Secwepemc Nation’s territory stretches from Invermere to Williams Lake. Expecting its Indigenous inhabitants to agree is like dreaming that Horgan and Rachel Notley will get along.

Kinder Morgan insists that far beyond Secwepemc territory, mutual benefit agreements worth $400 million have been struck with 43 bands along the whole route from Hardisty to the Lower Mainland.

Chief Fred Seymour expressed his agreement — somewhat warily — when one of the Secwepemc agreements was announced:

“The outcome that we reached in the Mutual Benefit Agreement involved a collaborative process, always keeping our members’ interests at the forefront, resulting in training, employment and contract opportunities for ... members,” he said.

Seymour noted there were long-standing grievances with the original pipeline, which dates to 1953. The new deal made it possible to resolve those.

Michael LeBourdais, another Secwepemc Nation chief, said in a Globe and Mail article that negotiating a deal with Kinder Morgan actually allowed the band to re-establish firm jurisdiction. “We negotiated a resolution we hoped would provide benefits to our children, grandchildren, elders and community.

“We provided multiple opportunities for community input during the negotiations. Our community voted unanimously in favour of the agreement ...”

Some First Nations leaders who have signed deals get very annoyed when other Indigenous groups call them sellouts. Simpcw First Nation Chief Nathan Matthew warns off all the critics. “No other nation or organization (First Nation or environmental) has the authority to speak on Simpcw’s behalf,” he told the Clearwater Times.

A councillor, Don Matthew, warned of lost opportunities if the project dies. “We have dedicated time and resources towards this project and there would be a negative impact if this project were to go away.”

Simpcw is also vast, embracing Wells Gray Provincial Park, Jasper National Park and reaching nearly to Grande Cache in Alberta.

Dealing with all this has been enormously complicated for Kinder Morgan. Transit had to be negotiated with rights holders across 2,820 parcels of private and Crown land. Kinder Morgan says 95 per cent of those are nailed down, and there’s progress on the rest. Today it all hangs by a thread.

But one fact does emerge: The popular image of united First Nations resistance is entirely mythical.