Gitanyow Hereditary Chiefs to Major Banks & Pensions: Investing in Ksi Lisims LNG a Major Risk

Gitanyow Lax’yip (Northwestern British Columbia, Canada) – Ahead of an anticipated Final Investment Decision in 2026, Simigigyet’m Gitanyow (Gitanyow Hereditary Chiefs) – a traditional Indigenous government mandated to protect Gitanyow Nation’s lands, resources, and laws – submitted a letter today to 43 banks and pension funds to respect Gitanyow rights, and urge against providing financing or equity investments for the proposed Ksi Lisims liquefied “natural” gas (LNG) project or its developers. 

Read the full letter from Gitanyow Hereditary Chiefs to major banks and pensions.

Simogyet Watakhayetsxw/Deborah Good:

“Investors considering financing Ksi Lisims LNG need to know that this project is an extremely risky bet for many reasons and continues to face mounting opposition. Gitanyow’s message is clear: we’ll continue to fight for our way of life and stand up against projects like this that threaten our Lax’yip.”

This comes amidst decades of resistance, from these lands and around the world, to LNG and other forms of fossil fuel expansion. 128 civil society organisations have endorsed the Gitanyow letter in solidarity. 

Addressing the lack of consent by at least four additional First Nations, the mounting financial risks of LNG projects as the world rapidly transitions to renewable energy, and legal and regulatory climate and environmental threats, the letter states:

“We would like to alert you to significant negative impacts and risks posed to our people and the natural resources on which we rely from the proposed Ksi Lisims liquefied natural gas project. Given our serious concerns, growing legal uncertainty and the withholding of consent for the project by Indigenous Peoples — including Gitanyow — as required under the U.N. Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples to which Canada is a signatory, we strongly urge your institution not to provide financing or consider equity investments for this project or its developers.”

On November 13, Prime Minister Mark Carney designated Ksi Lisims LNG of national significance and referred it to the Major Projects Office for fast-tracking and possible taxpayer-backed support. The 12 million tonnes of gas exported by Ksi Lisims would escalate climate-killing emissions while putting billions in the pockets of foreign-owned and MAGA-linked private equity firms. This also comes on the heels of COP30 in Brazil where the rights and inclusion of Indigenous Peoples rightfully dominated the negotiations.

The letter continues:

“The Gitanyow have never ceded or surrendered title to their lands, rights to their resources, or the power to make decisions within the Lax’yip (Territory)…We have challenged the project in court over threats to salmon populations in the Nass Watershed, climate impacts, inadequate consultation and absence of Indigenous consent..… consent and/or a decision on consent has not been granted for Ksi Lisims LNG by four of the six participating Nations: Lax Kw’alaams, Metlaktla, Kitsumkalum, and Gitxalaa.”

Multiple First Nations have challenged Ksi Lisims LNG legally, including ongoing individual federal court challenges from Lax Kw’alaams Band and Metlakatla First Nation launched in October 2025; Gitanyow Hereditary Chiefs challenged Ksi Lisims LNG in BC Supreme Court over dangers to salmon, climate impacts, and failure to properly consult, which was recently dismissed are considering an appeal. 

Offering four clear recommendations for financial institutions considering Ksi Lisims LNG financing, Gitanyow leaders requested direct response to this letter within two weeks, by December 15, confirming decisions around denying financing to this project as part of a broader LNG exclusion policy. 

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NOTES TO THE EDITOR: 

The full list of financial institutions that received the KSI LISIMS LNG PROJECT – LEGAL, FINANCIAL, AND ENVIRONMENTAL RISKS TO FINANCIERS AND INVESTORS letter includes: 

Banks: Bank of America, BBVA, BMO, BNP Paribas, CIBC, Citi, Credit Agricole, Deutsche Bank, Goldman Sachs, HSBC, ING, Intesa Saopaolo, JPMorgan Chase, MUFG, Mizuho, Morgan Stanley, National Bank of Canada, RBC, Santander, Scotiabank, SMBC, Societe Generale, TD Bank, Wells Fargo

Export Development Canada, Canada Infrastructure Bank, Export-Import Bank of Korea, Korea Trade Insurance Corporation, Korea Development Bank, Japan Bank for International Cooperation

