It only takes one person with a bad attitude and a short fuse to turn a peaceful protest and road closure into a tense situation, and that’s who Tseshaht members met this morning at the Gracie Main and Sterling Main Juncture.
Tseshaht members are closing the road to industrial traffic to prevent timber resources from being removed from the territory. They want British Columbia Timber Sales to come to the table with a promised cedar inventory and to work with the nation on a cedar management strategy.
This morning, as people were seated around the fire, they talked about the long struggle to protect Indigenous rights and title, and the experiences they’ve had with direct action. There are many role models from the Nuu-chah-nulth communities who have inspired involvement in Indigenous rights protests. And the knowledge runs deep in many around the fire, dating back to the Red Power movement.
The first truck that was stopped was waved through after it was established it was a repair crew working on Uchucklesaht property and not involved in a logging endeavor. The second truck, however, had markings on it identifying it as a timber company-owned vehicle, the box was loaded with Jerry cans, and the occupants seemed hostile from the get-go.
When Ha-Shilth-Sa pointed a camera in the direction of the vehicle, the situation escalated with a woman passenger becoming very agitated, threatening some kind of action, though not specifying what. The male driver got out of the truck and came around the front of it taking his own pictures with his cell phone. A child and a dog were in the back seat.
Anne Robinson and Keith Hunter, who were onsite with the protesters, talked with the people for some time, explaining what Tseshaht’s concerns are with BCTS and that the group understood that logging companies were caught in the middle. The occupants of the vehicle said they had known about the road closure since Thursday, having had no work since that time. It was determined that the occupants were out on a personal family outing and the vehicle was eventually allowed to pass.
But the encounter seems to underline the risk to the protesters at the site. However much they wish to remain peaceful, it will very much depend on what’s in the hearts of those traveling through on how any given day will go.
BCTS will be meeting with the Tseshahts on Monday afternoon to hear the members’ position. Tseshaht vows to carry on the road closure until there is an agreement on paper to deal with their concerns.
Updated Oct. 20, 2014
Updated Oct. 7, 2014: http://www.hashilthsa.com/news/2014-10-07/tseshaht-meeting-bcts-went-exp...
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