The Current, CBC Radio

September 9, 2004
Sun Peaks Protester Tape

If you've ever traveled to a resort, you know some brochures can be selective in what they show. If you look at the ads for Sun Peaks Resort, for example, you'll see the snowcapped mountains of Central British Columbia, happy golfers, sunburned retirees and avid skiers. What you won't see is any evidence of tension over recent land disputes.

In fact, for more than two years now, the province, resort owners and local native protesters have been battling over acres of lush property. Sun Peaks is planning a significant expansion from the current 4-thousand units to 24-thousand. The expansion could mean a lot of jobs for the local aboriginal population, but it's going to be built on some land that's under dispute.

Adding to the tension is an ongoing disagreement within the native band affected by the development. Things have been heating up in recent weeks, with protests, court injunctions and threats of arrests.

Two weeks ago, native protesters set up camp near the resort's golf course. We aired some tape of the protest that was recorded by a local station called Working TV.

Last Friday Sun Peaks went to court to get an injunction to stop the protest. Yesterday the RCMP were at the protest site...and so was our microphone.

Sun Peaks Representative

We were joined by Christopher Nicolson. He is the President of Tourism Sun Peaks. He was in Kamloops.

Native Debate

While the protestors appear pitted against Sun Peaks, the province and the RCMP...divisions are also growing among the Secwepemc people.

Arthur Manuel is a leader in the Secwepemc community and has been supporting the protesters from the beginning. He joined us from our studio in Kelowna. Richard Vedan is the Director of the First Nations House of Learning at the University of British Columbia. He joined us from our Vancouver studio. Both men are members of the Neskonlith Indian Band, which is part of Shuswap Nation.

Listen to The Current: Part 1

(Due to streaming policies, some segments may be altered or not available)

Convergence Video and Audio Links

September 2, 2004

Video
Highlights of the Demo at Sun Peaks from Working TV:
http://www.workingtv.com/sunpeaks.html

Audio
CKUT Radio, Montreal
Wolverine at the Convergence, Saturday night August 28th
http://www.radio4all.net/proginfo.php?id=9950

Interview with Janice Billy, Skwelkwek'welt Protection Centre
http://132.216.18.132/32/20040831.17.35-17.53.mp3

Co-op Radio
Storm on Sun Peaks: A Green Monkey Radio Documentary

If you have audio or video links email: apc-website (at) resist (dot) ca

GLOBALIZATION: GUNBOATS TO WTO

The Convergence Against Sun Peaks to Protect Unceded Territories

Download Speeches by:

Irene Billy - Secwepemc elder and founder of the Skwelkwet'welt Protection Centre
Art Manuel - Former chief. long-time indigneous rights activist, spokesperson of Skwelkwet'welt Protection Centre and Indigenous Network on Economies and Trade
Naomi Klein - Writer, activist and columinst and author of No Logo and Fences and Windows

This event took place:
August 4, 2004
Vancouver Public Library
Organized by Land, Freedom and Decoloniazation Coalition
Recorded by Necessary Voices
Sponsered by the Vancouver Public Library

CKUT Radio: Resistance Without Reservation

A radio documentary about the Skwelkwek'welt Protection Center

Resistance without Reservation is a 1 hour radio documentary about the Skwelkwek'welt Protection Center. In October of 2000 the Secwepemc people established the Skwelkwek'welt Protection Center in British Columbia to resist the expansion of Sunpeaks Ski Resort. Sunpeaks Ski Resort continues to this day to illegally occupy and expand upon Secwepemc land, despite the vocal opposition and continued resistance of the Secwepemc people. Resistance without Reservation features interviews which were recorded at the Skwelkwek'welt Protection Center in British Colombia during the winter of 2003 with various members of the Secwepemc community and the Native Youth Movement (NYM) who are active at Skwelkwek'welt. The indigenous resistance to Sunpeaks though the Skwelkwek'welt Protection Center has received attention and support from throughout the world, while becoming a source of inspiration for many as a defining point in the fight for indigenous self-determination on Turtle Island.

-> Listen to Resistance Without Reservation