Long-time climate advocate and First Nation leader Stewart Phillip is walking back controversial remarks he made on Tuesday.
Canada’s climate advocacy world gasped in unison after Phillip appeared to suggest building out pipeline infrastructure at a news conference.
Phillip, who is the Grand Chief of the Union of British Columbia Indian Chiefs, was a strong critic of pipelines like Enbridge’s Northern Gateway pipeline and the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion when those projects were under consideration in the early- to mid-2010s. On Tuesday, he said those years were a “different time.” With the uncertainty of the U.S. President Donald Trump, Canada has “no choice” but to reconsider fossil fuel development, Phillip told reporters.
“If we don’t build that kind of infrastructure, Trump will,” Phillip said at the press conference. “And there won’t be any consideration for the environment, for the rule of law… I think we can do better, we need to do better.”
On Wednesday, Phillip cleared the air on a call with Canada’s National Observer, firmly committing to his former position: “There’s no room for fossil fuel expansion.”
The about-face comes after the Grand Chief’s remarks were reported by The Canadian Press (Canada’s National Observer posted a version of the Canadian Press article). The report noted his comments were a reversal of his stance on projects he once vociferously opposed. In a news release, Phillip blamed some of the reporting on “wildly speculative media.”
Now he is pointing to the Los Angeles fires — as well as provincial weather events like floods, droughts and wildfires — as evidence for the need to ramp up renewables in the face of "catastrophic climate crisis events” and not double down on pipelines.
“End of story, full stop,” he said.
In a press release, UBCIC colleague Marilyn Slett of the Heiltsuk First Nation also reiterated her opposition to new pipelines. “Nothing has changed and we are not going to back down,” she said. “The last two years were the hottest on record and we must do everything in our power to stop the planet from warming more — this includes ensuring we do not support fossil fuel extraction and transmission through pipeline no matter what kind of threats Trump makes.”
Eriel Tchekwie Deranger, executive director of Indigenous Climate Action, felt Phillip’s uncertainty regarding once clear-cut opposition reflects the “economic hostage situation” facing Indigenous leaders. For Deranger, when economic disparities and hardships amplify, there’s a sense that industry can become a lifeline.
“The reality is that sometimes in positions of leadership, they become so bullied and put into economic hostage situations that it feels like they'd be better off working with the enemy to mitigate the harm,” she said.
In Alberta, she’s seen her own First Nation, Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation, cut deals with the then-NDP provincial government. Years later, those deals did not result in meaningful change, leading to the nation’s current ramped-up vocal opposition and court challenges against the province and its energy regulator, Deranger said.
It’s why Deranger always holds compassion for leaders who look to industry for solutions. She thinks that colonial governments and industry create economic disparity and social crises and then only offer resource development as the way out of those crises.
“It's hard for a person in leadership to see the disparity and the hardships of the communities, of our communities that are often caused by economic disparities and exclusion from economic development,” she said.
That’s why Deranger was glad to see Phillip reverse course again and reaffirm his previous commitments.
“Now is not the time to compromise our values, regardless of how scary the new possibilities of a political economic structure are,” Deranger added.
— with files from Chuck Chiang, The Canadian Press
Matteo Cimellaro / Canada’s National Observer / Local Journalism Initiative
Comments
As was noted by 1st Nation columnist Niigaan St. Clair, the chief got an earful from his constituents, half of whom are likely extended family relatives. You bet he changed his tune quick.
Let's be realistic. We hit the magic 1.5 degrees this year, several decades early. We have at least four years, maybe more of Trump et al, four of PP. By 2030 no matter what we do we'll be past the proverbial horse out of the barn stage. Soon insurance for water of fire will be unaffordable, the borders swamped with environmental refugees, and food riots as drought destroys our ability to feed ourselves. We may as well burn the hell out of everything, go four wheeling and enjoy what time the species has left.
You seem to be in despair, and of course you have good reason; i agree "We hit the magic 1.5 degrees this year, several decades early. We have at least four years, maybe more of Trump et al, four of PP. By 2030 no matter what we do we'll be past the proverbial horse out of the barn stage" but joining in surely isn't the correct response? It's like witnessing a rape and joining in because, why not, the rape will happen anyway. We cannot abandon our responsibility to ourselves, our relations or our planet, much less join in. i would wish that we (you) would avoid spreading despair. A friend once said "what we do now will determine our future"; i think that is true every day, and the "we" is all of us, together or not together.
I'll give that last sentence the benefit of a doubt and consider it satire.