Latest news with #Wet'suwet'en
Vancouver Sun
02-07-2025
- Politics
- Vancouver Sun
On Canada Day, Gitxsan Nation reflects on responsible land development
On July 1, Gitxsan hereditary Chief Simoogit Geel is thinking about the land, and about Ayook , the Gitxsan system of laws governing their people's relationship with each other and with the land. The chief, also known as Catherine Blackstock, is thinking about the health of her Wilp, or house, and the salmon, the forests, the minerals and wildlife on her nation's ancestral territories. She is also thinking of the recent provincial decision to allow the Prince Rupert Gas Transmission pipeline to go ahead without renewing its expired environmental certificate or requiring consultation with First Nations. Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sunrise will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. The proposed pipeline would transport natural gas from northeastern B.C. to a liquefied natural gas facility on the west coast, cutting through 50 kilometres of Gitanyow territory. Although an agreement with the Gitxsan nations has been in place since 2013, the American-backed project has raised controversy and legal challenges over its environmental impact. Its 11-year-old environmental certificate expired last fall. On June 10, the Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs, led by Grand Chief Philip Stewart, condemned the decision to move the pipeline ahead without engaging in consultation: 'Once again, it feels like we are headed into a long, hot summer.' 'We don't want to see a repeat of what happened with the Wet'suwet'en, with the armed police invading their pointing guns at people,' said Geel. 'No injunctions.' By respecting the traditional process of Ayook , and engaging in dialogue with the Gitxsan, Geel believes that could be avoided. 'We want to work on things as they come up,' said Geel. In 2024, Gitxsan hereditary chiefs called for the resignation of B.C. Supreme Court Chief Justice Leonard Marchand Jr., for allowing industries to use B.C. courts to obtain injunctions that lead to enforcement by the RCMP on Gitxsan territory. Geel, and 11 other hereditary Gitxsan chiefs launched an awareness campaign this week to highlight traditional Gitxsan Ayook, or laws, and their essential role in guiding responsible land development and economic growth on Gitxsan Laxyip, or traditional land. The Gitxsan Nation covers about 35,000 square kilometres in northwestern B.C. including the Hazelton area in the watersheds of the upper Skeena and Nass River region. Its communities include the Kispiox, Glen Vowell, Kitwanga, Kitwankool and Gitsegukla. 'As a hereditary chief, I have a responsibility to take care of the land. We have our own system. We have our own laws,' said Geel. 'The industries are pretty good and knowledgeable about knowing who they should come to, and who they should talk to, but we need more respect from the government,' said Geel. The B.C. NDP's new fast-track law, which gives the provincial government broad power to override regulatory hurdles, has raised concerns. 'We still stand by our authority,' said Geel. ' You can't push something through without us.' While the original pipeline agreement is still in place, Geel said it needs to be revisited since so much time has passed. 'We do have to consider there have to be potential impacts and turn over every stone to address any concerns.' Respect for the Gitxsan traditions and culture means conversations with each of the wilps, or house groups, of the nation, each of which holds the responsibility of preserving the sanctity and safety of their traditional territories. 'We are matrilineal, so how you receive your lineage is through your mother,' said Geel. The head chief of each Wilp has the authority over a specific piece of land, but works with other chiefs and community members to come to a decision. 'If you belong to a house or wilp and that house is tied to a piece of land and the land you use to sustain yourself and have a concern about what is happening, they need to come to me and talk to the Wilp and work things through.' Paramount is preserving the sanctity of the process, respecting the voice of each Wilp . The system, with its guiding principle of Ayook , has worked since time immemorial, said Geel, who emphasized that land management decisions are based on traditional knowledge combined with science. 'We were asked to take care of the land, and each of us take it very seriously.' dryan@
