Video still: Wet’suwet’en land defender Sleydo’ addresses the IACHR virtual hearing, July 10, 2023.
On July 10, 2023, Wet’suwet’en Hereditary Chief Na’Moks and Sleydo’, Wing Chief of the Cas Yikh House (Grizzly Bear House), Gidimt’en Clan, presented at a virtual hearing of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR).
The video of their presentation can be seen on YouTube.
PBI-Canada watched that virtual hearing.
Sleydo’ told the hearing: “In 2021 I was occupying a tiny house alongside the road to [Coastal GasLink] CGL’s proposed drill site when we were surrounded by militarized police [from the C-IRG] in green fatigues with assault rifles who were dropped out of helicopters all around us. They cut the internet, trained their snipers on us from behind buildings and heavy machinery and used an axe and then a chainsaw to illegally break down the door without an arrest or search warrant.”
Video: “Dramatic Video Shows Militarized Canadian Police Raid Wet’suwet’en Land Defenders & Journalists” on November 19, 2021 (Democracy Now!).
At the hearing, Hugh Adsett, Canada’s Ambassador to the Organization of American States, commented: “My goal in participating today is primarily to gain a better understanding of the petitioners’ concerns and provide some general and initial context that may help inform the commission’s own analysis.”
IACHR Commissioner Carlos Bernal Pulido told the hearing: “It is disappointing that the state did not prepare a full response to the allegations.”
The IACHR summary of that public hearing can be read here.
That summary notes: “The State said that it was committed to working with all parties and to providing the IACHR with more information. The IACHR thanked the State and civil society for their presence, requested information on how the Principle of Free and Informed Consent is applied, and highlighted the facilitating role that the IACHR could play in spaces for dialogue.”
Status of petition
There does not appear to be any further public posts about the IACHR petition, specifically from Canada on how the principle of free, prior and informed consent is applied.
CRCC systemic investigation
The next moment may be when the Civilian Review and Complaint Commission (CRCC) releases its “systemic investigation” into the conduct of the RCMP Community-Industry Response Group.
The terms of reference for that investigation notes:
“Where appropriate, the systemic investigation will also identify the extent to which C-IRG’s operations and actions meet, reflect, consider or are consistent with the standards and expectations set by Bill C‑15, An Act respecting the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, the British Columbia Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (DRIPA) and the calls for justice from the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls Inquiry (MMIWG).”
DRIPA references the principle of free, prior and informed consent noted by the IACHR in its hearing summary.
It is expected that the CRCC report will be released next month.
PBI-Canada remains attentive to the findings and recommendations of this report. We intend to convene a webinar at that time to hear reactions and comments from land defenders and policy analysts about the report.
Further reading
–MEDIA ADVISORY: Wet’suwet’en Nation hearing at Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (Amnesty International, July 4, 2023)
–Wet’suwet’en leaders highlight RCMP C-IRG violence in presentation to Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (PBI-Canada, July 19, 2023).
