Land Solidarity Statement
We cannot talk about migrant justice on stolen land without bringing awareness to the solidarity between these movements, as the same militarized borders that separate migrants from their communities and tear families apart also cut through the territories of Indigenous nations, and the federal government gets to impose its jurisdiction over Indigenous lands to dictate who is allowed to enter and leave.
We organize on the ancestral and unceded lands and territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), səl̓ilwətaɁɬ təməxʷ (Tsleil-Waututh) and Skwxwú7mesh-ulh Temíx̱w (Squamish) nations. Indigenous peoples have had their land, homes, and lives taken by the violent Canadian colonial system, which continues to commit genocide and pollute on these lands today. As a result of systems of oppression, forced migration can involve those moving to find work in other countries, as the global North exploits their homelands that are rich in resources, refugees fleeing a war or Indigenous Peoples having to leave their lands due to climate change. Despite differences between our communities, similar experiences and struggles can unite us against those in power that benefit from our divide.
We stand with the Indigenous peoples of this land in their struggles and demands for water, land, and ultimately their total sovereignty. When we educate and organize on these territories, it is in solidarity with Indigenous peoples on whose land we are present towards ending the world system of imperialism.
There is an ongoing history of migrant people and Indigenous Peoples working together. We need to build broader and deeper alliances between our communities now, to win justice for all.