Yahoo
09-06-2025
- Yahoo
B.C. Mountie loses bid to stay charges in obstruction of justice case
A Prince George RCMP officer has lost a bid to stay an obstruction of justice charge and will now be sentenced, in a case connected to the death of an Indigenous man in custody. In July 2024, Const. Arthur Dalman was found guilty of obstructing justice for ordering a bystander to delete cellphone video showing the aftermath of the police takedown and arrest of Dale Culver on July 18, 2017. The 35-year-old Gitxsan and Wet'suwet'en man died in police custody 29 minutes after he was arrested, following a struggle with multiple police officers. Dalman is one of two officers who went on trial in the obstruction of justice case. The constable filed an application to stay his 2024 conviction, arguing that lengthy pre-trial delays meant he was denied his Charter rights to a trial within a reasonable in a ruling on May 29, Judge Adrian Brooks dismissed Dalman's application. His next court appearance is on June 19 to schedule a date for his sentencing. The other officer accused of obstruction of justice, Staff Sgt. Bayani (Jon) Eusebio Cruz was found not guilty in 2024. Culver's arrest and death happened nearly eight years ago, on July 18, 2017. That was followed by an investigation by B.C.'s Independent Investigations Office (IIO), an oversight agency that investigates anytime a police-involved incident results in serious harm or death. It filed its initial report to Crown counsel in July 2019, followed by an updated report in May 2020. Close to three years later, in February 2023, Crown prosecutors announced charges of manslaughter against two Mounties and charges of obstruction against three others, the first time the accused were publicly named. Charges against the two officers accused of manslaughter were stayed in April 2024. Charges against one of the officers accused of obstruction were stayed a month later, while the trial for the other two officers accused of obstruction was completed on July 25, 2024, resulting in Dalman's guilty verdict. 'Rare occurrence,' civil rights group says Culver's death and its aftermath have been viewed by civil rights advocates and First Nations leadership groups in B.C. as a key test of the justice system's ability to hold police accountable. The B.C. Civil Liberties Association (BCCLA) hailed the recent dismissal of Dalman's application, with a staff lawyer saying it's uncommon for officers to be charged with criminal offences and even less common for them to be found guilty. "We recognize that this is such a rare occurrence — that not only was Const. Arthur Dalman found guilty of obstruction of justice, but that despite his application to challenge that verdict, the judge upheld his guilty verdict," said Latoya Farrell. "And now we're going to be moving to sentencing, which is monumental in steps towards the police accountability." In a statement shared by the BCCLA, Culver's daughter asked how many people would have to die before the public realized the justice system was broken. "We have been waiting eight long years for this, and I have somehow managed to remain positive about my feelings that eventually someone would be held accountable," Lily Speed-Namox said. However, the National Police Federation's Pacific-North director, Chris Voller, was critical of Dalman's application being dismissed. "I think that this was an error," he told CBC News. "I think it was very clearly demonstrated, throughout the testimony of all involved, that Const. Dalman's Charter rights were clearly denied." Voller said the IIO, which forwarded a report to Crown prosecutors in Dalman's case recommending that charges be laid, made evidentiary errors in the case. "The public of British Columbia want and deserve to have the ability to say the oversight of their police officers is competent, timely and reasonable," he said. "We would request a review of the competency, timeliness and reasonableness associated to both the IIO investigations and charge assessment by the Crown counsel."
