NATIVE YOUTH MOVEMENT INTERNATIONAL STATEMENT [July 16, 2005]
On June 16th, 2005 four Native Youth Movement (NYM) warriors were imprisoned for standing in defence of their homeland and Nation. These 4 NYM warriors are being held captive as prisoners of war in Canada. Canada fools the world as being a crusader of human and indigenous rights, yet when indigenous youth stand up to protect their mountains, land, water and spiritual ways we are captured and thrown in jail. We are forced through lengthy court procedures where there is no legal framework in place for us to even bring up the indigenous land issues. And even then it is the occupiers court and government--an invaders law.
Here in BC there has been no treaties signed with the indigenous peoples, therefore, there is NO person, corporation nor government that holds the deed to ANY land here.
Here in Secwepemc Nation, the Secwepemc Peoples hold the iherent title to the land, but of course, when the Native Peoples uprise and stand up for the land the first solution on the side of the invaders government is to arrest the Natives and shut them up by throwing them in jail.
The 4 NYM warriors that are being held captive have been actively involved in fighting for their people and land. There is not that much people in the world that would put their own physical body on the front lines and sacrifice their own Freedom for the People.
Right now the 4 of them sit behind enemy lines charged with "intimidation by blocking a road" and "mischief" because the Canadian government forced "their" laws on us.
On August 24, 2001 Native Youth Movement blocked the main road to all motor vehicles entering Sun Peaks Resort (an all-seasons resort/ski resort), the tourists,tour buses, construction workers, contractors, residents, employees, everyone entering Sun Peaks was stopped and informed about our fight to protect our sacred mountains, Skwelkwek'welt. We had many camps set up in several areas in these mountains, a new community off the concentration camp called the "indian reserve", we had hundreds of indigneous youth, elders, men and women come from the surrouding indian reserves and communities, we would sing our songs late into the night at the campfire, we began to take back our life and our land.
This is why the RCMP-igs came in to make arrests with bogus criminal charges and inappropriate sentences to try and dismantle a grassroots indigneous peoples movement and the Native Youth Movement.
KKKanada's Solution to the Indian Problem Imprison us, cage us up, impoverish us with legal fees, frame us with criminal charges, and eventually kill us. When we fight for our TRUE FREEDOM--FREE from KKKanadian control, free to live our ways, free to live where we want to live and harvest food where we want, to collect fire wood and water where we need to, free to give birth to our children out of their hospitals, free to die out of their hospitals, free to survive without interference, FREE to be Secwepemc...
Don't Leave Our Brothers and Sisters Behind Enemy Lines Native Youth Movement needs your help. We belive that every prisoner needs at least one contact. The first prisoners to get harrassed and targeting by the enemy is the ones that don't recieve any mail. Help us let these kkkanadian prisons know that the world is watching. Write to the 4 NYM warriors being held captive by the racist KKKandian prison system and government. Don't wait--Write them today.
[All prisoners should have been released by now... ed.]
BOYCOTT SUN PEAKS SKI RESORT! BOYCOTT 2010 WINTER OLYMPICS! BOYCOTT BC BEEF
(it destroys our water, roots, medicine and traditional food)!
BOYCOTT BC TOURISM!
THIS IS INDIAN LAND! STAND IN DEFENCE OF OUR LAND & PEOPLE!
FREE ALL POLITICAL PRISONERS AND PRISONERS OF WAR!
FREE LEONARD PELTIER!
SUPPORT NYM-WRITE THE 4 NYM WARRIORS BEING HELD CAPTIVE BEHIND ENEMY LINES!!!!
Secwepemcul'ecw Traditional Peoples Government
Box 837, Chase, bc V0E-1MO ( 250 ) 318 - 4290
jrbilly at mail.ocis.net http://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 (at) mail.ocis.net
Skwelkwek'welt Protection Centre (Secwepemc Nation)