The Wet’suwet’en Elected Chiefs are calling on Federal Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations Carolyn Bennett to resign.
In addition, they are also requesting she reject the current Memorandum of Understanding on Right and Title (MOU).
The Elected Chiefs are calling the consultation process ‘flawed and incomplete.’
In a statement, they allege the nations conducted separate phone meetings with Minister Bennett and B.C. Minister of Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation Scott Fraser.
According to the Chiefs, the process so far has been ‘completely unacceptable and disrespectful to their people.’
They also claimed the Elected Chiefs did not get a copy of the MOU.
“Aboriginal rights and title are the collective rights of all Wet’suwet’en people; they are not held only by Hereditary Chiefs and they cannot be defined or compromised by the small hand-picked group the government is dealing with,” the statement said.
Last week, the Elected Chiefs released a statement saying all of the clans were not consulted on the MOU despite the joint statement by the Hereditary Chiefs and senior ministers arguing otherwise.
Last Thursday (May 7) the Elected Chiefs and the Hereditary Chiefs participated in a virtual meeting that spanned six hours.
The Elected Chiefs argue they were treated improperly and were not adequately informed of the proceedings that have taken place to date.
“To ignore their clan members and Elected Councils, something is terribly amiss. They do not represent us, and they have no legal authority to negotiate or sign any documents on behalf of our clans or our members without a mandate,”
Today (May 12), The Wet’suwet’en Hereditary Chiefs posted a letter that was sent to Chief Luggi and other Chief councillors.
In the letter, the Hereditary Chiefs said Elected Councillors did not get a copy of the MOU to ensure it wasn’t prematurely leaked to the media, claiming the MOU was delivered to the Elected Chiefs on May 7.
The Hereditary Chiefs responded to the Elected Chiefs to delay the signing of the MOU.
“For us to delay for an indefinite time the signing of the MOU will be for us to ignore all of the Wet’suwet’en who have participated and carefully considered the MOU and directed us to move forward with the MOU.”
The MOU was agreed between the Hereditary Chiefs and senior ministers back in February, during three days of talks in Smithers.
The Wet’suwet’en Hereditary Chiefs have invited Ministers Bennett and Fraser to sign the MOU on Thursday (May 14).
-With files from Catherine Garrett, MyPGNow