March 1, 2020 – . — Wet’suwet’en hereditary chiefs and senior government ministers reached a proposed arrangement Sunday following days of discussions over a pipeline dispute that prompted solidarity protests and transport disruptions across Canada. Details of the draft deal, which centres on Indigenous rights and land titles, were not disclosed, however, and work on the Coastal GasLink natural gas pipeline at the heart of the dispute was set to resume on Monday. A joint statement released by representatives of Wet’suwet’en Nation, the province and the federal government acknowledged that they had not come to an agreement on the pipeline. The Wet’suwet’en are governed by both a traditional hereditary chief system and elected band councils. A majority of its councils have approved the pipeline, but some of the Wet’suwet’en hereditary chiefs oppose it running through their traditional territory. However, this agreement may not be honored by other First nations groups as the secretary of the Mohawk Nation of Kahnawake have already stated that they will maintain their rail blockade on the territory south of Montreal, at least for now. Canaan Transport currently anticipates continued delays on major rail corridors as freight trains are moving but may be affected by illegal strikes in the coming days.
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