Wet'suwet'en elected chiefs pull out of pipeline agreement one day after hereditary chiefs back it

Elected chiefs of the Wet'suwet'en Nation have decided not to sign the deal allowing a natural gas pipeline to be built through their territory one day after the hereditary chiefs get behind the agreement, according to the National Post.

The Wet'suwet'en Nations elected chiefs are not in support of the memorandum that has been proposed to come to an understanding on rights and title with both the BC and federal government.

The hereditary chiefs announced Thursday that they would be signing the memorandum in a joint statement.

Most of the elected band councils are for the Coastal GasLink pipeline while the hereditary chiefs have been against it.

In February, blockades and other demonstrations in protest of the 670-kilometre pipeline through northern BC took a toll on the national economy, shutting down large parts of it by cutting off transportation.

The memorandum details have yet to be released but both the government and the hereditary chiefs say it includes the First Nation’s rights and title.

In a statement, the elected chiefs said that the memorandum process “lacked any semblance of credibility,” and they want the hereditary chiefs to withdraw what they call a “premature” announcement.

Work on the pipeline continued after the memorandum was reached in February following many separate discussions in Smithers, BC. The memorandum is said to address a wider range of land claims than just the pipeline though details have not been released.