‘We Are the Land,’ Sleydo’ Tells Court at Wet’suwet’en Blockade Sentencing
A Wet’suwet’en leader convicted of criminal contempt for blocking work on the Coastal GasLink (CGL) pipeline told a B.C. Supreme Court judge that her people’s connection to the land “has never been ceded or surrendered.”
“Our ancestors said, we are the land, and the land is us. Our laws flow from the land — we are nothing without it,” said Sleydo’ (Molly Wickham), wing chief of the Gidimt’en Clan, during closing remarks Thursday in Smithers, B.C.
Sleydo’, along with Shaylynn Sampson and Corey Jocko, was found guilty last year of criminal contempt for violating a 2019 injunction prohibiting interference with CGL pipeline construction. The blockade in November 2021 halted work and trapped pipeline workers and RCMP officers for several days.
Justice Michael Tammen is expected to deliver sentencing on Friday following two days of arguments.
Crown Seeks Jail, Defence Cites Rights Violations
Crown prosecutor Paul Battin urged the court to impose jail sentences of 30, 25, and 20 days respectively for Sleydo’, Jocko, and Sampson, arguing the penalty is necessary to “preserve the rule of law.”
“This sentencing is about how these contemners acted and how their actions undermine the court’s authority,” Battin said.
Defence lawyer Frances Mahon countered that further jail time would deepen injustice after the court found RCMP violated the defendants’ Charter rights during their arrests.
Earlier this year, Justice Tammen ruled that Section 7 rights — life, liberty, and security of person — were breached, citing racist comments by officers who compared the Indigenous women, marked with red handprints symbolizing Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG), to “orcs” from The Lord of the Rings.
“What does it say to Canadians that victims of this hideous racism may still be sent to jail?” Mahon asked, calling for time served or community-based sentencing instead.
History and Land Rights at the Forefront
Mahon argued that the case cannot be separated from the unresolved land title of the Wet’suwet’en Nation, referencing the 1997 Delgamuukw decision and the 2020 memorandum of understanding between hereditary chiefs and federal and provincial governments — agreements still lacking meaningful implementation.
“We’re not talking about beliefs,” Mahon said. “We’re talking about a specific history where Wet’suwet’en title remains unextinguished.”
Battin maintained that personal or cultural beliefs cannot justify disobeying a court order.
The defence is seeking time served or a conditional sentence with 100 to 150 hours of community service if further punishment is deemed necessary.
The 670-kilometre CGL pipeline, which runs from northeastern B.C. to the LNG Canada terminal in Kitimat, has since been completed and began exports in June 2025.
