Montreal artists stand with Wet’suwet’en Nation and for climate justice

In early 2020, pre-pandemic, global attention focused on the Indigenous people of the Wet’suwet’en Nation and the ongoing protests within their Indigenous territories around the imposition of the Coastal GasLink pipeline. #ShutDownCanada went global as the RCMP raided the Unist’ot’en Camp, an “Indigenous re-occupation of Wet’suwet’en land.” Images of Indigenous women with sacred drums, singing traditional songs, including Unist’ot’en Camp spokesperson Freda Huson, being dragged down by the RCMP on their traditional lands, sent a global alarm around the validity of the rhetoric of Justin Trudeau’s Liberal government around reconciliation with Indigenous peoples. 

Today, the Wet’suwet’en struggle for Indigenous land rights and sovereignty continues. Although not in the headlines, Wet’suwet’en activists maintain vigilance and sustained public opposition to the Coastal GasLink pipeline. 

Here in Tiohtià:ke/Montreal a group of artists worked this fall in collaboration with a local Wet’suwet’en climate justice activist and chief, Marlene Hale, who has been a local representative of this ongoing struggle. Marlene has worked tirelessly to support local protests in support of the Wet’suwet’en and has joined countless community protests for climate justice. Marlene was a main speaker at the Fridays for Future climate justice protest in Montreal with Greta Thunberg on Sept. 27, 2019.

In Sept. 2020, I worked with Marlene and a network of local artists to put together a letter to express ongoing support for the Wet’suwet’en Nation’s call for climate justice and Indigenous sovereignty. As climate scientists around the world continue to warn about the perils of runaway carbon emissions for our collective survival, now is the time to listen to the voices of Indigenous people who have been at the forefront of climate justice movements globally. Below is a joint letter that we launched at a community press conference on the back terrasse at Casa del Popolo with a network of local artists — 235 local artists have signed this letter (see their names below). 

Artists stand with Wet’suwet’en and for climate justice

No to colonial pipelines, yes to an economy and society based on Indigenous sovereignty.

Tiohtià:ke/Montreal

Today, as artists in this city, we collectively declare our support for Indigenous sovereignty movements, specifically the ongoing campaign by the Wet’suwet’en people for ancestral land rights and title. 

We are sharing this letter to express collective admiration and support for the active resistance of Wet’suwet’en people and the Unist’ot’en Clan against the colonial corporate oil and gas industry. 

Amidst an unfolding climate disaster facing all life, we support Indigenous voices fighting for self-determination, sovereignty and environmental justice. 

Global scientific consensus is clear and overwhelming. The Guardian recently reported that there is “near unanimity among climate scientists that human factors — car exhausts, factory chimneys, forest clearance and other sources of greenhouse gases –— are responsible for the exceptional level of global warming.”

Indigenous voices and communities are sounding the alarm and yet the Canadian government is undertaking a tiny fraction of what is needed to concretely address this reality. 

Rather than prioritize renewable energy and deeper systemic change, the Liberal government is building the new Trans Mountain Expansion Project (TMX) pipeline. It is also facilitating the growth of the oil and gas sector more broadly, including Tar Sands expansion and the Coastal GasLink pipeline.

As artists who support Indigenous sovereignty and climate justice, we are calling for the implementation of a Green New Deal of the North: a social and economic transformation that moves to eliminate fossil fuel use and redistribute wealth, while creating dignified livelihoods within a framework of Indigenous sovereignty. 

The choice between jobs on the one hand, and Indigenous self-determination and the environment on the other, is a false one. Millions of green jobs can be created by taxing corporations and the wealthy. It’s time for mass participation in efforts to build a society and an economy that are aligned with the sovereignty of Indigenous nations and planetary survival, an Indigenous project now ongoing for well over 400 years.

Artists in this city have often spoken to historical moments, and so at this critical time, we stand together to stand with Wet’suwet’en and for climate justice.

***

Artistes en solidarité avec Wet’suwet’en et pour la justice climatique.

