[news] RCMP Raid Native Youth Movement

[resist admin]

From: Stefan Christoff <christoff at dojo.tao.ca>
To: pga at riseup.net
Subject: [pga] URGENT ACTION! RCMP RAID NATIVE YOUTH MOVEMENT
Date: 21 Apr 2003 15:23:01 -0400

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URGENT! RCMP ATTEMPT TO DISMANTLE NATIVE YOUTH MOVEMENT - WESTCOAST
WARRIOR SOCIETY: TARGET COMMUNICATIONS

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    =====> TAKE ACTION TODAY ! <=====

On April 8th, 2003, RCMP - Emergency Response Teams raided four homes and
two workplaces of Native Youth Movement, Westcoast Warrior Society members
involved in defending Aboriginal Title and Rights in Skwelkwekwelt
territories (aka British Columbia's interior).

Four search warrants were issued April 4th by Burnaby, BC Judicial Justice
of the Peace, J.N. Asen, in an obvious attempt to disrupt & dismantle the
Warrior Society by targeting Native Youth Movement, Communications.
Coordinated raids occurred simultaneously in Nuxalk Territory (Bella
Coola, BC) and Secwepemc Territory (Chase, BC), with computers, computer
discs, camcorder cassettes, phone books, emails lists, paper work and
files being confiscated. One warrant also included the right to decode
passwords and email.

In Nuxalk territory, Aloosta Nuxalkmc, NYM Warrior, says RCMP made
seizures, then also videotaped and took pictures of the interior of his
home. During the raid, fellow NYM Warrior, "Hawk", was arrested and is
currently being held without charges. RCMP then went to Aloostas
workplace and seized two more computers and everything containing phone
numbers and email addresses.

At the Neskonlith Indian Reserve (outside Chase, BC) RCMP - ERT units with
M-16 machine guns surrounded an NYM residence, yelling: "Open up, we have
a suspicion of weapons". As they stormed into the house they flashed a
classic blank warrant, then rounded everyone up (including a small baby)
into the living room and threatened arrest should anyone cross their
invisible lines. RCMP officers searched everyone present, making women
lift their shirts while male officers watched.

While police searched the house, people from the reserve started to gather
outside. One NYM Warrior attempted to enter the house but was promptly
arrested, handcuffed, and put into a police car. Charges against her are
unknown, but she was later released.

Next, the RCMP busted down the door of a trailer with their battering ram,
searched it without a warrant, and removed a computer, some papers, files
and disks. They raided and seized the same from a local business on the
Reserve, and finished off by raiding the home of an NYM Advisor, seizing
his computer, paperwork, disks, and files.

The RCMP now possess all NYM contacts, computers, new NYM Magazines, one
Warrior, and much other information viewed as "useful".  At the end of the
raids on the Niskonlith reserve, one RCMP loudly boasted: "This was a
blast, well do it again sometime."

A Native Youth Movement spokesperson said of the raid:

"We will not let their weak attempts of intimidation sidetrack our
purpose, it acts as motivation and fire under our feet to live free from
Oppression and Invasion, as Beautiful Red Nations. The time for Unity is
now! They can take all of what we physically have, but they can never take
our Warrior Spirit!"

=====> PROTEST! - Sample Letter & Email/Phone/Addresses Below <=====

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    BACKGROUNDER
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Sun Peaks Ski Resort is built on Secwepemc land. This land, known to
Secwepemc as Skwelkwekwelt, has provided hundreds of generations with
everything needed to nourish their bodies and spirits. Each time Sun Peaks
Resort has expanded, it has caused irreparable damage to the land,
watersheds, vegetation & wildlife in the area, seriously impacting the
Secwepemc's ability to survive.

Since purchasing Sun Peaks Resort in 1992, the Japanese holding company,
Nippon Cable, and it's partner in crime, Delta Hotels, have expanded
on-site accommodation from 100 beds to 4,000. In 1997, the BC government
approved a $70 million development plan, allowing Sun Peaks & Delta to
continue to expand their resort to 20,000 beds and put ski runs on the
previously undisturbed Mt. Morrisey. The Secwepemc attended stakeholder
meetings and clearly said "no" to more development.

