[IPSM] Sutikalh update

[Devin Butler Burke]

[On May 2, 2000, members of the St'at'imc nation and their allies
established a permanent camp near Melvin Creek, located off Highway 99
between Mt. Currie/Pemberton and Lillooet, in the southern Interior region
of BC.

Known as Sutikalh, the St'at'imc winter spirit of the area, the camp was
set up to stop government and corporate plans to build a $500 million
all-season ski and recreation resort in an untouched Alpine mountain area.
(resist.ca)]

Sutikalh update
By Rosalin Sam

Sutikalh; c/o Rosalin Sam;
P.O. Box 309;
Mount Currie, B.C.;
V0N 2K0. Canada
Phone: 604-894-2400;
Fax: 604-894-6841;
e-mail: sutikalh2003(at)telus.net

February 17, 2005

Hello;

After receiving many emails and calls and visits from concerned people I
thought that I would write this update and inform as to what is happening.

There has been a petition going around the town of Lillooet pushing for
the resort to go through, for the sake of jobs for the white people of the
town and being pushed by the past mayor, and the younger generation also.
They are having meeting, secretly supposedly, to find way to push for the
resort. It's been on the news again this morning on the Global channel
with Al Raine talking and pushing the resort.

There has been talk in Vancouver that there is going to be a lot of jobs soon
because the resort is a must and has to be built by 2010. NGR's permit is
valid only till August of this year. What has to happen because of this
late time for the building permit, because the resort should have been
started by now is; Al Raine will have to apply for an extension on his
permit, before he can go into the valley to do anything. To ask for an
extension he will have to do a reassessment of the area, after he makes an
application to the Gordon Campbell government. I say Gordon Campbell
because that is who is in office right now. He will have to explain why he
wants an extension and asked why he has not started by now. All this
information came from Victoria via supporters. To do a reassessment he
will have to tell the truth about the area, on our animals, and that we
use the lands. To tell the truth will make it hard for him to be granted
the extension. But we also have to remember 2010 to push for a big show
case. Of course we the St'at'imc still say that there will be not ski
resort in Sutikalh.

With the full support of our St'át'imc Chiefs, and of the St'at'imc
people, and supporters from all over the world I do not see any resort in
Sutikalh. But for the safety for our guys in camp I strongly suggest that
people continue to stop in on their way through just to make sure things
are okay.

I ask you to continue to keep your ear to the ground and keep me up to
date on the things that you hear and what you see. I am fundraising for
the 2005 anniversary, which will be on April 30th and May 1st, so mark
this on your calendars.

Rosalin

http://sutikalh.resist.ca/