Supporters of Wet'suwet'en hereditary chiefs end CP Rail blockade east of Kamloops
Rail president's support of Wet'suwet'en hereditary chiefs' request for dialogue quells protest
Members of the Neskonlith Indian Band have ended a blockade along the CP Rail tracks between Chase and Kamloops.
The blockade was set up in solidarity with Wet'suwet'en people opposed to the Coastal GasLink pipeline.
Protesters said a letter sent Thursday to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau from CP President and CEO Keith Creel — in which Creel expressed support for the Wet'suwet'en hereditary chiefs' request for dialogue with the prime minister — satisfied their expectations.
The announced meeting of Wet'suwet'en hereditary chiefs and members of the Mohawk Nation in Ontario, as well as the scheduled press briefing by Justin Trudeau on Friday, encouraged protesters to step back from the blockade.
Members of the Neskonlith Indian Band who spoke with CBC Thursday said they face similar issues to the Wet'suwet'en because the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion is planned to run through the traditional territory of the Secwepemc people, and in both cases, the land is unceded.