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

Dec 2, 2025

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.

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 16, 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 include:
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
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
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

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