Secwepemc Nation Builds Tiny House with a Big Message

Secwepemc Nation Builds Tiny House with a Big Message

These days you have to get creative in how you stand up for your rights against big corporations. Check out what some folks from the Secwepemc Nation are doing to stop the expansion of the Trans Mountain Pipeline which runs right through their homelands!

Ten tiny houses are about to go head-to-head with a giant proposed oil pipeline. In what some area already dubbing the next ‘Standing Rock', Kanahus Manuel, an activist of the Secwepemc Nation is spearheading a team of builders and volunteers from all over North America to construct tiny homes with the aim of halting the expansion of the Kinder Morgan's Trans Mountain pipeline which would run through 518 kilometres of Secwepemc Territory.

The proposed pipeline comes just 3 years after the disastrous incident at Mt Polley, where water and slurry with years worth of mining waste were released into Polley Lake.

This group of dedicated activists say that building the tiny homes is not only an act of resistance, but also of creation, building something beautiful, to create hope and create homes for the community.

Watch the episode below from Living Big in a Tiny House!

Tiny House Warriors: Building Tiny Homes To Defend Against Oil Pipeline

I love this concept of building up to something positive from something that would have such a negative impact.

CBC had a great article on the tiny homes with something interesting facts, saying consent was never given for the pipeline!

“We, the Secwepemc, have never ceded, surrendered, or given up our sovereign title and rights over the land, waters and resources within Secwepemcul'ecw [traditional Secwepemc territory],” Manuel said.

“We collectively hold title and governance regarding Secwepemcul'ecw and the collective consent of the Secwepemc is required for any access to our lands, waters and resources.”

Check out http://tinyhousewarriors.com/ to see how you can help.

I also found a campaign to donate to at The Leap: https://theleap.org/give-tiny-house-warriors/.

Good luck guys!

About Toyacoyah Brown

Toyacoyah Brown is an enrolled member of the Comanche Nation, currently living in Chicago. She received her B.A. in Journalism from the University of Oklahoma and an M.A. in Media Studies from the University of Texas at Austin. When she's not scouring the Internet for fun things to share with PowWows.com readers you can find her digging for vinyl in her local record store or curling up with a good book.


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