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	Canada: Kinder Morgan leaves Burnaby Mountain in win for pipeline protesters an article by Kate Aronoff, Waging Nonviolence reprinted courtesy of a Creative Commons license (slightly abridged) On the morning of November 28, after weeks of sustained protest, energy infrastructure company Kinder Morgan packed up the equipment it had planned to use in the construction of a new pipeline on Burnaby Mountain in British Columbia, and left without finishing the job. Protesters rally against the proposed Kinder Morgan oil pipeline on Burnaby Mountain in British Columbia on November 17. (Flickr / Mark Klotz) click on photo to enlarge Weeks earlier, the company had legally declared a “no protest zone” — valid through December 1 — to keep protesters away from the mountainside construction sites on the grounds that their presence would present a safety hazard and undue expenses. When that wasn’t enough, they filed an application with the British Columbia Supreme Court to extend the injunction for another two weeks. But the court rejected their application, when it was revealed that Kinder Morgan had provided the wrong GPS coordinates for the injunction zone. As a result, charges were also lifted from the over 100 people arrested for civil contempt due to a lack of clarity around where they could and could not be on the mountain. Most importantly, the ruling means that Kinder Morgan can no longer continue construction on the site, as it has no legal grounds to do so. According to Reuters, the project would have more than tripled the volume of the existing Trans Mountain pipeline, which transports an estimated 300,000 barrels of tar sands oil daily through Alberta and British Columbia. . . Protests were attended by local residents, students, environmental groups and indigenous advocates, who took on a lead role in the anti- pipeline organizing. The land on which Kinder Morgan intended to build the expansion is the unceded traditional territory of the Tseil-Waututh, Musqueam, Sto:lo and Squamish Nations. Tseil- Waututh representatives have filed a legal challenge with Canada’s Federal Court of Appeals. Building the pipeline would also run directly counter to a recent U.N. report stating that companies need explicit consent from Canada’s First Nations before beginning construction, even as First Nations’ land rights are enshrined in the country’s constitution. Sut-Lut, a Squamish Nation elder who kept a fire burning throughout the protests, told a local paper, “This isn’t a First Nations issue, it’s not a Burnaby resident problem only, it’s a people problem, and it’s about our survival. We have one Earth, and unless this government is hiding another healthy Earth somewhere, we need to take care of the one we’ve got, and it’s now, it’s now we have to step up.” Activists took part in a festival commemorating the court’s decision on Burnaby Mountain this past weekend, including workshops, dance performances, parties and speak-outs. Celebrating the victory, veteran organizer Valerie Langer explained to the Vancouver Observer that “This is just one battle, and there are still a lot of battles to come.” Oil companies TransCanada and Enbridge are each seeking to build or expand oil pipelines through other parts of Canada. Thursday’s ruling represents a turning point for anti-extraction fights across North America. Combined with recent victories against the Keystone XL and Energy East pipelines, fossil fuel companies can expect more “challenging times” in the months and years to come.		DISCUSSION Question(s) related to this article: Indigenous peoples, Are they the true guardians of nature? * * * * * Latest reader comment: This discussion question applies to the following articles: Indígenas del Cauca: “Somos pueblos de cultura de paz” Colombia: The Indigenous of Cauca: "We are a people with a culture of peace" Unidos, Jamas Seremos Vencidos: La Victoria de de Guatemala En Contra de Monsanto United, We Will Never Be Defeated: Guatemala’s Victory Over Monsanto Confederación Campesina del Perú presente en marcha de Cumbre de Pueblos People's Summit in Peru: “The Earth is burning, let´s change the system!” Canada: Kinder Morgan leaves Burnaby Mountain in win for pipeline protesters Los indígenas de Brasil consiguen una victoria territorial a escala nacional Brazilian Indians secure nationwide land victory Mining interests in Guatemala challenged by indigenous direct democracy Mayan People’s Movement Defeats Monsanto Law in Guatemala Terrace Farming – an Ancient Indigenous Model for Food Security Indigenous Elders Send Stern Message to UN Paris Delegates: Preventing 2°C Is Not Nearly Enough On remote Philippine island, female forest rangers are a force to be reckoned with USA: Standoff at Standing Rock: Even Attack Dogs Can’t Stop the Native American Resistance Le Congrès de l’UICN stimule les droits des peuples autochtones El Congreso de la UICN refuerza el apoyo a los derechos de los pueblos indígenas IUCN Congress boosts support for Indigenous peoples’ rights USA: Update from Standing Rock Colombia: When indigenous knowledge heals and prevents the wounds of war 16 Days of Activism: Meet Anne Marie Sam, Canada 16 Days of Activism: Meet Bertha Zúñiga Cáceres, Honduras For more recent articles, click here
This report was posted on January 2, 2015.