My name is James Saul. I'm a 73 year old Secwepemc Elder. I'm a pipe-carrier and a Sundance Chief. I built a Sweatlodge at McGillivary Lake last summer. Another Sweatlodge was built by a female elder for the women to use. We've had many beautiful ceremonies there since that time. The Native youth have been training in their own culture with us. We've had many different healing ceremonies on our land since long before white people arrived in our country. During the last year, medicine people have smoked their pipes up there to protect our land from being destroyed and stolen from us.

Our Sweatlodges have always been our churches. That's one of our highest ceremonies on this mother earth. All Native people have the highest respect for our Sweatlodges. And non-native people are also learning about this way of life. Last week Sun Peaks got a court injunction to prevent us from occupying our own land at McGillvary Lake. On Monday December 10, Sun Peaks, guarded by the RCMP, destroyed 2 of our homes and also the Sweatlodges that we had built. They destroyed our sacred Sweatlodges without any discussion or notice. This act was a terrible violation of our culture and humanity.

We don't go around destroying their churches. Even though this is our land, and even though we've been persecuted by Christianity, we respect their right to practice their own religion. If we did desecrate their churches we'd be charged with hate crimes. I feel they've committed a hate crime against us.

They're going to get hurt for what they've done. I don't mean by us.. They've committed a crime against the natural order and against our ancestors and spirit helpers. They themselves have no spirits, only what comes out of a bottle.

This crime was committed by Sun Peaks, BCAL, the Attorney General, and the RCMP. I'm sending this letter out to all reserves, because all Native people have a right to know what they did to our Sweatlodges. Neskonlith and Adams Lake have about 20 Sweatlodges in the village alone. Imagine how many in the Secwepemc Nation, never mind all Turtle Island.

On December 11, 2001 Nicole and her family decided to return to McGilliveray Lake. It was the day after they were evicted from their home at McGillivray Lake. They decided to go back to the sight to see their home but they were met with great sadness as a family because their home was totally destroyed by the Sun Peaks employees under contract from the British Columbia Assets and Lands Corporation. Her children broke down in tears and fell to the ground.

They had to walk some five kilometers in very deep snow to the McGillivray Lake home site because Sun Peaks Ski Resort and BCAL deployed heavy equipment to build snow made roadblocks on the road. They built three such roadblocks a kilometer between. Beverly Manuel had to remain with the truck because they did not feel safe leaving their vehicle alone because of the snowmobiles that were also using the road. Nicole, her 2 sons and a friend walked the five miles in great fear that the snowmobiles would try and pick a fight with them because one snowmobiler rather threateningly asked them "What are you doing her?".

Nicole and her family had to walk back to the truck and it took them over half an hour to turn the truck around. It was a tough and risky business and it just proves that Sun Peaks and the British Columbia government have no respect for the "safety" of the Secwepemc peoples.

It is clear that Sun Peaks a Japanese company is claiming Secwepemc land and the BC government is selling the land despite the fact they do not own it or depend on it as Secwepemc peoples do.

It was also the feelings of the peoples of Skwelkwek'welt that the Royal Canadian Mounted Police were merely working for Sun Peaks and BCAL. The Court Order did not call for the destruction of Nicole's family home and was to be in Court on December 11, 2001 but they stood by and let Sun Peaks and BCAL destroy her home. It is clear that the RCMP wanted to facilitate the destruction of the home and allow that fact to overcome any substantive legal argument that they knew they did not have a good chance of winning.

At one point the Secwepemc peoples of Skwelkwek'welt want to just stop the expansion of Sun Peaks but now they feel Sun Peaks has to go.

It is important to realize that the BC government is working hard to give out recreational and non-forest product rights to people and that this will effect the rights of all indigenous peoples. What is going on at Sun Peaks is merely the tip of the iceberg. We cannot sleep on our rights.

PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 12th, 2001

Skwelkwekwelt Protection Center to Carry Out Direct Actions
& Return to Occupy Their Lands and Mountains: Demands that Sun Peaks Resort Leave Territory Altogether!

(Coast Salish Territory/Vancouver, December 12, 2001) Since their forced eviction from their homes at Skwelkwekwelt yesterday, representatives of the Skwelkwekwelt Protection Center have been in discussions with supporters from around the province, the country and internationally about having back-up to assist in re-establishing homes on their 1862 Neskonlith Douglas Reserve (which is also Secwepemc Aboriginal title territory). They have received now numerous offers of assistance for further direct actions on the ground.

The Skwelkwekwelt Protection Center has made many reasonable attempts to have their title, rights and interests recognized in the area where the Sun Peaks Resort Corporation wants to expand its year round destination resort.

After the ‘bad faith’ treatment the Secwepemc Elders and peoples have received by the Sun Peaks Resort, the provincial government, the RCMP, and the provincial court system, the position of the Secwepemc of Skwelkwekwelt is that they now want to convince the Sun Peaks Resort Corporation, it is in their best interests to vacate the territory altogether. The Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs’ supports this position.

Chief Stewart Phillip, President of the UBCIC stated today “the labelling of the Secwepemc at Skwelkwekwelt as ‘trespassers’ and forcibly removing them from their homes marks a new and dangerous phase in the history of Aboriginal and Crown relations in the province of B.C. The South, Central interior is a region where the vast majority of the Indigenous communities have not entered into the illegal and immoral B.C. Treaty process, so when the Attorney-General of B.C., Geoff Plante, walked away from discussions with Chief Arthur Manuel last month and used the police to evict Secwepemc people and demolish their homes at Skwekwekwelt, he as much as said it’s open season on Indigenous peoples, use the tactics of the eighteenth century and force them off their lands.

As a leader, I have no choice but to support all Indigenous peoples who resist this ‘brute force’ approach to settling the land question in British Columbia. There will never be any certainty in B.C. if this abuse of power continues to escalate.”

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:
Chief Stewart Phillip
President, UBCIC
Cell: (250) 490-5314

Tue, 11 Dec 2001
From: Janice Billy jrbilly@mail.ocis.net
GENOCIDE IN BRITISH COLUMBIA

Today is the 4th anniversary of the Delgamuukw Supreme Court of Canada decision which affirmed our rights and title to our lands. December 10, was International Human Rights Day.

The Canadian and British Columbia government absolutely refuse to recognize as human beings. Despite all the precedent setting legal cases won by indigenous peoples in Canada, Secwepemc are being evicted from their homes and land. This is genocide. It is absolutely unbelievable and unacceptable that this would happen in Canada in the year 2001.

On Monday, December 10 on International Human Rights Day, Sun Peaks Ski Resort and the Province of British Columbia demolished two homes in the Skwelkwekwelt and MacGillvray Lake AREA.

We received a court injunction to leave those areas. We agreed to leave peacefully. There was to be a court hearing on the morning of Tuesday, Dec. 11 to test the legality of the Government of British Columbia removal of the house at MacGillvray Lake.

On Monday night, the Government of British Columbia and Sun Peaks Ski Resort went into MacGillvray Lake while no one was there and used 3 big machines to totally demolish the house. They bulldozed down the sacred sweatlodges, traditional cedar bark lodge, removed sacred tobacco ties, and left no trace that we had ever been there.

The house demolished was built by a young Secwepemc woman with the help of many, many volunteers. It was a very empowering experience for them. They re-connected with the land, lived on the land and learned many traditional teachings from the Elders. The young family which includes a 2 year old and a 10 year old had just moved into the house.

Upon returning to the site on Tuesday, the family found the house bulldozed to the ground with absolutely no trace that it had ever been there. They discovered the sweatlodges had been bulldozed to make way for groomed ski trails.

The pain felt by the young family is incredible. The 10 year old son cried and cried upon seeing the damage.

