Shuswap For The Non Natives example essay topic

Gustafsen Lake. For centuries, the natives of Canada have been suffering damages through their land and themselves. Events such as Oka, Ipperwash, Lub ican, and Gustafsen trails the racism and cruelty to the aboriginals. Land being usurped over for the use of natural supplies or accommodations, being killed and jailed for protecting their rights given bygone ago. Gustafsen Lake shows these attributes when the Secwepemc (Shuswap) was being raided by more than one-hundred RCMP officers for carrying out an ancient ritual that the sun dancers have done for more than a century. Gustafsen Lake will be explained through the history and background of the native people, the history of the land, and the communication of the government for peace and resolution.

The Secwepemc or Shuswap for the non-natives have called, means the Shuswap people. The reason for the non-natives calling them the Shuswap happened when the eastern settlers came to land on British Columbia. They could not pronounce Secwepemc so they made an easier word to call them by. This happened with most / majority of other native bands. There were 17 bands of Shuswap's that controlled the vast area of British Columbia for 10,000 years and controlling 56,000 square miles of traditional land. The Shuswap diets through berries, meat, fish and roots and the occupation for the them back than were hunting, fishing, and trading...

Although most of the bands were hybrids, they all share similar traditions, rituals, and language. This would all soon change when the eastern settlers came on their land and spreading smallpox in 1862, wiping out 32 tribal villages, killing more than a hundred thousand. (SEES). In the 19th century, the area has been industrialized, schools being built, and the tradition being changed with less than eight thousand Shuswap, .

Later in the 19th century, they are now coming back in a positive force. Getting jobs in many enterprises and tradition coming / being taught again. Again! The non-natives took action to downgrade the Shuswap from advancing further in their destiny for a better future, causing them to go back to second hand occupations. Now that the history hits them again, they refused to be puppets and caused rallies to the government for a better life. Declarations have been signed, social development and economic development became prosperous and the Shuswap people now living a happy life again.

Although this sounds like a downward spiral that goes back up again, The Shuswap people of today will be looking forward to not go down that road again... Elders of the Secwepemc created traditional schools for their people to learn about the culture and language. The Shuswap population is now growing more than ever, less alcoholism, less early birth deaths, less incarceration, and violence. Like every other native bands, they may struggle but they will always find a way to confront it, just like the Oka incident. What happened at Gustafsen Lake (Ts' Peter)? In June of 1995, it started out when a farmer named Lyle James, an American farmer, who happened to "own" Gustafsen found a sun dancer of the Shuswap swatting on his ranch.

Every year James would let them do their spirit ceremonies for ten days and leave but not in June of 95. The sun dancers have told him tha the was on their sacred burial and ceremonial land where it is there's since they have existed. This is true because there were no treaties or documents that were signed to anyone to own Gustafsen, it was still un ceded and belonged to the Shuswap. During that time, the Shuswap built a fence so the cattle and farmers cannot step on their land. Things get escalated and the RCMP were called in to make the Shuswap leave. The Shuswap resisted and will now create what is known in Canadian history, the biggest and costly paramilitary.

Needing four hundred RCMP officers fully armed to take down fourteen Shuswap and nearly five million dollars from tax payers for the operation... 50 Calibur machine guns, land mines, grenades, and more terrifying weapons were used on these band of groups. The Shuswap only had minimal arsenal (machete, 8 mm g lock, ak-47). Both sides have fired at each other but no casualties. The whole siege basically lasted for thirty days where the Shuswap had no peace negotiators to come in and settle this dispute until the last day. Their lawyers and communication line were also cut off by the RCMP to avoid any truth from coming out.

Basically the whole RCMP operation is to not show what will happen in the camp. It is another psychological warfare where they hinder the Shuswap from sleeping, eating, and communicating. The whole ordeal lasted thirty days where the Shuswap sun dancers agreed to surrender told by the spiritual leader John Stevens and Marlowe. Fourteen were convicted and all jailed from eight months to eight years. The other four were acquitted as they were only supporters.

British Columbia joined as a province of Canada in 1871, when joining they did not sign any treaties to transfer any land. The Proclamation of 1763, the working constitution until 1867 never ceased any lands and still have the titles under the natives of B. C unlike most of the provinces (M. J). Another defence they also used was that the oldest constitution also may be used for claiming their land under Section 35 of the Constitution Act. "Section 35 of the Constitution Act, 1982 relates to the rights of Aboriginal Peoples of Canada. It states: 35. (1) The existing aboriginal and treaty rights of the aboriginal peoples of Canada are hereby recognized and affirmed.

(2) In this Act, 'aboriginal peoples of Canada' includes Indian, Inuit and Metis peoples of Canada. (3) For greater certainty, in subsection (1), 'treaty rights' includes rights that now exist by way of land claims agreements or may be so acquired. (4) Notwithstanding any other provision of this Act, the aboriginal and treaty rights referred to in subsection (1) are guaranteed equally to male and female persons". (Virtual) There were no resolutions by the government at all during the time of the siege. The federal and provincial denied in taking part with Gusta-f sen Lake, therefore blocking out any questions in taking part of this operation. The Shuswap of course did give a resolution to the government, asking for a public inquiry, which again was obviously blocked and not heard.

The following is what the Assembly of first nation and Shuswap asked for in the public inquiry for resolution". WHEREAS in both the Gustafsen Lake and Ipperwash incidents, the actions of government and police officials in using excessive force against First Nations citizens is unacceptable; and WHEREAS governments are attempting to prevent the public from learning the truth about these incidents; THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT the Chiefs-in-Assembly support the demand for a full and comprehensive public inquiry into all aspects of the Gustafsen Lake and Ipperwash matters; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT the Assembly of First Nations will take full responsibility for establishing a mechanism to ensure that a public inquiry takes place into the actions of the provincial and federal governments at Gustafsen Lake, BC and Ipperwash, Ont". (AFN) Again, the RCMP, the federal / provincial leaders have done nothing to resolve the issue. What they have done was not shown to the public much at the time. Minimal footage's of Gustafsen Lake to cover up their stories. We now know what has happened behind the scenes.

There are no current situations, everyone is released from jail from the Gustafsen Lake incident ten years ago. Only thing that is going on about rarely is to still have a public inquiry but still the government refused to talk about anything.

Bibliography

AFN. 'AFN CALLS FOR INQUIRY INTO GUSTAFSEN AND STONEY POINT. ' S.I.S.I.S. 18 November 1997.
Settlers In Support of Indigenous Sovereignty... C.O. 'OUTRAGE AT GUSTAFSEN LAKE. ' EBSCO. Earth Island Journal. July 1997.
Goldberg, Kim. 'Gustafsen inquiry needed.. ' EBSCO. EBSCO. July 1997.
M. J, Millay. 'Orientation Issue. ' WHOSE 'LAW' AND WHOSE 'ORDER'? THE SIEGE AT GUSTAFSEN LAKE. 7 September 1995.
Shuswap. 'WHO ARE THE SECWEPEMC? ' 17 February 2003.
Virtual. 'The Canadian Constitution. ' Treaty Justice. 15 January 1996.