fundraiser for two-spirt land defender

“On September 15, 2021, on the unceded, unsurrendered, occupied territory of the Secwepemc Nation, a series of violent arrests were made by the Clearwater RCMP in collusion with the TransMountain pipeline company workers and private security. These arrests, which resulted in severe bodily and psychological harm to multiple Indigenous land defenders, were targeted at those who were taking a stand in opposition to the illegal construction of a TMX man camp and ongoing land theft in the name of resource extraction.

The violence that these man camps and resource extraction projects bring to Indigenous communities, in the form of our missing and murdered relatives, environmental destruction, dispossession, displacement and genocide, is what compels so many land and water protectors to resist these projects; to prevent further violence and harm from coming to our communities who are already suffering the intergenerational trauma from colonialism. Yet in resisting this violence, we experience it further at the hands of the police and RCMP, who exist to protect nothing other than private corporate interests.

The TMX project is actively violating many international human rights and indigenous rights laws as well as several colonial crown (canadian) laws, as demonstrated by the repeated letters from the United Nations CERD to canada beginning in 2019, ordering the immediate halt to all construction in line with the pipeline projects.

Canada has not only ignored these warnings but continues their violent and unjust RCMP harassment, intimidation, surveillance, and criminalization of Indigenous land defenders.

As a Metis youth, resisting genocidal resource extraction projects like TMX is upholding my cultural duty to my Secwepemc relatives. Standing in solidarity with the rightful title-holders of these lands to defend the territory, the people and the future generations is not optional; it is an obligation under natural law. For upholding our original laws and culture, we face further criminalization, and the crown is pursuing 7 criminal charges against me with the threat of jail time for upholding this sacred duty and defending the lands and waters on which we all rely.

The charges I am facing are just one example of this widespread colonial phenomenon. Please stand with me and all other Indigenous land and water protectors as we continue to take the necessary action to defend our people, territories, culture, and way of life that is being threatened by these projects and colonial governments."

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Loo is a young two-spirit Metis/Lebanese land and water defender who has dedicated their time to fighting illegal resource extraction, land theft and colonial violence on unceded Indigenous territories. They have spent extensive time and energy on the frontlines of these intersecting issues.

In September 2021 Loo was assaulted by Trans Mountain Pipeline workers and Clearwater RCMP on Unceded Secwepemc territory after an action opposing the destruction of berry patches and displacement of animals in the area, such as ravens, eagles, bears and hummingbirds. This destruction is ongoing in line with the TMX project in order to establish a mancamp to house 550 transient workers in the settlement known as “Blue River, BC”.

Loo is in need of $5000 by mid-September in order to retain a lawyer, and $10 000 to fully pay their lawyer before the start of the trial. The pre-trial date is set in March 2023.