This incredible pain was also felt by the Elders who were at the Skwelkwekwelt Protection Center on Monday, Dec. 10 when they were also forcibly removed from their site.

They just cannot understand how human being can treat other human beings with such atrocious, despicable behavior all under the guise of "law".

In all incidences of forcible removal of our people, the actions of the British Columbia government are illegal. We have been guaranteed rights under the Delgamuukw Supreme Court Decision of 1997. We also have our Natural Law handed down to us by our ancestors. This law states we must protect and take care of the lands and all creation so future generations may live.

Despite the destruction and devastation felt by the Secwepemc Elders and youth, their spirit is not broken and they are more determined than ever to seek justice for our people.

We want the world to know that genocide and ethnic cleansing is not something that happens in other countries, but right here in British Columbia, Canada.

We seek your support to obtain recognition of us as Secwepemc Peoples and for a fair and just settlement of our lands.

We ask you to express your indignation and horror to these genocidal actions by the Government of British Columbia and Sun Peaks Ski Resort Corporation.

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

Chilcotin National Congress
RR No. 3 Comp 61 2115 Kinglet Site
Williams Lake, BC, V2G 1M3, Canada

PRESS RELEASE
December 11, 2001

"Sun Peaks Resort and B.C. Government Assault on Secwepemc Camps a Threat to all Indigenous Peoples: Time for Action on the Ground to Commence"

The Chilcotin National Congress representatives have been in contact with the Secwepemc peoples from the Skwelkwek'welt Protection Center, following their forced removal from their traditional territory yesterday. The Chilicotin National Congress is a Council of Hereditary Chiefs.

The Sun Peaks Resort is obviously behind the actions of the provincial government and the RCMP in their plans to remove Secwepemc peoples from the area. We are ready to provide support on the ground to the Skwelkwek'welt Protection Center in order to defend their territory from outside aggression.

If Gordon Campbell's administration thinks they are going to get away with calling Indigenous peoples "trespassers" and using the police to remove them, then they have another thing coming.

The majority of the Indigenous communities in the South, Central interior of B.C. are not in the bogus B.C. Treaty Process, so the results of the provincial referendum will mean nothing to us. We will take what is ours, not negotiate for it.

The Secwepemc of the 1862 Neskonlith Douglas Reserve have told us they now want the Sun Peaks Resort to leave the area forever. We are ready to help convince the ski resort to look elsewhere to locate, perhaps back to Japan.

For more information contact:
Dave Quilt (250) 394-7055
Danny Case (250) 392-2278
Francis Laceese (250) 659-5655
---------------------------------------

Westcoast Warrior Society

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 11th, 2001

PRESS RELEASE

Westcoast Warrior Society Mobilizing a Support Force to Assist Secwepemc Peoples in Returning to Occupy Skwelkwekwelt

The Westcoast Warrior Society is equipped and willing to offer assistance to Indigenous communities who request support. The Westcoast Warriors respects the wishes and direction of the Indigenous community asking for help.

In the case of the Skwelkwekwelt Protection Center, the Westcoast Warriors have been put on a 24 hour alert to assist the Secwepemc peoples in returning to occupy their 1862 Neskonlith Douglas Reserve lands and mountains at Skwelkwekwelt.

We will not stand idly by and watch our Indigenous peoples being forcibly evicted from their traditional territories, as the RCMP did on behalf of the Sun Peaks Resort Corporation and the B.C. government.

It is now our understanding that the Secwepemc people of the 1862 Neskonlith Douglas Reserve want help to convince the Sun Peaks Resort Corporation to willingly leave Secwepemc lands and mountains permanently. We are ready to assist the Skwelkwekwelt Protection Center in their goals and objectives.

