RCMP handcuff unconscious Pacheedaht land defender at Fairy Creek blockade against logging on unceded lands

Still from video by journalist Brandi Morin.

On October 18, Brandi Morin tweeted: “Indigenous land defenders arrested at #FairyCreekBlockade including Pacheedaht land defender Whale Tale removed from her own territories. At one point it was unknown as to whether she was breathing after arrest.”

A little over an hour later Morin tweeted: “Whaletale was put in the back of a police truck and I’m told she will be processed at either Duncan or Lake Cowichan. Unknown the status of her health at the moment but she was breathing when she was put in the truck.”

And then several hours after that Morin (was thankfully able to) tweet: “I’m told Whaletale is released and doing fine.”

The RCMP update notes that 6 individuals were arrested, but does not mention the arrest and removal of an unconscious Indigenous land defender from her territory.

Timeline of land defence struggle

Forest defenders set up road blockades in August 2020 to stop the logging company Teal-Jones from cutting old growth forest on Pacheedaht and Dididaht territories on Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada.

On April 1, 2021, British Columbia Supreme Court Justice Frits Verhoeven granted Teal-Jones an injunction that prohibited these roadblocks.

The RCMP began enforcing the injunction on May 17. By June 4, more than 170 people had been arrested. As of September 17, the RCMP had arrested 1,043 people.

On September 28, B.C. Supreme Court Justice Douglas Thompson chose not to extend the injunction. He ruled: “[The] methods of enforcement of the court’s order have led to serious and substantial infringement of civil liberties.”

But by October 8, B.C. Court of Appeal Justice Sunni Stromberg-Stein reinstated the injunction citing the economic interests of the logging company.

Ongoing struggle

For updates on this ongoing land defence struggle, follow Brandi Morin on Twitter and search the hashtag #FairyCreekBlockade.

A Defence of Indigenous Land BIPOC fund -Fairy Creek has been established “to support Indigenous land defenders in whatever ways are needed to support their frontline work.” To date, it has raised more than $164,000.