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

 

Business as Usual – Trespass Notice Served at Sun Peaks

 

(Neskonlith Indian Reserve, August 29, 2004)  The provincial government served a Trespass Notice on the Skwelkwek’welt Protection Center at Sun Peaks this evening.  The Trespass Notice basically assumes the province has exclusive or 100% proprietary interests in the Aboriginal Title lands.  The Trespass Notice articulates the position that the construction of a permanent monitoring center on unoccupied Crown Land adjacent to Sun Peaks’ expansion is a violation of the BC Land Act.

 

Janice Billy has said “it is business-as-usual for the province and Sun Peaks.  They are both treating Aboriginal Title as if it does not even exist.”  She said the “BC Land Act is outdated because of the Supreme Court of Canada has recognized Aboriginal Title in all of un-ceded lands, including Sun Peaks”. 

 

Arthur Manuel has said that “the failure of these policies causes the province to use the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) as Indian Agents regarding outstanding land issues”.  He said “using the police this way makes them ineffective as policemen in real criminal matters.  It really undermines our trust in them and generally speaking hurts us all.”

 

Three hundred people marched on Sunday to protest Sun Peaks expansion on traditional Secwepemc territories. Supporters and human rights observers remain to witness the building of the permanent structure.

 

Contact:           Janice Billy, Skwelkwek’welt Protection Center (250) 318-4290

                       Arthur Manuel, (250) 319-0688