The new Trans Mountain pipeline will soon carry oil. Could an Indigenous Rights case impact operations? – The Narwhal

April 30, 2024

Trans Mountain’s decision last summer to trench through an Indigenous sacred site kicked off more dissent. The decision ‘undermines Secwépemc law’ according to the nation, which is boosting title claim efforts to protect its sacred spaces

The water is calm at Jacko Lake near Kamloops, British Columbia. Tawny grasslands and rolling hillsides surround the quiet little lake, where a few scattered fishing boats carry solitary figures. Next to the lake, beyond a wire fence and “private property” signs, a completed segment of the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion project snakes through the beige landscape — an area land defenders say the pipeline should never have touched.

This area is called Pípsell to members of the Stk’emlúpsemc te Secwépemc Nation, and it’s one of the nation’s few remaining sacred sites, according to Knowledge Keeper Mike McKenzie. This is where fundamental Secwépemc oral histories originate and where traditional medicines grow. It is a burial ground and a cultural keystone vital to present and future generations of the nation.

Read More: https://thenarwhal.ca/trans-mountain-launch-indigenous-rights/