Secwepemcul’ecw Traditional Peoples Government
Box 837, Chase, bc V0E-1MO ( 250 ) 318 - 4290
jrbilly@mail.ocis.net www.skwelkwekwelt.net
INTERNATIONAL STATEMENT
T’kumlups, Secwepemcul’ecw - Thursday, June 16, 2005 - 11 pm PST
SUN PEAKS RESORT CONTINUES DESTROYING SECWEPEMC LAND AND SENDING SECWEPEMC
NATIONALS TO JAIL IN PROCESS
In Kamloops Supreme Court today, Justice F. Cole jailed four Secwepemc
Nation members - Nicole Manuel, Rose Jack, Trevor Dennis and Mark Sauls
for their participation in a 4 hour roadblock on August 24, 2001 at
Skwelkwek’welt ( Sun Peaks Ski Resort )
Sentences ranged from 45 days for 28 year old Secwepemc mother of 2,
Nicole Manuel, to 90 days for three other Secwepemc Nationals, Trevor
Dennis 26, Rose Jack 25 and Mark Sauls 24.
Two other Secwepemc Nationals in today’s proceedings, Beverly Manuel and
Miranda Dick were given suspended and conditional sentences,
respectively.
Following an established pattern since December 15, 2004, Justice Cole
denied all attempts by the defence to have numerous constitutional
questions submitted to his court concerning the BC Lands Act dealt with
before sentencing in this matter was administered. “Since December 15,
2004, we have targeted the patently unconstitutional 1874 BC Lands Act as
the center of our legal actions and defense. Canada’s 1875 Duty of
Disallowance reaffirms this illegal definition” stated defendant Beverly
Manuel.
Secwepemcul’ecw Traditional Peoples Government spokesperson Janice Billy
said ” I deplore the imprisonment of my people for upholding our sacred
responsibility to protect our land from destruction by Sun Peaks Resort
Corporation.” She added, the “the imprisonment of our people is just one
of the many immoral tactics used by the BC provincial courts, government,
and corporations to continue the theft and destruction of our unceded
lands. Rather than deal honorably with us, the government uses the RCMP,
courts, and media to carry out their theft and destruction. The young
people jailed have shown tremendous courage to stand up to this oppressive
and racist system” Attending court for the sentencing, Bonnie Andrew,
councillor of the Neskonlith Indian Band, said “The government has to
respect our rights to this land as Indigenous People and quit it’s
‘business as usual’ approach” Despite the continuing desecration of our
traditional territory and the governments refusal to respect our Title to
Secwepemcul’ecw, Secwepemc Nationals will continue to ‘occupy, use and
enjoy all lands within our Nation’. This is the exact principle which was
mutually agreed upon by the Secwpemcul’ecw Traditional Peoples Government
and the Shuswap Nation Tribal Council on September 20, 2004 prior to the
arrests of three other Sewepemc Nationals on September 21, 2004 at
Skwelkwek’welt.
For More Info contact
Janice Billy ( 250 ) 318 - 4290
jrbilly@mail.ocis.net