Secwepemcw people call for blockade

From Blockade on Unceded Secwepemc Territory between Chase & Kamloops

[[Update]]

Wednedsay April 1, 11 am UPDATE:

The blockade itself has been postponed to a later time based on spiritual guidance and advice. A continuous camp presence, however, is currently being maintained and ceremonies for protection and guidance are being conducted. Police helicopters are circling above and RCMP is around the area.

[[Reposting]]

NATIVE YOUTH MOVEMENT
INTERNATIONAL STATEMENT
APRIL 1ST, 2009

Unceded Secwepemc Territory, between Kamloops and Chase, bc, kkkanada

KKKANADA--STOP THE NEW WESTWARD EXPANSION

THE GENOCIDE CONTINUES WITH THE DESECRATION OF OUR ANCIENT SECWEPEMC BURIAL AND VILLAGE SITES FOR HIGHWAY & RAILWAY EXPANSION

The Secwepemc Peoples and their allies will be conducting a roadblock today to demand the halt of the Trans Canada Highway and Canadian Pacific Railway expansion through the highway corridor along the South Thompson River and Shuswap Lakes. The expansion of these two major federal and provincial transportation systems has been involved in the desecration of our ancestral burial and village sites, as well as, the continued genocide of our Peoples.

We, as Indigenous Peoples, have the right to have the spirits of our ancestors rest in peace in their original resting place. We will not give up our principles and values for the benefits of a highway or railway. The desecration to our graves and burial sites is considered a hate crime against humanity and a violation of our Indigenous and human rights.

The picture goes much deeper than this however, since kkkanada and the province of british Columbia have no legal authority to be making decisions about our Secwepemc Territory and giving permission to the CP Railway and Trans Canada Hwy to expand onto unceded Secwepemc lands. The Secwepemc Peoples still remain a distinct Nation and hold there ground to defend their rights and title to these lands.

The new westward expansion of highways, railways, pipelines and fibre optic lines all go through Indian Territories and Reserves, these infrastructures are all used for the benefit of the continued invasion and theft of our last remaining lands, water and “resources.” The transportation system in the past was used to colonize the west and now our lands have become the new frontier for the new age of development: mining, tourism, logging, the 2010 Winter Olympic Games, the Tar Sands, these are all the elite that will benefit from the transportation route expansion, while the Indigenous Peoples are being threatened once again.

The Canadian Pacific Railway, known as CP Rail, is mainly a freight railway now, was instrumental in the settlement and development of Western Canada. The CP company became one of the largest and most powerful in Canada, a position it held as late as 1975. CP Rails network stretches from Vancouver to Montreal, and also serves major cities in the United States such as Minneapolis, Chicago, and New York City.

The Trans Canada Highway system was approved by the Trans-Canada Highway Act of 1948, construction commenced in 1950, officially opened in 1962, and was completed in 1971. This federal-provincial highway system joins all ten provinces of Canada.

WE have never given permission to Canada, nor BC to build this highway or railway through our lands, it has actually cut our access to our sacred water and forcibly removed out Peoples from our traditional village sites and kekuli's (underground homes), which are forms of Genocide.

The ancestors remains found by a team of archaeologists have been dated back 7,500 years and the Secwepemc woman was found holding a traditional root digging stick, surrounded by Secwepemc artifacts and ceremonial items. Since contact there has been into the tens of thousands of artifacts and remains found and now are in the hands of museums all over the world.

The Secwepemc have conducted ceremonies at the site and the Sacred fire has been lit and the protection of the site is under vigilance.

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From Secwepemcw Protect Ancestors from CP Rail & Highway Expansion

Sisters, brothers and supporters, we are writing this letter for support of the Secwpemcw people. We ask for you're assistance to protect the ancestor from the (CPR) Canadian Pacific Railway and the Trans-Canada Highway Corridor Project. We are stopping further development on our territory. Archeologists have uncovered artifactsthat are thousands of years old along with a woman that has been there for 7,500 yrs. We have to protect our way of life and our traditional burial grounds. We are in need of some financial support to feed the
people and to build a structure so we have a campsite set up for information and visitors.

We have reinstated a care taker to get the remains and artifacts back from the museums. As we all know, the remains and artifacts are all over the world, it will be a large job to under take but we accept the challenge. The remains and artifacts will be brought back to Secwepmec Territory and to be reburied near the location of being found.

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