Freda Huson (born May 24, 1964, Smithers, British Columbia), Chief Howilhkat of the Wet’suwet’en First Nation in Canada, is an Indigenous rights activist for the Wet'suwet'en people. She is wing-chief of the Wet’suwet’en's Dark House Clan. Huson established the Uni’stot’en healing camp on the land that became the federally recognized territory of the Wet’suwet’en Nation. She is a leader in the opposition against the construction of pipelines. Since 2010, she has lived on her ancestral lands in Talbeetskwa in British Columbia with her children.
Huson was born in Smithers, British Columbia in 1964.[1]
She was married to Toghestiy (Warner Naziel), Chief Smogelgem, Hereditary Chief of the sovereign Likhts’amsyu people, whom she has children with.[2]
Activismedit
Unist’ot’en campedit
In 2010, Huson became the coordinator of the Unist’ot’en camp, moving there to live fulltime. The Unist’ot’en camp is a center aimed at helping Indigenous people to heal from trauma by reconnecting with the land. The center also hosts women groups, cultural workshops and a language school.[3] The camp has a main building with an industrial kitchen, bedrooms, game room, meeting rooms and an art space. There is also a smokehouse and other small houses[4]
The camp was partly created to assert land rights and oppose seven proposed pipelines which were planned to cross through Wet’suwet’en territory and their main water source the Morice River. Out of the seven proposed pipelines, five have been defeated. As the Coastal Gaslink pipeline has begun construction, The Unist’ot’en camp has become a gathering place for opposition to this pipeline.[3]
The famous Standing Rock standoff over the Dakota Access pipeline was partly inspired by the Unist’ot’en clan of Northern British Columbia who have been reoccupying their territory to reassert their land rights. Huson is a proponent that these action camps can be a place of healing, although she acknowledges that many Indigenous activists suffer from burnout due to the numerous proposed extractive projects in their region and many are already occupied with other Indigenous issues like dealing with intergenerational trauma.[5]
Wet’suwet’en land defenseedit
Freda Huson presented on April 24, 2019, to address human rights violations with the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues. Huson expressed the explicit and apparent depletion of natural resources including animals, salmon, and water. The Wet’suwet’en territory hereditary chiefs have not imparted consent to the pipeline and have since faced court injunctions from the Coastal GasLink pipeline.[6] There has been continuous resistance of Canadian jurisdiction within the Wet’suwet’en territory led by Freda Huson.[7]
Arrest and activism against Coastal Gaslinkedit
Freda Huson was forcibly removed by a convoy of armed Royal Canadian Mounted Police on Monday February 10, 2020. Freda Huson (Chief Howihkat), Brenda Michell (Chief Geltiy), and Karla Tait were holding a ceremony for missing and murdered Indigenous women at the moment of the arrest. This ceremony was held in response to the coastal Gaslink project in British Columbia. Red dresses were hung as a sign of lost or murdered Indigenous women and girls, the dresses were torn down by the RCMP and several activists were arrested.[4]
Awards and nominationsedit
In 2021, Huson was awarded the Right Livelihood Award for her work in reclaiming the culture of her people and protecting their land against natural resource development projects such as gas pipelines. She was chosen among 209 nominations in 89 countries[8] along with Marthe Wandou and Vladimir Slivyak. The Right Livelihood Award was established in 1980, it is often referred to as an alternative Nobel Prize.[9]
Referencesedit
^"Freda Huson". Right Livelihood. Retrieved 2023-03-14.
^"An Indigenous Resistance Community Evicted a Fracked Gas Pipeline Crew From Its Territories". www.vice.com. Retrieved 2023-03-14.
^ abPalframan, Andrea (2021-12-08). "Celebrating #365Indigenous - every day honouring Indigenous heroes". RAVEN. Retrieved 2023-03-14.
^ abMorin, Brandi. "Freda Huson: An Indigenous 'warrior' for the next generation". www.aljazeera.com. Retrieved 2023-03-14.
^Rowe, James K. (2017-10-09). "Lessons from the front lines of anti-colonial pipeline resistance". Waging Nonviolence. Retrieved 2023-03-14.
^"Freda Huson Of The Unist'ot'en Addressing The UNPFIII". Indigenous Climate Action. Retrieved 2023-03-14.
^Powell, Charlie (2019). "Resisting colonial jurisdiction: Defending Wet'suwet'en territory from fossil capital" (PDF). Socialist Lawyer (#84): 36–39.
^Hosgood, Amanda Follett (2021-09-29). "Unist'ot'en Land Defender Wins International Advocacy Award". The Tyee. Retrieved 2023-03-14.
^"Canadian Indigenous rights campaigner Freda Huson among winners of 'Alternative Nobel'". The Globe and Mail. 2021-09-29. Retrieved 2023-03-14.
