Copyright © 2002 NLThomas
All Rights Reserved

Coast Salish Territory/Vancouver, September 13, 2002 - On August 24, 2001, Secwepemc youth blocked the road to Skwelkwek'welt and to the Sun Peaks Resort. This past week, Joseph Romandia, Niki Manuel, Amanda Soper, Beverley Manuel, Dustin Eberle and Miranda Dick were in a Kamloops courtroom to face charges of mischief and intimidation. On Monday September 16th, they will hear the judge's decision.

"What the youth did that day was courageous as they asserted their constitutionally protected Aboriginal Title to their territory. The Union of British Columbia Indian Chiefs (UBCIC) fully supports their constitutional right and duty to protect their territory," said Chief Stewart Phillip.

The UBCIC believes that the issue of unresolved Aboriginal Title and the status-quo policy of denial of Aboriginal Rights are fundamental issues that shall directly contribute to future land-use disputes as the effects of government policies like the results-based Forest Practices Code, the accelerated approval of land and water use tenures and the implementation of treaty principles based on the outcome of the Referendum are operationalized at the community level.

The road to Skwelkwek'welt itself is a contentious issue as it was built on Secwepemc land without consent or an accommodation of Secwepemc title. As Niki Manuel stated "It is about the legal access to the road. It is about how we, as Secwepemc according to our laws, have a duty and an obligation to protect our land. We asked the judge to try to understand what happened that day from a Secwepemc perspective."

Miranda Dick added, "I feel we only did what we had to do to protect our aboriginl title interests to our lands and I am hopeful that the decision will be in our favour."

"I was raised on Secwepemc land. I have lived and survived on Secwepemc land. What should be understood is that we have always had title to our land. We did not do anything wrong but here we are with the provincial government and the justice system attempting to criminalize us for protecting our land," said Beverley Manuel.

"It is our land. We are not the trespassers," affirmed Janice Billy, spokesperson of the Skwelkwek'welt Protection Centre.

Chief Phillip concluded, "I agree with Chief Arthur Manuel, there will never be economic certainty in this province as long as the provincial and federal governments ignore our Aboriginal Title and constitutionally protected Aboriginal Rights. All third parties and investors must be aware that this province is not open for business. Quite the opposite, the cloud of economic uncertainty that hangs over the Province of BC continues to darken with each passing day!"