(Neskonlith Indian Reserve, August 29, 2004) The provincial government served a Trespass Notice on the Skwelkwek’welt Protection Center at Sun Peaks this evening. The Trespass Notice basically assumes the province has exclusive or 100% proprietary interests in the Aboriginal Title lands. The Trespass Notice articulates the position that the construction of a permanent monitoring center on unoccupied Crown Land adjacent to Sun Peaks’ expansion is a violation of the BC Land Act.

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CONVERGENCE AGAINST SUNPEAKS TO PROTECT UNCEDED TERRITORIES
At SUN PEAKS, SUNDAY AUG 29 @ 10 AM

Sun Peaks is built on Secwepemc land, which the Secwepemc refer to as Skwelkwek’welt, located in BC’s interior, 30 km NE of Kamloops. Secwepemc have never ceded, surrendered or released their land in any way. 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 the development. Land and Water BC however, clearly disregarded their voices and granted new leases to Sun Peaks to facilitate their expansion, and in June 2001, Land and Water BC obtained a court injunction to forcibly remove Secwepemc from their lands. To date, 54 arrests with charges from criminal contempt and intimidation by blocking a road to resisting arrest have been made.

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OPEN LETTER August 27, 2004

The Right Honourable Paul Martin, Prime Minister
Government of Canada
Office of the Prime Minister, 80 Wellington Street
House of Commons Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Fax: (613) 941-6900

The Honourable Gordon Campbell, Premier
Government of British Columbia, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada V8W 9E1
Fax: (250) 387-0087

DELIVERED BY FAX

Dear Prime Minister and Premier:

RE: STOP EXPANSION OF SUN PEAKS RESORT IN SECWEPEMC TERRITORY

I am writing on behalf of the Skwelkwek’welt Protection Center. The Skwelkwek’welt Protection Center is a Secwepemc body committed to protect our lands and culture that is being destroyed by Sun Peaks Resort and the expansion of Sun Peaks Resort.

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PRESS ADVISORY  FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
AUGUST 24, 2004

HUNDREDS CONVERGE AGAINST SUN PEAKS RESORT ON AUG 29

Hundreds of protestors will be converging on Sun Peaks Resort near Kamloops, BC on August 29, 2004 to protest Sun Peaks Resort expansion onto unceded Secwepemc territories. The provincial and federal government’s complicity in granting Sun Peaks leases on unceded traditional territories demonstrates that the government is yet again turning a blind eye to Aboriginal rights and to Aboriginal people who have occupied the lands since time immemorial.

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DOWN WITH DELTA!
Thursday, March 25 2004 @ 4pm. Gathering at Victory Square with food, speakers, drummers

This picket of Delta Hotels is being coordinated in Kamloops, Vancouver, Toronto, and Montreal on March 25. Sun Peaks Resort and Delta Hotels is built in Secwepemc territories, land which has never been ceded, released, nor surrendered. The Canadian and British Columbias governments harassment of Secwepemc people is a continuation of colonial practices that have robbed Indigenous people’s of their self-determination by usurping the land of Indigenous peoples and destroying Indigenous people’s livelihoods. We stand in support of the Secwepemc people and in their fight in defense of the land in maintaining their livelihood.