Non aux pipelines coloniaux, oui à une économie et une société basées sur la souveraineté autochtone.

Tiohtià:ke/Montréal.

Aujourd’hui, en tant qu’artistes montréalais, nous déclarons collectivement notre soutien aux mouvements de souveraineté autochtone, en particulier la campagne en cours du peuple Wet’suwet’en pour les droits et titres territoriaux ancestraux.

Nous partageons cette lettre pour exprimer notre admiration et notre soutien collectifs à la résistance active du peuple Wet’suwet’en et du clan Unist’ot’en contre l’industrie coloniale du pétrole et du gaz.

À l’heure où une catastrophe climatique et une crise sanitaire pandémique frappent l’humanité tout entière, nous soutenons les voix autochtones qui luttent pour l’autodétermination, la souveraineté et la justice environnementale.

Il existe un consensus scientifique mondial clair sur la mesure dangereuse dans laquelle un changement climatique irréversible est déjà en train de se produire dû à l’activité humaine. Selon un récent rapport publié dans The Guardian, il y a maintenant “une quasi unanimité parmi les climatologues sur le fait que les facteurs humains — gaz d’échappements de voitures, fumées d’usines, déforestations et autres sources de gaz à effet de serre —sont responsables du niveau exceptionnel du réchauffement climatique.”

De nombreuses voix et communautés autochtones sonnent l’alarme. Cependant, le gouvernement canadien ne prend que très peu de mesures politiques spécifiques pour faire face concrètement à cette réalité.

Plutôt que de donner la priorité aux énergies renouvelables et à un changement systémique plus profond, le gouvernement libéral construit un nouveau pipeline, le projet d’expansion de Trans Mountain (TMX). Il facilite également la croissance du secteur pétrolier et gazier de manière plus générale, notamment l’expansion des sables bitumineux et le gazoduc Coastal GasLink.

En tant qu’artistes qui soutiennent la souveraineté autochtone et la justice climatique, nous demandons la mise en œuvre d’un new deal vert en Amérique du Nord, une transformation sociale et économique qui vise à éliminer l’utilisation des combustibles fossiles et à redistribuer les richesses. Une action immédiate est nécessaire pour créer des moyens de subsistance dignes dans le cadre de la souveraineté autochtone.

La division entre les emplois, d’une part, et l’autodétermination des autochtones et l’environnement, d’autre part, est un faux choix. Des millions d’emplois verts peuvent être créés en taxant les riches et les bénéfices des entreprises. Ce qui manque, c’est un soutien massif à ce que les autochtones réclament depuis 400 ans. Il est temps pour une participation massive aux efforts en cours pour construire une société et une économie qui soient en accord avec la souveraineté des nations autochtone – et la survie de la planète.

Les artistes de Montréal ont souvent évoqué des moments historiques, et c’est pourquoi, en cette période critique, nous sommes solidaires de Wet’suwet’en et de la justice climatique.

***

Artistas en solidaridad con Wet’suwet’en y por la justicia climática,

No a los oleoductos coloniales, sí a una economía y a una sociedad basadas en la soberanía indígena

Tiohtià:ke/Montréal.

Nosotrxs, artistas de Montréal, declaramos hoy de manera colectiva nuestro apoyo a los movimientos por la soberanía indígena, particularmente a la actual campaña del pueblo Wet’suwet’en por sus derechos y títulos ancestrales.

Publicamos esta carta para expresar de manera colectiva nuestra admiración y nuestro apoyo a la resistencia activa del pueblo Wet’suwet’en y del clan Unist’ot’en ante la industria colonial petrolera y gasífera.

En momentos en que toda la humanidad se ve golpeada por una catástrofe climática y una crisis sanitaria pandémica, apoyamos las voces indígenas que se alzan para luchar por la autodeterminación, la soberanía y la justicia ambiental.

Existe un consenso científico mundial claro acerca de la peligrosa amplitud que ya está tomando el irreversible cambio climático por causa de la actividad humana. Según un informe reciente publicado en el diario The Guardian, existe actualmente “casi unanimidad entre los climatólogos, según los cuales los factores humanos (gases de combustión, humo de fábricas, deforestación y otras fuentes de gas de efecto invernadero) son responsables del nivel excepcional de calentamiento global.”

