Under the jurisdiction of tribal law and written from unceded and unsurrendered Secwepemc Territory, Wolverine, in counsel with the Secwepemc People and People of the Allied Tribes, is calling an all day traditional feast and gathering on Sunday January 17th, 2016. This feast and gathering is being called in order to bring together Indigenous Peoples of the Allied Tribes (Secwepemc, Thompson, Okanagan, St’at’imc, Stalo, Lower Fraser, Tsilhqotin andTahltan); Language Speakers, Hereditary Chiefs and Matriarchs, Land Defenders, Medicine People, and all of our Indigenous Relatives to the North, the South, the East and the West, who stand with the Allied tribes to assert sovereignty and jurisdiction over our Territories.
In our collective history, we have respectfully sought to settle the issue of unceded and unsurrendered Territories and jurisdiction three times. In 1906, four Chiefs from the Secwepemc/Okanagan Confederacy went to England, in 1911, the Spences Bridge Memorial Letter was sent to the current Federal Minister of the Interior at the time, Frank Oliver. In 1926, two Secwepemc (Shuswap) and an Okanagan Chief again went to England. Despite this series of attempts made in good faith, to engage in a respectful and diplomatic process, as a Nation to Nation relationship would require, this issue has never been appropriately resolved and this will be the final time we will be seeking to settle this issue in this manner.
On January 4th, 2016, Wolverine, esteemed Secwepemc Elder and Defender, in counsel with the Secwepemc People and People of the Allied Tribes, sent a letter to current Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Attorney General Jody Wilson calling for a National Inquiry into the Ts’Peten (Gustafsen Lake) Standoff in order to settle the issue of unceded and unsurrendered Territories. The response is expected by no later than January 17th, when we will convene over a feast at Adams Lake Gym, welcoming our Allied Tribes and Relatives through the day.
For settler-allies reading, we are asking for donations to support the Allied Tribes, Indigenous Land Defenders and delegates thereof to sponsor the travel it will require to allow them to attend this historic meeting. Please email transfer funds to jrdickbilly(at)gmail.com.