Pension Funds: Alberta Investment Management Corp, British Columbia Investment Management Corp, Caisse de Depot et Placement du Quebec, Canada Pension Plan Investment Board, Canada Post Pension Plan, Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan, Investment Management Corp of Ontario, Ontario Municipal Employee Retirement System, Ontario Pension Board, Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan, Ontario’s University Pension Plan, OPSEU Pension Trust, Public Sector Pension Investment Board

For more information, visit: https://www.gitanyowchiefs.com/

The full list of solidarity endorsement signatories includes:

128 Organizational Endorsements:

Adasina Social Capital

Alaska Community Action on Toxics

Amnesty International Canada Section, English Speaking

Amnistie Internationale Canada, Francophone

Armenian Women for Health and Healthy Environment (AWHHE)

Association for Farmers Rights Defense, AFRD

BankTrack

Baruch Initiative for Transformation 

Between the Waters

Canadian Association of Nurses for the Environment

CAPE

Change Course

Cherokee Concerned Citizens 

Climate Action Network Canada

Climate Action Partnership 

Climate Conversation Brazoria County 

Climate Emergency Unit

Climate Justice Victoria

Coalition of Responsible Energy Development in New Brunswick (CRED-NB)

Conexiones Climáticas

Cowichan Climate Hub

David Suzuki Foundation

Decolonial Solidarity

Divest Oregon

Divest Washington

DivestNJ

Don’t Gas the Meadowlands Coalition

Earth Ethics, Inc.

Earth Justice Ministries

Earth Neighborhood Productions

Eco Action Families

Elders Coalition for Climate Action

Environmental Defence Canada

Fenceline Watch

First Do No Harm

For a Better Bayou

For Our Kids

Frack Off London

FracTracker Alliance

Friends of the Earth Australia

Friends of the Earth Canada

Friends of the Earth EWNI (England, Wales, Northern Ireland) 

Friends of the Earth Ireland 

Friends of the Earth Japan

Giniw Collective

Glasswaters Foundation

Grandmothers Act to Save the Planet (GASP)

GreenFaith

Greenpeace Canada

Gulf South Fossil Finance Hub

Iceland Nature Conservation Association

Independent Jewish Voices, Vancouver Chapter

Indigenous Climate Action

Indigenous Solidarity Committee of Seniors for Climate Action Now!

Investor Advocates for Social Justice

Jubilee Australia Research Centre

Justiça Ambiental JA! Mozambique

Lamu Youth Alliance 

Last Generation Canada

Les Amis de la Terre France

Les Amis de la Terre-Togo

MARBE SA—Costa Rica

Market Forces

Mothers Rise Up

Movement Rights

My Sea to Sky

Natural Investments PBLLC

NOAH – Friends of the Earth Denmark

North American Climate, Conservation and Environment (NACCE)

Oil and Gas Action Network

Oil Change International

One Cowichan Community Education Society

Pacific Environment

Parents for Future UK

People & Planet

Planet Over Profit

Plant Based Treaty

Plastic Pollution Coalition

Private Equity Stakeholder Project

Pro Public 

Public Citizen

Racial Justice Investing Coalition

Rainforest Action Network

RBC Off Screen

re•generation

Reel Stories Creative

Rettet den Regenwald / Rainforest Rescue

Rise Up WV

Sacred Earth

San Antonio Bay Waterkeeper

Save the Yellowstone Grizzly

Say No to LNG

Seniors for Climate Action Now!

Seniors for Climate South Okanagan

Shake Up The Establishment 

Shift: Action for Pension Wealth and Planet Health

Sierra Club

Sierra Club BC

Skeena Watershed Conservation Coalition

Solutions for our Climate

South Fraser Unitarians

South Texas Environmental Justice Network

Stand.earth

Tallgrass Institute

Texas Campaign for the Environment

The Last Plastic Straw

The Nulla Project

The People’s Justice Council

Third Act 

Third Act New Jersey

Third Act SoCal

Tools For Solidarity

Union of BC Indian Chiefs

Urgewald

Vancouver Cohousing

Vancouver Ecosocialists

Virage Collectif

Watershed Sentinel Educational Society

West Coast Environmental Law Association

White Rock South Surrey Climate Corps

Wilderness Committee

Zero Waste BC

Zero Waste Ithaca

350 Seattle

350 Yakima Climate Action

350Hawaii

350Juneau

7 Directions of Service

8th Fire Rising Network