Land and Water BC, however, clearly disregarded their voices and granted
new leases to Sun Peaks & Delta to facilitate expansion. These leases were
granted through BCs severely outdated Land Act which does not recognize
Aboriginal Title. It is business as usual, despite their legal
obligations, on the old colonial frontier.  The state-party protects
commercial, over Indigenous interests, and in June 2001, Land and Water BC
obtained a court injunction to forcibly remove Secwepemc from their
homelands.

Not including the latest RCMP attacks, there have been 54 arrests of
Secwepemc peoples and supporters. Charges range from criminal contempt,
mischief, intimidation and obstruction of a police officer, to
intimidation by blocking a road, resisting arrest, and breach of bail
conditions. While forced to pay exorbitant legal defense fees, and/or be
incarcerated, the BC government, RCMP, Sun Peaks employees, local
residents and tourists have all committed crimes against Secwepemc people
with total impunity.

The Secwepemc people set up the Skwelkwekwelt Protection Center at the
entrance of Sun Peaks Ski Resort in order to protect their Aboriginal
Title & Rights, and ensure the accommodation of Aboriginal interests in
the area. In response to their resistance, five Skwelkwekwelt Protection
Centers, two traditional cedar bark homes, a hunting cabin, two sacred
sweat lodges, and one cordwood house--home to a young Secwepemc
family--have all been bulldozed or burnt down. None of these acts of
racial hatred have been investigated by the state.

The outright destruction of Secwepemc sacred sweat lodges, and desecration
of sacred objects violates Secwepemc freedom of religion. The Sun Peaks
employees who committed these acts were not only not prosecuted, but also
publicly celebrated the heinous acts that they had committed.

As Aboriginal Title is a collective proprietary interest in traditional
territories, the Skwelwekwelt Protection Center and cordwood home were
authorized to be built on the basis Aboriginal Title permits. Those
requesting permits did not want to be confined to their reserve where dire
social and economic conditions prevail, including inadequate housing for
all band members. When the homes were ordered destroyed by the provincial
government and demolished by Sun Peaks workers on December 10th, 2002, the
family's right to housing was violated.

On January 10, 2003 a BC provincial judge found four Secwepemc
elders-Irene Billy, Charlie Willard, Segweses, and George Manuel Junior,
not guilty for their refusal to obey a court injunction obtained by the
Sun Peaks Resort to tear down the Skwelkwekwelt Protection Center. The
judge found that the Crown could not prove beyond a reasonable doubt that
the Secwepemc defenders intentions were "criminal". This case sets an
important precedent for other cases of Aboriginal people defending their
lands.

The mounting of a public pressure campaign to stop the criminalization of
Indigenous People protecting their Title and Rights is very important at
this time. Like the COINTELPRO operations of the 1970's, the Canadian
government is now seeking to destroy Indigenous freedom movements through
disruption and crass arrests and charges against all those involved. It is
time for all those opposed to the Canadian colonial system and corporate
globalization to support, through concrete solidarity actions, the rights
of the Secwepemc people fighting state & corporate interests in British
Columbia.

No One is Illegal Campaign - Montreal
nooneisillegal at tao.ca - 514.409.2049

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   TAKE ACTION - SAMPLE LETTER BELOW
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Geoff Plant
Attorney General of BC
PO Box 9044
STN PROV GOVT
Victoria BC V8W 9E2
Phone: 250 387-1866
Fax: 250 387-6411
email: geoff.plant.mla at leg.bc.ca

Solicitor General of Canada, Wayne Easter
House of Commons
Ottawa, Ontario, K1A 0A6
Phone: (613) 991-2924
Fax: (613) 952-2240
email: easter.w at parl.gc.ca

Martin Cauchon
Minister of Justice & Attorney General of Canada
284 Wellington Street
Ottawa, Ontario   K1A 0H8
Phone: 613-992-4621
Fax: 613- 990 7255
Email: cauchon.m at parl.gc.ca

