On Saturday, July 7 2012 the Tsleil-Waututh Nationand Squamish Nation signed onto the Save the Fraser Declaration. In doing so, Tsleil-Waututh and Squamish joined more than 100 First Nations in asserting their own Indigenous Laws which effectively ban Tar Sands projects throughout their territories (See: First Nations from North, South and Interior stand against oil tankers and pipelines). The Save the Fraser Declaration represents a united voice of opposition towards Tar Sands projects which threaten the health of the Fraser River, its tributaries and the life it sustains.
These projects not only include the high profile Enbridge Pipeline and Tanker project, but also the quieter proposed expansion of the Kinder Morgan Trans Mountain pipeline which would more than double current oil tanker activity throughout the ocean migration routes of the Fraser River salmon and substantially increase the risk of an oil spill disaster.
The decision of the Tsleil-Waututh and Squamish Nations to sign the Declaration is particularly relevant for the Kinder Morgan pipeline and tanker traffic, since both Nations claim lands likely to be impacted by the project. Kinder Morgan’s Burnaby oil port is located within the traditional territory of the Tsleil-Waututh directly across from their home community on Burrard Inlet. MORE