Numerosas personas y comunidades indígenas suenan la alarma. Sin embargo, el gobierno canadiense ha tomado muy pocas medidas políticas específicas para enfrentar de manera concreta esta realidad.  

En lugar de priorizar las energías renovables y un cambio sistémico más profundo, el gobierno liberal construye un nuevo oleoducto: el proyecto de expansión de la empresa Trans Mountain (TMX). Además, de manera general, facilita el crecimiento del sector petrolero y gasífero, particularmente con la expansión de las arenas bituminosas y el gasoducto Coastal GasLink.

Cómo artistas en apoyo a la soberanía indígena y a la justicia climática, pedimos la implementación de un New deal verde en Norteamérica, una transformación social y económica que busque eliminar el uso de combustibles fósiles y redistribuir las riquezas. Se necesita una acción inmediata para crear medios de vida dignos dentro del marco de la soberanía indígena.

La división entre los empleos, por una parte, y la autodeterminación de lxs indígenas y el medio ambiente, por otra parte, es una falsa dicotomía. Se pueden crear millones de empleos verdes aplicando impuestos a las personas más ricas y a los beneficios realizados por las empresas. Lo que falta, es un apoyo masivo a lo que los pueblos indígenas han estado pidiendo desde hace 400 años. Es hora de participar de manera masiva en los esfuerzos en curso para construir una sociedad y una economía que estén en acuerdo con la soberanía de las naciones indígenas y la sobrevivencia del planeta.

Los y las artistas de Montreal se han a menudo pronunciado durante momentos históricos, y es así que, en este periodo crítico, nos solidarizamos con Wet’suwet’en y la justicia climática.