Premier Gordon Campbell
Government of BC
Legislative Building
Victoria, BC  Canada
Tel: 1-250-387-1715
Fax: 1-250-387-0087
email: premier at gov.bc.ca

Jean Chretien,
Prime Minister
House of Commons
Ottawa, ON
Canada
pm at pm.gc.ca

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 SAMPLE LETTER:
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Attention:

I am sending this letter to protest the Canadian government's continued
harassment and criminalization of the Native Youth Movement - Westcoast
Warrior Society, and the Secwepemc Peoples involved in defending their
Aboriginal Title and Rights in Skwelkwek'welt territories. They have been
targeted for their use of their own land and for speaking out against Sun
Peaks Resort Corporation and the British Columbia government who continue
to expropriate and destroy what was once a vibrant and abundant ecosystem.
We stand opposed to the Canadian colonial system and support the Secwepemc
people fighting state and corporate interests in British Columbia.

Sun Peaks Resort is built in Secwepemc territories, land which has never
been ceded, sold, released nor surrendered. The BC government therefore
has no authority over Secwepemc Peoples, Skwelkwek'welt territories, or
the resources within them. That power is maintained through the
criminalization of the exercise of Aboriginal Title and Rights, and
forcible removal of Indigenous Peoples from their traditional territories,
constitutes genocide under International Laws to which Canada is a
signatory.

As you are well aware, the development of Sun Peaks resorts has continued
without participation of those with Title to the land. In 1997, the BC
government approved a $70 million development plan, allowing Sun Peaks to
continue to expand their resort to 20,000 beds and put ski runs on the
previously undisturbed Mt. Morrisey. The Secwepemc attended stakeholder
meetings and clearly said "no" to more development. Land and Water BC,
however, clearly disregarded their voices and granted new leases to Sun
Peaks to facilitate expansion, and in June 2001, obtained a court
injunction to forcibly remove Secwepemc from their lands.

Despite recognition of inherent land rights of Aboriginal People as
Aboriginal Title in Delgamuukw, and despite the Haida decision that
requires provincial and private interests to consult, obtain consent, and
accommodate Aboriginal interests prior to pursuing development on
Aboriginal territories, First Nations communities are being forced
one-by-one to prove their Title and Rights within the courts, when Canada
and the provinces could simply abide by the principal of Title itself. We
find this forcing of Indigenous communities into the courts, draining huge
portions of their time and budgets, a vexatious action on the part of
Canadian authorities.

This is true as well when Canada forces those protecting Aboriginal Title
and Rights to defend themselves criminally. There is ample jurisprudence
showing lack of "criminal intent" in cases of Canadian laws being broken
in order to stop infractions of Aboriginal Title and Rights. At this point
it is clear that police targeting of Indigenous freedom fighters is
nothing more than blatant retaliation for failure to sever and/or
extinguish Indigenous ties to the land. We view the RCMP raids as part of
a coordinated effort to silence and harass those willing to challenge
Canada & BC's illegal expropriation of their territories. Canada should be
ashamed. Each court battle takes food directly out of the mouths of
children, diminishes housing, health care and education for future
generations.

We stand in support of the Secwepemc people's struggle, and make the
following demands in solidarity with their courageous and tireless
determination:

1)  We demand all charges be dropped against Secwepemc Peoples and their
supporters, and that political prisoners be released, as Canada has no
jurisdiction in Skwelkwekwelt territories.

2)  We demand all acts of racial hatred perpetuated against Indigenous
Peoples in Skwelkwekwelt - by police, state officials and public at large
- be thoroughly investigated, and tried criminally.

3)  We demand Canada and the provinces rescind, amend, or nullify racially
discriminatory policies in order to comply with Section 35 of the
Constitution that enshrines Aboriginal land, treaty, and inherent rights,
and to comply with high court decisions in favor of Aboriginal Title and
Rights.

4)  We demand the governments of Canada and BC respect their own colonial
laws and stop the illegal police harassment and abuse of Secwepemc people
asserting their Aboriginal rights and title to Skwelkwekwelt territory.

Sincerely,