The Anishinabek Nation, a group of some 40 Native American tribes in Ontario, is calling for the closure of the Line 5 oil pipeline.
The pipeline runs from Superior in Wisconsin to Sarnia in Canadian Ontario.
It is owned by Enbridge.
Anishinabek: Bay Mills denounces the environmental impact of Line 5
This infrastructure, built in 1953, links the town of Superior in Wisconsin, USA, to the city of Sarnia, Ontario, Canada.
Every day, more than 540,000 barrels of crude oil and natural gas liquids pass through the state of Michigan under the Great Lakes.
The pipeline supplies the major refineries in these regions.
Gas, propane and home heating oils are also produced here.
According to the Bay Milles Indian community, this pipeline poses a risk to the environment and ecosystem.
The tribes’ hunting rights have also been called into question.
Finally, Bay Mills establishes a correlation between the missing persons and the presence ofEnbridge contractors.
A violation of indigenous peoples’ rights
In addition, since August 2020, four tribes have been granted the right to participate in theEnbridge Line 5 permitting process.
Within this framework, Bay Mills is legally opposing the existing Line 5 and the tunnel construction project.
They will be represented by the Native American Rights Fund (NARF) and Earthjustice.
Another problem is that this lack of cooperation between the parties violates the rights of indigenous peoples under the United Nations Declaration.
According to Article 19, indigenous peoples must be consulted by States if a measure affects them.
Similarly, article 29 establishes the right of indigenous peoples to the conservation of their lands.
Michigan supports Bay Mills, Canada opposes
The Governor of the State of Michigan, Gretchen Whitmer, supported the Bay Mills initiative.
The governor ordered Enbridge to close its Calgary-based Line 5 by May 12, 2021.
For its part, the Canadian government opposed the closure of this pipeline, despite its cross-border commitment to protect the Great Lakes.
In the absence of a legal decision, however, Enbridge intends to continue operating the pipeline.
This sensitive issue, which pits aboriginal communities against the Canadian government, is far from over.