Time of India
09-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Canada's hidden history of oppression and justice
As Canada prepares to mark the 191st anniversary of slavery's abolition this August, new research and ongoing land disputes highlight how historical injustices continue to shape the nation's social and political landscape. #Operation Sindoor India-Pakistan Clash Live Updates| Missiles, shelling, and attacks — here's all that's happening Pakistani Air Force jet shot down in Pathankot by Indian Air Defence: Sources India on high alert: What's shut, who's on leave, and state-wise emergency measures Canada's slavery legacy comes into sharper focus Recent excavations in Quebec City have uncovered artifacts linked to enslaved households, coinciding with the release of digitized slave registry records by Library and Archives Canada. These findings confirm: 5 5 Next Stay Playback speed 1x Normal Back 0.25x 0.5x 1x Normal 1.5x 2x 5 5 / Skip Ads by by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Nhà giá rẻ gần bạn – Danh sách đề xuất phù hợp dành riêng cho bạn Bất động sản | Quảng cáo tìm kiếm Tìm hiểu thêm Undo Over 4,200 documented cases of enslaved individuals in New France and British North America Live Events Slave auctions conducted in Montreal until 1797 Continued indentured servitude of Black Canadians post-1834 'These records prove slavery was integral to Canada's early economy,' says Dr. Natasha Henry, president of the Canadian Slavery Institute. The federal government has pledged $2.3 million to expand the Africville Museum in Halifax, where archaeological work continues at the demolished community site. Indigenous land rights at crossroads 2025 has seen heightened tensions over resource projects: Coastal GasLink Pipeline Wet'suwet'en land defenders continue court battles despite BC Supreme Court injunctions New RCMP enforcement actions reported last month Ring of Fire Mining Project Ontario Superior Court recently upheld First Nations' right to veto development Federal impact assessment ongoing Clean Water Crisis 27 long-term drinking water advisories remain on reserves $4.9 billion allocated in Budget 2025 for infrastructure Policy developments Key 2025 milestones include: Implementation of UNDRIP Action Plan Phase 2 Launch of Black Canadians Justice Fund ($860 million over 4 years) Senate debates on Bill S-255 (Slavery History Education Act) 'Reconciliation requires confronting hard truths,' notes Justice Minister Arif Virani. 'Our 2025 initiatives aim to address both historical and contemporary inequities.'
CBC
15-03-2025
- CBC
Advocates, family of man killed by RCMP launch 'people's tribunal' to probe police
Social Sharing Laura Holland's voice shook with emotion as she talked about her smart and affectionate son, saying she is "tired of waiting" for justice for him. Jared Lowndes, or Jay as his family called him, was shot twice in the back by police as he sat in his vehicle at a Tim Hortons drive-thru in Campbell River, B.C., in July 2021. Holland said at a news conference on Friday that her family was torn apart following her son's death at age 38, and she has been doing everything she can to seek justice for him and other Indigenous people who have been killed by police in the province. "The only spark of life that we have is that our loved ones are pushing us because if we don't speak out … they will keep killing us," she said. Holland joined with legal advocates and other groups on Friday to announce a "people's tribunal" to investigate crimes committed by police against racialized communities. "Systemic racism fuels an epidemic of police violence" against these communities, said a news release from the groups, which includes the B.C. Civil Liberties Association, Pivot Legal Society, Care not Cops and Justice for Jared. WATCH | Laura Holland says justice system protects police over Indigenous people: Mother of Wet'suwet'en man killed by RCMP vows to continue fighting 11 months ago Duration 4:04 Laura Holland, the mother of Jared Lowndes, says the Canadian justice system continues to protect police officers who wrongfully kill Indigenous people. Her son, a member of the Wet'suwet'en Nation, was shot dead by police in Campbell River, B.C., in 2021, and the Crown announced Tuesday that no charges have been approved against the 3 officers involved in the fatal shooting. The B.C. Prosecution Service last year declined to lay charges against the three officers involved in the shooting. The service said Lowndes, from the Wet'suwet'en Nation in northern B.C., had reversed his vehicle into a police vehicle, tried to bear spray officers and had stabbed a police dog to death. The B.C. RCMP did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the "people's tribunal." Holland said her son was reading Schindler's List by the time he was 12, that he always did his best to take care of people, hugged everyone he knew and helped his elders. "It just seems impossible, and the only way for our family and (other) families to have any justice, to find any semblance of justice, is to have a people's tribunal." Holland said the tribunal will offer a chance for members and families who lost their loved ones due to police violence to talk about racism and other unlawful practices within Canada's police forces. The tribunal will gather and share information about crimes by police, the groups said. Tracking of police-involved deaths in Canada shows Black people died at six times the rate of their white counterparts, while Indigenous people die at eight times the rate of those who are white, according to the advocates. The tribunal's first event will be held Saturday in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside before travelling across B.C. Families to 'take back narrative' Latoya Farrell, policy staff counsel with the B.C. Civil Liberties Association, said Indigenous communities have been over-policed and under-protected, and the forum could shine a light on systemic failures of law enforcement and the legal system. "We've seen time and time again that the narrative in the public is often detrimental to the credibility of both the community and the person who was killed," she said. "We see that the state and police control that narrative in a way to denigrate from a person's characteristic in order to justify why they deserve to be killed." She said having the tribunal will allow families to "take back that narrative," to tell their side of the story and to "rectify the harm" that the authority has done to their loved ones, not just in killing them but harming their memory and legacy. Holland said now is also a "critical time" for members of the Indigenous community to rally together given there has been so much news lately, with politicians denying remains found at former residential school sites and Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim's leaked memo that suggested relocating Indigenous people from the Downtown Eastside. Meenakshi Mannoe, representing the advocacy group Defund 604, said the tribunal could help provide oversight of police. "It's a community-based forum that's going to uplift the voices of directly impacted family members, rather than investing power in colonial tools of government and lawyers and academics. It's putting that power back into the hands of community," said Mannoe.