For more information contact:
David Dennis (604) 794-5893
Spokesperson
John Rampanen (604) 794-5893

ON INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS DAY - SECWEPEMC RIGHTS RUN INTO THE GROUND

December 10th, marks International Human Rights Day, when in 1948 the United Nations proclaimed the Universal Declaration on Human Rights to prevent terrible crimes as the holocaust and human rights violations from reoccurring. Yet on this very day 53 years later one of the severest human rights violations was inflicted on the Secwepemc people that aim to protect their traditonal territory around Skwelkwek'welt from the expansion of Sun Peaks Ski Resort: Their 2 permanent camps at Skwelkwek'welt and MacGillivray Lake were destroyed with heavy equipment, aiming at the forced removal of the Secwepemc people from their land, which is Genocide!

The RCMP clearly exceeded the terms of the court order that the Secwepemc had asked to be clarified, they believe that it would allow them to remain at the camps during day time. So the RCMP and BCAL (British Columbia Assets and Lands Corporation) were quick to create facts over law. In a last attempt to maintain exclusive jurisdiction over lands that the Supreme Court orders to be shared between the Secwepemc People who hold Aboriginal Title to the area and the public (crown title) the executive used physical force to destroy the manifest expressions of Secwepemc Title. But they cannot take their rights away from the Secwepemc people who watched in disbelief as their most fundamental human rights were violated. This day will always be remembered!

The Secwepemc will continue to peacefully exercise their rights to Skwelkwek'welt. They know that this strategy will bear fruits. Just 10 years ago today, on December 11th, 1991 13 indigenous persons in Cauca were murdered by Colombian police when they exercised their inherent rights to the land and reclaimed a big hacienda. Today the land belongs to the families and the indigenous peoples who reclaimed it. The Colombian government had to assume the responsibility for this Genocide. So will the government of Canada and British Columbia have to assume responsibility for this basic violation of Secwepemc human rights.

TO EXPRESS YOUR SOLIDARITY OR REQUEST MORE INFO PLEASE WRITE TO Skwelkwek'welt Protection Center Secwepemc Territory C/O Box 608 Chase, B. C. Canada Phone 250-679-3295 Fax 250-679-5306.

WRITE PROTEST LETTERS TO:

The Right Honourable Jean Chretien,
Prime Minister of Canada
Langevin Building
80 Wellington Street
Ottawa, Ontario, K1A 0A2, Canada
Fax: +1 (613) 941-6900

Premier Gordon Campbell
Government of British Columbia
PO BOX 9041 STN PROV GOVT
Victoria V8W9E1
British Columbia, Canada
Fax: +1 (250) 387-0087

Inspector Sam MacLeod
District Operations Officer (West)
Royal Canadian Mounted Police
Southeast District
2611 Norris Road
Kelowna, BC, V1X 7M1
Canada
Phone: (250) 491-2372
Fax: (250) 491-2381
Cell: (250) 212-7529

John Winter, President
BC Chamber of Commerce
1201 - 750 West Pender Street
Vancouver, BC, V6C 2T8
Fax: (604) 683-0416

Watson, Jim, Chair
Canadian Tourism Commission
8th Floor West, 235 Queen Street
Ottawa, Ontario
K1A 0H6 Canada
Fax: (613) 946-2855

Rod Harris, President
Tourism British Columbia
802 - 865 Hornby Street
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
V6Z 2G3
Fax: (604) 660-3383

Delta Hotels
Mr. David P. O'Brien,
Canadian Pacific Ltd
1800 Bankers Hall East
855 - 2nd Street S.W.
Calgary, Alberta T2P 4Z5
Fax (403) 218-8082

Sun Peaks Resort Corporation
Masayoshi Ohkubo
1280 Alpine Road
Sun Peaks, BC
V0E 1Z1
Canada
Fax: (250) 578 7223
Fax: (250) 578 7843

WITH A COPY TO:

Skwelkwek'welt Protection Center
Secwepemc Territory
C/O Box 608
Chase, B. C. Canada
Phone 250-679-3295
Fax 250-679-5306