***

1. Stefan Christoff // Community activist, musician.

2. Sarah Mangle // Artist.

3. Thomas Boucher // Teacher, photographer, musician.

4. Rawi Hage // Author. 

5. Yves Engler // Author.

6. Jessie Lauren Stein // Musician (The Luyas).

7. Will Eizlini // Musician (Shalabi Effect).

8. Nawar Al Rufaie // DJ + musician (Sandhill).

9. Sundus Abdul Hadi // Artist.

10. Amanda Ruiz // Artist.

11. Bianca Mugyenyi // Author.

12. Graham Latham // Musician.

13. Faiz Abhuani // Artist, director of Brique par brique.

14. Jeremy Young // Musician (Sontag Shogun). 

15. Nadine Altounji // Musician. 

16. Mireya Bayancela // Artist, singer.

17. Razan AlSalah // Filmmaker, Assistant Professor, Communication Studies, Concordia University.

18. Zahra Moloo // Journalist | Documentary Filmmaker.

19. Giselle Claudia Webber // Musician (Orkestar Kriminal)

20. Peter Burton // Executive Director, Suoni Per Il Popolo.

21. Mojeanne Sarah Behzadi // Poet, art curator, ART SPEAKS.

22. Chloe Tempestini // Artist, designer. 

23. Jacob Wren // Author. 

24. Tim Fonataine // Musician (Cop Car Bonfire).

25. Mariana Marcassa // PhD in Clinical Psychology, artist and sound therapist.

26. Kiva Stimac // Artist, Popolo Press, Casa del Popolo.

27. Emmanuel Madan // Cultural worker, artist, Independent Media Arts Alliance.

28. Nadia Moss // Artist. 

29. Moss “​Mossman”​ Raxlen // DJ, film producer. 

30. Olivia Dumas // Artist, zine maker, community activist.

31. Don Wilkie // Constellation Records.

32. Jordan Christoff // Musician. 

33. John Bart Gerald // Poet, educator.

34. Julie Maas // Artist.

35. Duha Elmardi // Poet, writer. 

36. Dom Girard // Sound engineer, musician.

37. Tamara Vukov // Filmmaker, enseigne à l’Université de Montréal.

38. Steve Bates // Musician.

39. Kevin Yuen Kit Lo // Designer, artist (LOKI).

40. Mauro Pezzente // Casa del Popolo founder, musician (Godspeed You! Black Emperor).

41. Will Austin // Musician, artist. 

42. Mohamad Kebbewar // Poet.

43. Claire Abraham // Musician. 

44. Maya Khamala // Writer, poet. 

45. Christeen Francis // Artist.

46. Freda Guttman // Aritst.

47. Sheena Hoszko // Artist.

48. Saeed Kamjoo // Musician.

49. Mary-Ellen Davis // Cinéaste, travailleuse culturelle, enseignante.

50. Jessica Moss // Musician. 

51. Amy Macdonald // Musician (Nennen).

52. Nate Mosseau // Photographer.

53. Miriam Heap-Lalonde // Musician.

54. Mahdi Saoula // DJ, producer (Dr. Mad).

55. Nadia Koromyslova // Writer.

56. Asma Khan // Artist.

57. Martin Lukacs // Writer.

58. Chris Robertson // Artist, printer (La Presse du Chat Perdu).

59. Catherine Debard // Musician (YlangYlang).

60. Jean Cousin // Musician (Joni Void).

61. Nick Schofield // Musician (Saxsyndrum / Rêves sonores).

62. Tanya Davis // Poet, musician.

63. Amber Berson // Writer, curator.

64. Jovien Smith // Artist.

65. Sarah Albu // Artist, musician.

66. Marjolaine Lord // Photographer, cultural worker (La Salière).

67. Moe Clark // Artist.

68. Hoda Adra // Artist, poet.

69. Dustin Finer // Musician (DF).

70. Deanna Radford // Poet, photographer.

71. Miranda Gee Jones // Theatre / radio artist.

72. Ricardo Lamour // Artist (Emrical).

73. Sasha Khalimonova // musician ( ).

74. Svetla Turnin // Executive Director, Cinema Politica Network. 

75. Raphaël Foisy-Couture // Musicien, travailleur culturel.

76. Geneviève Côté // Artist, zine maker.

77. Eric Quach // Musician (thisquietarmy).

78. Parker Mah // DJ Rhythm & Hues.

79. Nasir Hasan // Musician.

80. David Parker // Musician. 

81. Alexander MacSween // Musician.

82. Sam Shalabi // Musician.

83. Geneviève Gauthier // Musician.

84. Brett Howie // Musician, McGill Law student.

85. L. Alexis Emelianoff // Musician.

86. Esther Bourdages // Commissaire, Grande rencontre des arts médiatiques en Gaspésie.

87. Jonah Fortune // Musician. 

88. Darren Ell // Photographer.

89. Alexander Moskos // Musician (Drainolith).

90. Alyssa Favreau // Writer. 

91. Chloé Savoie-Bernard // Writer.

92. Émilie Mouchous // Artiste et travailleuse culturelle.