CBC
21-02-2025
- Politics
- CBC
Wet'suwet'en leader wants accountability from RCMP after judge finds Charter rights breached
A Wet'suwet'en leader who will have her sentence reduced after a judge found RCMP breached her Charter rights during her arrest at a pipeline blockade says it doesn't feel like justice was served. "I never believed that the colonial court system could provide justice for us," said Sleydo' (Molly Wickham), a wing chief of the Gidimt'en Clan of the Wet'suwet'en Nation. Sleydo' said Justice Michael Tammen's decision to find there was an abuse of process during police raids was a step in the right direction. Tammen found Sleydo', Shaylynn Sampson, a Gitxsan woman with Wet'suwet'en family ties and Corey Jocko, who is Kanien'kehá:ka (Mohawk) from Akwesasne, guilty of criminal contempt of court last year for breaking an injunction against blocking work on the Coastal GasLink pipeline in November 2021. The three brought forward an abuse of process application alleging RCMP used excessive force during their arrests and that the group was treated unfairly while in custody. It asked the judge to stay the criminal contempt of court charges or to reduce their sentences based on their treatment by police. On Tuesday, Tammen decided some of the accused's Section 7 rights— life, liberty, and security of person — were breached during the police raid. As a result, he will reduce their sentences, when sentencing takes place in the coming months. "Nobody even really knows the extent of the harassment, violence and intimidation that we have experienced, and this is just the tip of the iceberg of what we have talked about in court," said Sleydo'. Sleydo said bringing forward the abuse of process application was important to try and bring accountability for the actions taken by the RCMP's Community-Industry Response Group (C-IRG), which led the enforcement of the injunction. The RCMP said in a statement to CBC Indigenous that it acknowledges and respects the court's findings and is in the process of reviewing the decision. Federal Public Safety Minister David McGuinty said his office respects the outcome of the court's decision and will be looking at Tammen's decision in terms of the best way to proceed, to take any corrective measures internally. The B.C. Prosecution Service said it accepts the decision of the court and does not intend to file an appeal on the ruling. Defence lawyer Frances Mahon said Tammen's decision that there had been an abuse of process was "a pretty rare finding to get from a court." Tammen condemned comments made by several police officers on two different audio recordings comparing Sleydo' and Sampson to orcs for wearing red hand prints painted over their mouths — a symbol that represents missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls. "My hope is that those RCMP officers will be ashamed of themselves and that there's going to be more education and discipline within the RCMP itself to ensure that this type of disrespect doesn't happen again, and particularly when people are in their custody after being arrested," said Mahon. Amnesty International statement Jocko said he doesn't feel like they have won or lost with sentencing still ahead. "We don't know what's going to happen yet, so super mixed emotions right now for me, personally," said Jocko. Amnesty International has announced that if the three are sentenced to jail or house arrest it will designate them as prisoners of conscience. The court had to put people in an overflow courtroom because there wasn't enough space for everyone who came to hear Tammen's decision being read Tuesday. "I feel like that is what the victory is to me, is the amount of community support that we have," said Sampson. Sampson said the court proceedings felt like an "important fight to have" even though she said she never felt like the court system would bring them a just outcome.
