CANADA AND BC GOVERNMENT SEND ST’AT’LIMC SINGLE MOTHER TO JAIL FOR DEFENDING HER HOMELAND(Kamloops Courts, Secwepemc Territory/October 28, 2002)
The NYM Secwepemc Chapter is outraged and disappointed at hearing the sentence given to Alaina Tom, a single mother of a newborn baby, for defending her land from clear-cuts and an 800 million dollar ski resort (Cayoosh Creek Ski Resort). Provincial Court Judge Rohrmoser sentenced Alaina Tom, spokesperson of St’at’limc Chapter of the Native Youth Movement to a conditional jail sentence of four months followed by a probation sentence of one year. Conditions imposed on Alaina include that she be under house arrest for a period of 3 months, 7 days per week, 24 hours a day, give breath and urine samples for analysis when demanded by peace officer, not have contact with any of the co-accused, not attend within 100 meters of Highway 99, and not at any time wear camouflage clothing or masks. This sentence is similar to jail sentences imposed on three Secwepemc women last week for their involvement in fighting the Sun Peaks Ski Resort expansion. The courts will continue to jail Indian people for living on their homelands and defending their homes from destruction until BC and Canada practice good-faith negotiations regarding Aboriginal title, like the Supreme Court of Canada told Canada to do in the 1997 Delgamuukw decision. Canadian and British Columbia governments are failing to implement their laws to land policies and we are the ones that have to pay the price by going to jail. This is racist and shows the great injustice of systemic genocide against Indian Peoples in Canada.
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:
Nicole Manuel, Spokesperson Secwepemc Chapter NYM:
mountain_defender@redpride.com
3 Secwepemc Native Youth Movement Women Sentenced -
Kamloops Provincial Court judge Sather sentenced Nicole Manuel, spokesperson for the Secwepemc chapter of the Native Youth Movement to 45 days in jail for "intimidation and mischief". Miranda Dick, mother of three children, was sentenced to a 6-month conditional term. Beverly Manual received a suspended sentence with conditions.
Judge Sather stated that he based his sentencing on on his beleif that "these people and people like-minded" must be discouraged and deterred from participating in similar roadblocks.
Nicole Manuel stated "Depite Sather's racist decision and sentences, we will not be deterred from our duty to defend and protect our homeland; the land is our life and without it our future generations will become landless, leading the Secwepemc to cultural and spiritual extiction. We will not let our nation die as a result of a little jail time. NYM will continue to promote and encourage our youth to defend our land by any means necessary, including effective direct action. Incarcerating us won't stop us from fighting the oppression of our people, it will only make us fight harder abd more brutally."