On January 14th, at The Declaration: Our Path Forward in Vancouver, Hope Sanderson, Senior Director Indigenous Relations for Trans Mountain and Chief Harvey McLeod from Upper Nicola Indian Band sat together on stage and discussed how they had worked together to reach an agreement regarding the pipeline.
Sanderson spoke to the fact that consultation had originally gone poorly, with Upper Nicola Band ending up in court with Trans Mountain.
“A year ago, Chief, we had to start consultation over again on a project, the Crown did and Trans Mountain and my team… And it was starting consultation over again because the courts told us if we wanted this project, we had to do it over, and we had to do it better,” Sanderson said.
“So, for 130 communities as we were signing people on by team to the different tables, I said ‘I want to sit at your table,’ because we were in a bad spot. And now we’re in a good spot sitting here together. We’ve come a long way.”
Chief McLeod outlined the issues that had been present between the Trans Mountain company and his community, citing the need for a better understanding and working relationship.
“With this company Trans Mountain, we had to start from the top down. They all have to understand where we’re coming from. Because the history of our people is that trust is broken, and we have to redevelop that trust in the people that we work with,” McLeod said.
“If I can open my heart a little bit to hear and understand where you’re coming from, I want that same respect as well. And I have to know who you are.”
McLeod carried on to say that the resources that would develop from the project would ultimately be a benefit for the community and the people who live on Upper Nicola reserve.
“The work that we’re doing right now, is wealth equals health. Somewhere in the line of all the things that we do we have to generate the resources and the capacity that will assist us in our own personal health, and I can take that in a number of different directions. Housing, water, education, social development, our youth and our elders; there’s a lot of work that needs to happen in those areas and we need resources to do that. And we’re going to do that, we can’t rely on the handouts from government anymore.”