93. Francesca Tallone // Multimedia artist and curator.

94. Ashanti Mutinta // Musician (Backxwash).

95. Tess Roby // Musician.

96. Eli Tareq El Bechelany-Lynch // Poet.

97. Chloë Lum // Artist.

98. Marie Claire LeBlanc Flanagan // Game designer.

99. Sarah Feldman // Musician.

100. Joël Lavoie // Musicien.

101. Mathieu A Seulement // Musicien.

102. Ashley Obscura // Poet.

103. Gabrielle Boulianne-Tremblay // Actrice et comédienne.

104. Riv Miller // Musician (R.ivy).

105. Sammy Halimi // Musicien (Aquaventure).

106. Hélène Barbier // Musicienne.

107. Léon Lo // Musician (Skinnybones).

108. Antoine Bédard // Musician (Montag).

109. Olivier Borzeix // Musician (OJPB).

110. Jean-Pierre Tamine // Author. 

111. Lewis Braden // DJ Luv.

112. Scott Clyke // DJ, founder of The Goods & MISA NEGRA monthly.

113. Karine Cossette // Photographer.

114. Ashlin Dawn // Beatmaker, DJ (Baisc B).

115. Bruno Destombe // Photographer.

116. Mia Donovan // Filmmaker.

117. Karine Fournier // Art textile, médiation culturelle (Tricot Pirate).

118. Jean-Michel Gadoua // Musician (Éditions 8888).

119. Jeanne Gariépy // DJ, musician (Gene Tellem).

120. Nicolas Grenier // Artist.

121. Kris Guilty // Cultural worker, (La Rama Records).

122. Daniel Hadley // Cultural worker (Death of Vinyl / La fin du vinyle).

123. Claudine Hubert // Cultural worker, travailleure culturelle.

124. Michael Jachner // Graphic artist, musician / designer graphique, musicien.

125. Cabral Jacobs // Musician.

126. Caroline Künzle // Artist, radio host, (Easy Sonic Living, on CKUT 90.3fm).

127. David Lafrance // Painter.

128. Richmond Lam // Photographer.

129. Marc LaTulippe // Artist (MadeByTulippe).

130. Karl Lemieux // Filmmaker.

131. Belinda Lye // Artist (Lord Swag).

132. Felix Morel // Musician (No Negative). 

133. Dimitri Nasrallah // Writer.

134. Bianca Néron // Musician (Technique Nado).

135. Sacha Orenstein // DJ, writer (Son Raw).

136. Charlotte Panaccio-Letendre // Directrice / Director, Verticale – Centre d’artistes.

137. Jacinthe Pilote // Commissaire d’exposition / exhibition curator / Paperole.

138. Pascal Rivard // Artist (DJ Dileta).

139. Martin Sasseville // Musician (Wapstan, En Fer).

140. Beaver Sheppard // Musician.

141. Robin Simpson // Cultural worker, educator, writer.

142. Christopher Talbot // Musician (NOYZ II MEN).

143. Sandra Volny // Artist, PhD, Sound and Space Research.

144. Andy Williams // Cultural worker, DJ.

145. Nimalan Yoganathan // Musician.

146. Seven Yuan // DJ Mollygum.

147. Mostafa Henaway // Writer.

148. Tanha Gomes // Art Educator, (Fondation Phi pour l’art contemporain).

149. Airick Asher Woodhead // Musician (Doldrums).

150. Ezra Winton // Writer, curator, Assistant Professor, Communications Studies, Concordia University. 

151. Tamara Filyavich // musician, cultural worker (CKUT Radio).

152. Franklin López // Filmmaker.

153. Shota Yokose // Musician.

154. Jesse Purcell // Artist, print maker (Repetitive Press).

155. Shaun Weadick // Musician, educator.

156. Maha Farah Elmir // Cultural worker, co-organisatice – Festival Filministes.

157. Marie Davidson // Musician.

158. Pierre Guerineau // Musician. 

159. Malcolm Guy // Filmmaker.

160. Marie Boti // Filmmaker. 

161. Amir Amiri // Musician.

162. Ehab Lotayef // Poet.

163. Anna Pringle // Musician, community organizer.

164. Lamia Yared // Musician.

165. Elena Koleva // Artist, Visual Effects (VFX).

166. Kyle Hutchins // Musician.

167. Hubert Gendron-Blais // Musician (ce qui nous traverse).

168. Aidan Girt // musician (One Speed Bike, Godspeed You! Black Emperor).

169. Zoë Thomas // Musician, Doctor, Department of Psychiatry at the Jewish General Hospital.

170. Dru Oja Jay // Author. 

171. Elizabeth Johnson // Artist.

172. Laurie Milner // Writer, Part‑time Faculty Member: Department of Studio Arts, Concordia University. 

