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