Nurses Call for Meaningful Dialogue With Wet'suwet'en Nation

On behalf of over 48,000 nurses and health-care workers, the British Columbia Nurses' Union adds its voice to those of many organizations and individuals across the province and country in urging all levels of government to fully uphold the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) and seek a peaceful resolution to the conflict regarding construction of the Coastal GasLink pipeline through traditional, unceded Wet'suwet'en territory.

BCNU is committed to a process of truth and reconciliation with Indigenous peoples. We recognize that genuine reconciliation is premised on a recognition of past and present injustices, and going forward, all levels of government must ensure "free, prior and informed consent before adopting and implementing legislative or administrative measures" (UNDRIP, Article 32) that affect Indigenous communities.

The continued enforcement of an exclusion zone that denies the Wet'suwet'en people access to their territories and that prevents media from providing transparent coverage of events threatens to thwart progress towards reconciliation.

BCNU urges governments to uphold their shared commitment to Indigenous rights and meaningfully consult with the Wet'suwet'en Hereditary Chiefs and members of the Wet'suwet'en nation on the basis of Wet'suwet'en law, UNDRIP, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's calls to action and all relevant Canadian jurisprudence.