Piikani Nation is divided by Northback Money and Manipulation, say band members
“I will not stand by and watch another genocide be brought upon the people -- the Indigenous people again.· I am able to speak, and I will.” — Wynonna Smith
A small contingent of Piikani First Nation members requested time to address the Alberta Energy Regulator December 4 at a hearing in Pincher Creek. The purpose of the hearing was to hear testimony for and against a foreign coal speculator’s attempt to restart the regulatory process for its Grassy Mountain scheme, already definitively reject by the same panel in 2021. (The Alberta government of premier Danielle Smith ordered the AER to allow Northback Holdings a complete do-over.)
These Piikani citizens object to their tribal council’s acceptance of Northback money in exchange for its support. Naturally, Northback’s lawyers tried to block the Piikani testimony.
Here are selected excerpts from their unprepared remarks:
“My first name is Sitookitaapyaaki.· My second name, my Christian name, is Edna Little Mustache Fairbrother; and my government name is 1313.
“We’re having a foreign company come in here and tear up our lands, our traditional territories. That doesn't sit good with me. I still have to answer to my ancestors when I meet them, and if I let this go, I would have failed them.· And I will never fail my ·ancestors.”
. . .
“My name is Wynonna Smith.· I'm from the Piikani Nation in Browning, Montana,·Amskapi Piikani.”
. . .
“This is a public health risk to everyone downstream, to my home community, and everyone -- everywhere that the wind will blow coal dust to.· What Northback is trying to do is ecoterrorism, environmental terrorism.· This is not what Alberta should be permitting.”
. . .
“We were told that just recently Northback gave Piikani chief and council $3 million, of which 1.5 million will be distributed for this year's Christmas bonus or whatever distribution, however they want to word it, and 1.5 million will stay within the nine members which has been now reduced to six council members and one chief.· Our chief and the rest of the council members who are still there ousted two of our council members.· Why? Because they speak out.· Because they wanted to inform the members as to what was happening within our Nation.”
. . .
“And the woman who was behind this, Gina Rinehart, well, I looked into this woman to see what kind of a character she was, and I found out that she took her own two biological children’s inheritance.” Editors Note: True fact.
“So if she can take off with her own children's money, biological children’s money, what makes us believe that she's going to make us millionaires? And I say that in regards to Northback coming down to the Nation, speaking to our elders, who I sat with about two weeks ago, and our elders informed me that Northback promised them they will and we will become millionaires if we vote yes to this.”
. . .
“I will not stand by and watch another genocide be brought upon the people -- the Indigenous people again.· I am able to speak, and I will.”
. . .
“One more thing I need to say before I leave.· Our men respect us.· They don't sit there and look women up and down like that.· So please don't stare at me like that.”
Evidence of Fabian North Peigan
“There are many forms of life that cannot be·present today, that cannot speak for themselves, that cannot represent themselves. So it is my responsibility to represent in·a humble way those living beings that need to be seriously considered in this process.
“And those are of all the water mammals and all the water life; those vegetations that inherit the moisture and the clean runoff, the environment in and around what is the giver of life without water, we will die.· That doesn't need to be researched, nor does it need to be confirmed by science.”
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