Turtle Island Native Network
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Skwelkwekwelt Protection Center
Secwepemc Territory
C/O Box 608
Chase, B. C. Canada
Phone 250-679-3295 Fax 250-679-5306

Knucwete-Kuc
(We need your help)

We, the Secwepemc, have been living on our lands in Skwelkwekwelt. This one
of our traditional places we have used for thousands to years to gather our
food and practice our spiritual way of life. Sun Peaks Ski Resort has
constructed a ski resort within our traditional territory and within our
1862 Neskonlith Douglas reserve. Sun Peaks resort is planning a massive
expansion project which would have devastating effects on our way of life,
and indeed, on our survival as Secwepemc peoples.

Since we have been living on our lands, there has been a tremendous amount
of pressure to drive us off our homelands; and to extinguish rights to our
lands and to eventually exterminate us as Peoples with a land and culture.

The Province of British Columbia, Sun Peaks Resort and the RCMP have driven
us off three of our homesites. They have used very devious strategies to
remove us from our homelands.
· The Province issued a lease to Sun Peaks on lands which
We had been living on. Sun Peaks Resort then got an injunction to remove
us. 2 Elders and 2 men were arrested.

· Sun Peaks de-activated a road to Mt. Morrisey which blocked our access to
practice our aboriginal rights, including the right to gather our foods and
build shelters


· The Ministry of Highways removed a home by the road into the Sun Peaks
village making our people homeless.


ON DECEMBER 3, 2001 A COURT INJUNCTION WILL BE HELD TO ENFORCE A TREPASS
AND SEIZURE NOTICE AT McGILLVRAY LAKE AND THE SKWELKWEKWELT PROTECTION
CENTER.

A young Secwepemc family has spent month constructing a home at McGillvray,
which is now seized under the B. C. Land Act


2.

We need help in asserting our right to our lands and culture. We need
support from all Native people who believe we did not surrender our lands
and who believe we have a right to live on our lands and practice our way
of life on the land. We need support from all people who believe in the
care and protection of the earth from unnecessary destruction.


One of our biggest need is funds for legal defense before December 3, 2001

Donations can be send to Skwelkwekwelt Legal Defense Fund
C/O Neskonlith Band
Box 608
Chase, B. C. VOE 1M0
Phone 250-679-3295 Fax 250-679-5306

You can also help by:
· Donating your time to be part of the legal defense team (lawyers,
researchers)
· Fund-raise in your community for our legal defense
· Write letters to governments to respect and recognize our rights and title


Prime Minister Jean Chretien
Government of Canada
House of Commons
Ottawa, Ontario
Fax 613-941-6900

Premier Gordon Campbell
Parliament Buildings
Victoria, B. C. V8W 9E1
Fax 250-387-0087
Premier@...

For more information please contact: Janice Billy (at above address)

Chief Arthur Manuel (at above address)
Cell
250-314-7179

Kukstec-Kuc (Thank you from all of us)

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For more on the Secwepemc Fight to Defend Their Traditional Lands see

http://www.turtleisland.org/news/news-secwepemc.htm




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