How to write Solidarity Letters

These letters have been published by institutions and individuals across Turtle Island. Use whatever speaks to you.

Letters have varying degrees of impact, but those which are personalized will have–by far–the most impact. A good letter could have three parts:

  1. Something about you. You might say that you are a parent, or work as a barista, or are still studying. You might tell the person that you voted for them once, or that you didn’t.
  2. Why you are writing.
  3. What you want them to do about it. Do you want them to go on the public record about their stance? Do you want them to recognize Delgamuukw? Do you want them to respect Wet’suwet’en law (of course you do).

    Perhaps you want them to ask a question in parliament. Or if you’re writing to the CBC, maybe you want them to stop speaking about the band council system as simply one other type of governance, as opposed to an element of the Indian Act. To the RCMP, remind them that they are part of a system of checks and balances, where they need not necessarily act out court injunctions; remind them that when the NWMP were instructed to enforce the illegal pass system, they didn’t (or didn’t always).

Regardless of whether you are writing a personalized letter, or one that could be a template for others–everything counts–your letters will likely go to one of the following bodies:

Click on any of the above links for names and addresses of people you could write to. Click on any of the below for examples of how these letters have been composed.

Sample Letters

BCCLA and UBCIC letter

The BC Civil Liberties Association and Union of BC Indian Chiefs are highly alarmed at the expanding nature of the RCMP exclusion zone, granting the RCMP discretionary, unreasonable and unjustified powers. There is absolutely no legal precedent nor established legal authority for such an overbroad policing power associated with the enforcement of an injunction. The arbitrary RCMP exclusion zone and overbroad access restrictions are completely unjustified and unlawful, and constitute a serious violation of Indigenous rights and jurisdiction, severe deprivation of individual liberty interests, and egregious impairment of Charter-protected rights. The BCCLA and the UBCIC are reiterating our call to the Chairperson of the Civilian Review and Complaints Commission (CRCC) for the RCMP to initiate a policy complaint and public interest investigation.

Amnistie Internationale –

(formulaire d’envoie inclue sur le site)

AGISSEZ MAINTENANT : LES WET’SUWET’EN SONT MENACÉS D’EXPULSION DE LEUR TERRITOIRE. Signez la lettre, élaborée par notre allié RavenTrust, qui cible les propriétaires du projet Coastal GasLink. Exigez que les droits des peuples autochtones soient respectés, et que l’ordre d’expulsion de la compagnie Coastal Gaslink, émis par les chefs héréditaires, soit respecté.

Writer Translator, Jessica Moore’s letter

based on the “Trudeau: Break your silence on Wet’suwet’en” letter at leadnow.ca, and shared on Facebook (Feb.13.2020)

Dear Cabinet Ministers, You call this reconciliation? The whole situation at the Unist’oten camp is appalling. The Wet’suwet’en people and their supporters are protecting our land and our water. They are doing this service for all of us. And they are being met with terrible rights violations and violence.
I’m horrified that heavily-armed RCMP officers are forcibly removing Wet’suwet’en people from their own territory.
I’m also very worried about your government’s silence and inaction in the face of these human rights violations, given the deep commitments you’ve made to reconciliation and UNDRIP.
All five clans of the Wet’suwet’en have rejected the fracking pipeline, which means Coastal GasLink doesn’t have free, prior, and informed consent from the Wet’suwet’en. Coastal GasLink and the RCMP are trespassing on sovereign indigenous land.
I’m calling on you, as federal cabinet ministers, to act now by immediately removing the RCMP from the Wet’suwet’en Nation and engaging in nation-to-nation talks with hereditary chiefs. It’s the only pathway to resolving this crisis.

“Statement of Solidarity with the Wet’suwet’en people of British Columbia” – (link included to sign on)

As of Feb.11 2020, this letter has been signed by over 2500 Professors and Scholars. Written by Dr. Jen Gobby, Dr Leah Temper, Holly Dressel, and Dr. Julia Freeman, the letter addresses questions of the juridical legitimacy of resistance, continued state and industrial violence, and environmental urgency.

Letter from Degan Davis

Head Counsellor at The Michener Institute (The University Health Network), Writer – (shared on Facebook, Feb.10 2020)

Dear Minister Fortier,
I am writing to you as a father of three kids, and as a citizen of this country, to move against the proposed Teck Frontier mine. I know the heat will be great for you (and your party) to reject this proposal. Please, take the heat now and take the right action. Future Canadians will thank you for it.
Thank you very much,

Solidarity Statement in support of Unist’ot’en Camp and the Wet’suwet’en Nation

from the The BC Teachers’ Federation

“… committed to the Truth and Reconciliation’s Calls to Action and the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, we call on the governments of BC and Canada, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and Coastal GasLink Pipeline to respect the position taken by the Wet’suwet’en Hereditary Chiefs… “