By: Clayton Thomas-Muller 

(Photo by Ian Williams)

Deep in the interior of British Columbia, exists the territory of Secwepemul’ecw. It is the largest unceded indigenous land holding that the Kinder Morgan pipeline expansion project is proposed to pass through, covering up to 518 km of the pipeline route. Prior to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s unilateral approval of the Trans Mountain pipeline, both the federal and (now former) Liberal provincial governments failed to consult with the Secwepemc as the proper title and rights holders collectively, so, grassroots members of the unceded Secwepemc Nation took matters into their own hands.

At an emergency national assembly in June 2017, organized by the surviving kin of the late Secwepemc Chief Arthur Manuel leadership, women, youth and elders discussed needs to uphold the protection of their traditional territory. A plan called ‘Tiny House Warriors: Our Land is Home’ was born. And, this week, that plan has been put into motion to stop the Kinder Morgan TransMountain pipeline from crossing unceded Secwepemc Territory.

Construction of the first of ten tiny homes started earlier this week near where the national Secwepec assembly took place. Upon completion, these tiny homes will be placed strategically along pipeline’s path, an assertion of Secwepemc Law and jurisdiction to protect the land and water of their territory.

You can find more information on the Tiny House Warriors Facebook page and by following the #TinyHousewarriors hashtag on other social media.

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