tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3893573260014776395.post111427828064591133..comments2023-10-25T08:44:52.186-07:00Comments on Censored News Special Edition: Sovereign Squamish reclaim land in VancouverBrenda Norrellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16146707955967005603noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3893573260014776395.post-89861607046277837992008-05-25T18:06:00.000-07:002008-05-25T18:06:00.000-07:00Too bad you were evicted. But you'll back, with ma...Too bad you were evicted. But you'll back, with many supporters!RShttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07319517204230854613noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3893573260014776395.post-36406139432817477772008-05-25T08:50:00.000-07:002008-05-25T08:50:00.000-07:00Sadly, RCMP EVICT HEREDITARY CHIEF KIAPILANO ANDSU...Sadly, <BR/><BR/>RCMP EVICT HEREDITARY CHIEF KIAPILANO AND<BR/><BR/>SUPPORTERS FROM SQUAMISH BAND OFFICE,<BR/><BR/>VANCOUVER<BR/><BR/><BR/>Squamish Nation territory ("Vancouver, Canada")<BR/><BR/>May 24, 2008<BR/><BR/> <BR/><BR/>On Saturday, May 24th, a force of twenty taser-armed<BR/><BR/>RCMP officers and band council police forced Chief<BR/><BR/>Kiapilano off his own land yesterday during a peaceful<BR/><BR/>occupation of the Squamish band council office by<BR/><BR/>Kiapilano and his supporters.<BR/><BR/>On Friday morning, May 23rd, Hereditary Squamish<BR/><BR/>Chief Kiapilano and a dozen supporters had swiftly<BR/><BR/>occupied the offices of the state-funded "Squamish<BR/><BR/>Band Council" in North Vancouver, and ordered the<BR/><BR/>eviction of the entire band council.<BR/><BR/>Chief Kiapilano is leading a movement to expel<BR/><BR/>agencies from his land who are responsible for the<BR/><BR/>genocide of his people. Last March, Kiapilano and<BR/><BR/>Eagle Strong Voice (Kevin Annett) initiated these<BR/><BR/>actions by posting eviction notices on the Roman<BR/><BR/>Catholic, Anglican and United churches in downtown<BR/><BR/>Vancouver, ordering them off Squamish land.<BR/><BR/>Chief Kiapilano said in a statement from inside the<BR/><BR/>occupied band council office, "Our people are<BR/><BR/>starving, they're living in dilapidated homes, and<BR/><BR/>these so-called 'chiefs' [representing the colonial<BR/><BR/>government] are doing nothing for them. Now 'chief'<BR/><BR/>Bill Williams has signed a deal with the province<BR/><BR/>[British Columbia] allowing mining and destruction of<BR/><BR/>more of our land. We're here today to tell these fake<BR/><BR/>leaders to leave, and we're staying here until they're<BR/><BR/>gone."<BR/><BR/>Bill Williams left and band council member Byron<BR/><BR/>Joseph stayed. Williams called in the RCMP and band<BR/><BR/>council police. Chief Kiapilano then advised Byron<BR/><BR/>Joseph and his staff to leave the premises, and<BR/><BR/>announced his intention to change the locks on the<BR/><BR/>building. <BR/><BR/><BR/>"We're consulting our [colonial] lawyers" announced<BR/><BR/>Byron Joseph, just before he and his advisors left the<BR/><BR/>building for lunch.<BR/><BR/>"Chief Kiapilano declared a common law jurisdiction<BR/><BR/>over this building, and has reclaimed it for all of his<BR/><BR/>people", said Irene Peace Kiapilano. "We call on all<BR/><BR/>hereditary chiefs to do likewise, and reclaim their land<BR/><BR/>and government from a foreign occupying power."<BR/><BR/>Then on Saturday, May 24th, led by RCMP Inspector<BR/><BR/>Richard Kennedy, [phone 604-985-1311<BR/><BR/>mvanrcmp@rcmp-grc.gc.ca] sixteen heavily armed<BR/><BR/>mounties wearing flak jackets surrounded the band<BR/><BR/>council office. Negotiations were going on between<BR/><BR/>Chief Kiapilano and band council staff. After a lawyer<BR/><BR/>from the Smythe-Ratcliffe firm [Phone 604-687-1231<BR/><BR/>info@smytheratcliffe.com] spoke to band councillor<BR/><BR/>Byron Joseph, the talks were abruptly cancelled. <BR/><BR/>The mounties blocked the doorways and prevented<BR/><BR/>Kiapilano's supporters from re-entering the office.<BR/><BR/>"They wouldn't let me back into the building where<BR/><BR/>they had the Chief trapped, so I got out my drum and<BR/><BR/>start drumming" said Irene Peace Kiapilano.<BR/><BR/>"The cops were ready to attack us. They had their<BR/><BR/>tasers out. I told Inspector Kennedy we had served<BR/><BR/>the eviction notice on Byron Joseph and the band<BR/><BR/>council, and he had accepted it. Kennedy said the<BR/><BR/>federal Minister of Justice said they didn't recognize<BR/><BR/>Chief Kiapilano or our document, even though it had<BR/><BR/>been accepted in their own courts!"<BR/><BR/>Chief Kiapilano and his supporters were then<BR/><BR/>physically forced from the building under threat of<BR/><BR/>immediate arrest, and escorted off the band council<BR/><BR/>land by a line of RCMP vehicles.<BR/><BR/>Native elders from the Downtown Eastside Womens'<BR/><BR/>Centre showed up to support Chief Kiapilano. They<BR/><BR/>were verbally threatened, photographed and<BR/><BR/>ordered to leave by the same RCMP squad.<BR/><BR/><BR/>Before leaving, Chief Kiapilano declared three times<BR/><BR/>to the RCMP and band councillors that his eviction order<BR/><BR/>remained in effect. He and his people would return to<BR/><BR/>enforce the order and remove the [illegal] Squamish<BR/><BR/>band council from office.<BR/><BR/>"We offered them a hand of peace and they responded<BR/><BR/>with violence" said Chief Red Jacket of Turtle Island, a<BR/><BR/>participant in the occupation. "In our law, when that<BR/><BR/>happens, all we have left is to go to war."<BR/><BR/>Further actions against the agencies responsible for the<BR/><BR/>ongoing genocide of the Squamish people will continue<BR/><BR/>on Sunday, June 1 at 10 am at the former "holy rosary<BR/><BR/>catholic church" at Dunsmuir and Richards in downtown<BR/><BR/>Vancouver. It is now an open community space under<BR/><BR/>the jurisdiction of Chief Kiapilano.<BR/><BR/>Issued under the authority of Siem Kiapilano of the<BR/><BR/>Squamish Nation 24 May, 2008<BR/><BR/>For more information: 1-888-265-1007 (Canada)<BR/>hiddenfromhistory@yahoo.ca<BR/><BR/>www.jointhefederation.org<BR/>Read and Hear the truth of Genocide in Canada, past and<BR/><BR/>present, at this website: www.hiddenfromhistory.org<BR/><BR/>Posted by MNN Mohawk Nation Newsgrannyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04263856645003892920noreply@blogger.com