NATIVE WARRIOR DEPORTED BY CANADIAN BORDER SERVICES AGENCY

January 2013 – A young Indigenous land defender and father (name currently withheld) living on unceded Secwepemc territory has been detained and deported south of the colonial border by Canadian Border Services Agency (CBSA).

No One Is Illegal-Vancouver Unceded Coast Salish Territories has been organizing in solidarity with Secwepemc land defenders for a decade. We have known this warrior and land defender for many years. This Indigenous Taino brother and his Secwepemc family have inspired people across Turtle Island to protect the land, to practice traditional ways, to raise proud and decolonizing families.

Increasingly, the Canadian government is spending millions of dollars to arm border guards, to build detention centers, to pass racist and exclusionary policies, and to arrest, incarcerate, and deport those deemed “illegal.” As our deported Native brother says, “The illegal government has no right to say that we cannot be with our own people. They are illegally occupying our land and keeping Indigenous families away from each other. The border is an illegal man-made facade to have control over the population. Our people never had borders and we don’t acknowledge any.”

It is no coincidence that CBSA and the Canadian government interrogated him extensively and targeted him for deportation. He was even questioned by Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) at length while in detention, who alleged that he was part of so-called terrorist activities as a land defender. However, we know that it is the colonial system and its cheerleaders and institutions that are committing the real terroristic and criminal acts against Indigenous families, the animals, and the land, water, and air.

As Indigenous people are rising up against the ongoing theft of their lands and deliberate impoverishment of their communities, the colonial government has increased its surveillance tactics to criminalize Indigenous communities. Secwepemc land defenders and the Native Youth Movement (NYM) in particular have been subjected to a number of arrests, charges, and large police raids over the years. In 2001 alone, for example, there were over 70 arrests from the Secwepemc Nation resulting from the resistance to Sun Peaks Resort and the reoccupation of traditional lands at SkweLkwekwelt.

As our brother says, “Our whole family has had to relocate and it has had a horrible impact. This is one of many times that Indigenous families have been targeted, forecefully seperated and terrorized. We are used to rolling with the punches, but people need to understand how messed this situation is. We are staying strong committed to our struggle for our land and our freedom. The Native Youth Movement is a Native Peoples Liberation Movement, fighting for our People, our Land, and our way of Life. Wars for Survival are happening all over the world, we will not be stopped until Freedom is achieved.”

No One Is Illegal, Canada Is Illegal!
Land, Freedom, Self-Determination!

“These lands are ours. No one has a right to remove us, because we were the first owners. The Great Spirit above has appointed this place for us, on which to light our fires, and here we will remain. As to boundaries, the Great Spirit knows no boundaries, nor will we acknowledge any”.
-Tecumseh, Shawnee

Please spread the word and more updates will become available.
Statement by NOII and NYM.