April 21, 2024
freda, huson, born, 1964, smithers, british, columbia, chief, howilhkat, suwet, first, nation, canada, indigenous, rights, activist, suwet, people, wing, chief, suwet, dark, house, clan, huson, established, stot, healing, camp, land, that, became, federally, r. Freda Huson born May 24 1964 Smithers British Columbia Chief Howilhkat of the Wet suwet en First Nation in Canada is an Indigenous rights activist for the Wet suwet en people She is wing chief of the Wet suwet en s Dark House Clan Huson established the Uni stot en healing camp on the land that became the federally recognized territory of the Wet suwet en Nation She is a leader in the opposition against the construction of pipelines Since 2010 she has lived on her ancestral lands in Talbeetskwa in British Columbia with her children Contents 1 Personal life 2 Activism 2 1 Unist ot en camp 2 2 Wet suwet en land defense 2 3 Arrest and activism against Coastal Gaslink 3 Awards and nominations 4 ReferencesPersonal life editHuson was born in Smithers British Columbia in 1964 1 She was married to Toghestiy Warner Naziel Chief Smogelgem Hereditary Chief of the sovereign Likhts amsyu people whom she has children with 2 Activism editUnist ot en camp edit In 2010 Huson became the coordinator of the Unist ot en camp moving there to live fulltime The Unist ot en camp is a center aimed at helping Indigenous people to heal from trauma by reconnecting with the land The center also hosts women groups cultural workshops and a language school 3 The camp has a main building with an industrial kitchen bedrooms game room meeting rooms and an art space There is also a smokehouse and other small houses 4 The camp was partly created to assert land rights and oppose seven proposed pipelines which were planned to cross through Wet suwet en territory and their main water source the Morice River Out of the seven proposed pipelines five have been defeated As the Coastal Gaslink pipeline has begun construction The Unist ot en camp has become a gathering place for opposition to this pipeline 3 The famous Standing Rock standoff over the Dakota Access pipeline was partly inspired by the Unist ot en clan of Northern British Columbia who have been reoccupying their territory to reassert their land rights Huson is a proponent that these action camps can be a place of healing although she acknowledges that many Indigenous activists suffer from burnout due to the numerous proposed extractive projects in their region and many are already occupied with other Indigenous issues like dealing with intergenerational trauma 5 Wet suwet en land defense edit Freda Huson presented on April 24 2019 to address human rights violations with the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues Huson expressed the explicit and apparent depletion of natural resources including animals salmon and water The Wet suwet en territory hereditary chiefs have not imparted consent to the pipeline and have since faced court injunctions from the Coastal GasLink pipeline 6 There has been continuous resistance of Canadian jurisdiction within the Wet suwet en territory led by Freda Huson 7 Arrest and activism against Coastal Gaslink edit Freda Huson was forcibly removed by a convoy of armed Royal Canadian Mounted Police on Monday February 10 2020 Freda Huson Chief Howihkat Brenda Michell Chief Geltiy and Karla Tait were holding a ceremony for missing and murdered Indigenous women at the moment of the arrest This ceremony was held in response to the coastal Gaslink project in British Columbia Red dresses were hung as a sign of lost or murdered Indigenous women and girls the dresses were torn down by the RCMP and several activists were arrested 4 Awards and nominations editIn 2021 Huson was awarded the Right Livelihood Award for her work in reclaiming the culture of her people and protecting their land against natural resource development projects such as gas pipelines She was chosen among 209 nominations in 89 countries 8 along with Marthe Wandou and Vladimir Slivyak The Right Livelihood Award was established in 1980 it is often referred to as an alternative Nobel Prize 9 References edit Freda Huson Right Livelihood Retrieved 2023 03 14 An Indigenous Resistance Community Evicted a Fracked Gas Pipeline Crew From Its Territories www vice com Retrieved 2023 03 14 a b Palframan Andrea 2021 12 08 Celebrating 365Indigenous every day honouring Indigenous heroes RAVEN Retrieved 2023 03 14 a b Morin Brandi Freda Huson An Indigenous warrior for the next generation www aljazeera com Retrieved 2023 03 14 Rowe James K 2017 10 09 Lessons from the front lines of anti colonial pipeline resistance Waging Nonviolence Retrieved 2023 03 14 Freda Huson Of The Unist ot en Addressing The UNPFIII Indigenous Climate Action Retrieved 2023 03 14 Powell Charlie 2019 Resisting colonial jurisdiction Defending Wet suwet en territory from fossil capital PDF Socialist Lawyer 84 36 39 Hosgood Amanda Follett 2021 09 29 Unist ot en Land Defender Wins International Advocacy Award The Tyee Retrieved 2023 03 14 Canadian Indigenous rights campaigner Freda Huson among winners of Alternative Nobel The Globe and Mail 2021 09 29 Retrieved 2023 03 14 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Freda Huson amp oldid 1194882920, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