173. JJ Levine // Artist working in photographic portraiture.

174. Nilesh Patel // Filmmaker (Vancouver)

175. April Mary Lynn White // St. John’s-based artist who works with performance, watercolour, and animation.

176. Nicolas Renaud // Filmmaker, video artist, professor in the Film department at Concordia University.

177. Mara Eagle // Video and installation artist based in Montréal.

178. Lindsay McIntyre // Film artist and Assistant Professor of Film + Screen Arts at Emily Carr University.

179. Kelly Thompson // Artist, Associate Professor, Fibres and Material Practices, Studio Arts at Concordia.

179. Joni Cheung // Visual Artist | Curator | Writer.

180. Jessica Slip // Visual artist, musician.

181. Maria Chekhanovich // Artist.

182. Francisco González Rosas // Performance and mixed media artist.

183. Mel Arsenault // Artist.

184. Burcu Emeç // Artist, cultural worker and a coordinator at the artist-run centre articule.

185. Ali Kays // Multimedia, graphic designer, Beirut and Montréal.

186. Anthony Von Seck // Filmmaker, musician.

187. Ahmad Naser Eldein // Photographer.

188. Joseph Sannicandro // Sound artist, writer and contributor to A Closer Listen.

189. Jesse Freeston // Filmmaker. 

190. Simone Lucas // Filmmaker.

191. Daniel Áñez García // Musician.

192. Valerie Curro Khayat // Poet, singer-songwriter.

193. Jade Barshee // Comédienne, Écriture, Mise en scène Co-directrice artistique de la compagnie Théâtre Everest.

194. Maya Cardin // Artist and printmaker.

195. Maria Zaslavsky // Cultural worker. 

196. Adam Basanta // Artist. 

197. Saelan Twerdy // Art critic, writer and editor.

198. Markus Lake // Musician (Markus Floats).

199. Olivia Faye Lathuillière // Comédienne.

200. Cedric Noel // Musician.

201. Xarah Dion // Artist, musician.

202. Melis Çağan // Researcher, web designer.

203. Corina MacDonald // Musicienne, CMD

204. Alexis Charpentier // DJ Lexis, founder / fondateur, Music Is My Sanctuary

205. Nicolas Serrus // DJ Nico Sé

206. Gabrielle Godbout // Musicienne, (Anette Zénith)

207. Dan Catalfamo // DJ, cinéaste, Doctrin’

208. Minelly Kamemura // Photographer / photographe

209. David Drury // Sound artist / artist sonore

210. Nicolas Dion Buteau // Musician / musicien

211. Shah Mamizadeh // DJ, producer / DJ, producteur

212. Katherine Melançon // Visual artist / artiste visuel

213. Justin Doucet // dj, radio host / dj, animateur radio

214. Magella Skerritt // Musician / musicienne

215. Ivetta Sun Young Kang // Visual and video artist / artiste visuel et vidéo

216. Jennifer Wade // Puppet maker / marionnettiste

217. Jeremy Shantz // Painter, sculptor / peintre, sculpteur

218. Yannick Kalongo // DJ Bonbon Kojak

219. Magali Babin // Artist / artiste

220. Mélanie Binette // Artist / artiste

221. Caroline Blais // Artist and filmmaker / artiste et cinéaste

222. Ariane De Blois // Cultural worker / travailleuse culturelle

223. Caroline Loncol Daigneault // Coordonnatrice des expositions et de l’animation Galerie d’art Antoine-Sirois

224. Pablo Rodriguez // Cultural worker / travailleur culturel

225. Thaïla Kampo // Illustrator / illustrateur

226. Alexis Bellavance // Artiste et co-directeur des Ateliers Belleville

227. Jason Botkin // Painter / peintre, founder / fondateur, En Masse

228. Gabrielle De Palma Demers // Art director / directrice artistique

229. Alex Blouin // Photographer / photographe

230. Marie-Claude Landry // Cultural worker / travailleuse culturelle

231. Michelle Lacombe // Artist, cultural worker / artiste, travailleuse culturelle

232. Camille Leblanc-Murray // Graphic designer / designer graphique

233. Ashley Fortier // Editor, co-publisher at Metonymy Press.

234. Bita Mary Eslami // Community member.

235. Sharon Lax // Educator and Editor.

236. Kasim Tirmizey // Writer, educator. 

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