Skwelkwek'welt Protection Center

P.O. Box 837

Chase, British Columbia, Canada V0E 1M0

Telephone: (250) 318-4290 Fax: (250) 679-5306 E-mail: jrbilly@mail.ocis.net

 

Press Release

August 28, 2004, Neskonlith Indian Reserve

 

"We would like to publicly apologize to the Council of Canadians and the Union of BC Indian Chiefs for the accusatory Media Release made by the Shuswap Nation Tribal Council (SNTC) on August 27, 2004," said Janice Billy, spokesperson for the Skwelkwek'welt Protection Center. Traditional Secwepemc Elders and peoples who are struggling to assert Aboriginal Title and rights over Secwepemc traditional territories  have invited the Council of Canadians, Union of BC Indian Chiefs, and all other organizations and individuals to Secwepemc territories.

 

Janice Billy agrees with the SNTC Press Release that outsiders should pay attention to the wishes of the Secwepemc peoples when they are in our territory, but she adds, "the Shuswap Chiefs by the same token need to listen to their people.  They know our position on this issue very well.  We follow the Shushwap/ Okanagan Declaration laid out by our ancestors.  We are upholding this agreement by being responsible for the land, the culture now, and for future generations.  We have consistently occupied and used the land, building homes and structures well within the original territory of the Secwepemc Nation, thus asserting and exercising our Aboriginal rights and Title.”

 

Janice Billy said, "the defenders of the Skwelkwek'welt Protection Center have just sent an open letter to the Prime Minister and the B.C. Premier, laying out our concerns on federal and provincial policies and processes regarding our land rights, like stopping the Sun Peaks expansion."

 

Arthur Manuel, former chief of Neskonlith Indian Band and former chairman of the SNTC, said "the issue of lack of respectability by the Council of Canadians and the UBCIC is just a political spin to hide the fact that some Indian bands have investments up at Sun Peaks and they obviously support Sun Peaks' expansion."

 

Arthur Manuel said, "in general the SNTC has been focusing on short term economic development initiatives and have been very soft on fighting for the recognition of Aboriginal Title.  That is why the Skwelkwek'welt Protection Center is caught having to seek outside support to get our larger environmental and land issues dealt with."

 

Arthur Manuel said, "I fully support all the efforts of the Skwelkwek'welt Protection Center but the Convergence and Demonstration is a grassroots initiative. Until a just resolution to our land issue is reached, protests will continue, not as acts of aggression, but as the concrete reminders of frustration with the expansion and theft of our lands.”

 

Contact:

Janice Billy, Skwelkwek'welt Protection Center  (250) 318-4290

Arthur Manuel   (250) 319-0688