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Home > Campaigns > Indigenous Solidarity > skwelkwek'welt > articles > sun peaks environmental destruction
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Environmental Destruction by Sun Peaks Resort
Sun Peaks is built on Secwepemc land, which the Secwepemc refer to as Skwelkwek’welt, located in BC’s interior, 30 km NE of Kamloops. Secwepemc have never ceded, surrendered or released their land in any way.
In 1997, the BC government approved a $70 million development plan, allowing Sun Peaks to continue to expand their resort to 20,000 beds and
put ski runs on the previously undisturbed Mt. Morrisey. The Secwepemc
attended stakeholder meetings and clearly said no to the development. Land
and Water BC however, clearly disregarded their voices and granted new leases to Sun Peaks to facilitate their expansion, and in June 2001, Land
and Water BC obtained a court injunction to forcibly remove Secwepemc from their lands. To date, 54 arrests with charges from criminal contempt and
intimidation by blocking a road to resisting arrest have been made.
The expansion involves putting ski runs on the previously undisturbed Mt.
Morrisey, destroying the vital mountain ecosystem. Three entire mountains
are being clear-cut, three mountains destroyed along with animal habitat
of deer, moose, bears, beavers, lynx, bobcat, cougars, wolverines and
other animals, along with destruction of plant systems which provide
berries and medicine for the Secwepemc community. Sun Peaks resort
pollutes the water with weed-control chemicals for their golf course and
with chemical and bacterial additives used to make artificial snow. Sun
Peaks over-consumes water and energy to make this artificial snow (it
takes 1/3 the energy of a average town to run a medium ski area).
With the Olympic bid, expansion in Sun Peaks is now projected at $240
million, along with continued development and logging at Elk Creek
Rainforest in unceded Pilalt Territories, where nine clear cuts in the
“five year plan” have destroyed Western Red Cedars and Douglas firs while
affecting spawning of the Chum and Coho salmon and Cutthroat trout.
Indigenous communities are most affected by environmental degradation
across these lands as their homes and livelihoods continue to be destroyed
by a government that does not recognize their inherent rights to
traditional territories. Despite the recognition of the inherent land
rights of Aboriginal People as Aboriginal Title in Delgamuukw, and despite
the Haida decision that requires provincial and private interests to
consult, obtain consent and accommodate Aboriginal interests prior to
pursuing development on Aboriginal territories, federal and provincial
governments still insist indigenous peoples must prove their title within
the court system rather than by abiding by the principal of Title itself.
The Royal Proclamation of 1763 asserts that "And We do further strictly enjoin and require all Persons whatever who have either wilfully or inadvertently seated themselves upon any Lands within the Countries above described, or upon any other Lands which, not having been ceded to or purchased by Us, are still reserved to the said Indians as aforesaid, forthwith to remove themselves from such Settlements."
Given the devastation of the land and continued assault on indigenous
peoples and their rights, we will be organizing a convergence against Sun
Peaks Resort.
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