6319 replies to this topic

[RFS]

Their actual elected leaders support the project.  It is their "hereditary chiefs" who are joined up with a bunch of middle age white women from humanities programs at Canada's universities to protest this

[Victoria Watcher]

hereditary chiefs doesn't sound very democratic.  you know like "will of the people" kind of thing.  is their wisdom a greater force?

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 21 January 2020 - 08:45 AM.

[Kikadee]

In ‘Spooxw v Gitxsan Treaty Council’ some hereditary chiefs sued to dissolve the treaty council, claiming it did not represent their interests, and the judge basically said: then join the treaty council, attend its meetings and/or vote on its motions, and your interests will be represented. The other Gitxsan members deserve democratic participation, which trumps your claim.

[Bernard]

 

“As long as British Columbia continues to criminalize indigenous governments on unceded land, there is no doubt that more people will come forward to contest these injustices,” said Kolin Sutherland-Wilson,  a UVic student and UVSS Director-at-Large who took part in the demonstration.

.

 

BC is definitely not criminalizing First Nation governments.  Few jurisdictions have been as willing to work with First Nations as the BC government over the last 15 years.  Many, though by no means all, rural First Nations are keen on economic development and want to be involved with forestry, mining, and energy projects.

 

Hereditary Chiefs are not an easy thing to explain because the concept has radically different meanings depending on the culture involved.   There are many First Nations that never had anything like a hereditary chief and were democratic before the arrival of the Europeans.  The courts have made it clear that elected leaders are the ones that represent the First Nation members.

 

When it comes to the Saanich Peninsula, there is a Treaty covering the land and part of that Treaty was releasing control over most of the land.   Greater Victoria is one of the parts of BC with no unceded lands.

[Victoria Watcher]

When it comes to the Saanich Peninsula, there is a Treaty covering the land and part of that Treaty was releasing control over most of the land.   Greater Victoria is one of the parts of BC with no unceded lands.

 

somebody fogot to tell the city of victoria.

 

Acknowledgement of Territories

The City of Victoria youth Council is located on the unceded Coast Salish Territory of the Lekwungen and W̱SÁNEĆ nations.

https://cvyc.ca/ackn...of-territories/

[VIResident]

Dated November 2017

 

https://www.aadnc-aa...0021019_eng.pdf

Edited by VIResident, 21 January 2020 - 09:44 AM.

[Bernard]

The Te'mexw Treaty Association represents five of the Douglas Treaty First Nations and are negotiating for a modern replacement for the Douglas Treaty.  The four First Nations on the peninsula and Esquimalt are not negotiating in the Treaty process.  The Douglas Treaty First Nations from Nanaimo north have been negotiating separately.    

 

The Te'mexw treaty negotiations are being conducted on the First Nation side from the basis that the Douglas Treaties are valid.

 

The Douglas Treaties are recognized as official Treaties by the courts and one aspect of Treaties of the 19th century is that the First Nation was required to cede their land.   It was the First Nations that signed the Douglas Treaties who pushed in the courts for recognition of the Douglas Treaties as full Treaties under section Section 25 and 35 of the Constitution Act of 1982 - Canada and BC opposed them in the courts.  There are people who question the validity of the Douglas Treaties but as the law in Canada currently stands, the Douglas Treaties mean the First Nations have ceded their lands.   

 

The recognition statement referenced above is inaccurate given the current state of things.

[Mike K.]

Michael Mulligan said on CFAX the protest blocking the highway was illegal and the RCMP can charge the protestors.

[Bernard]

Michael Mulligan said on CFAX the protest blocking the highway was illegal and the RCMP can charge the protestors.

The RCMP has become very reticent in doing arrests such as this and tend to wait until there is a court injunction requiring people to stay away

[Mike K.]

So, no biggie then? Just allow these people to block a highway for three hours?

This has accomplished nothing. Absolutely nothing.

[Nparker]

...This has accomplished nothing. Absolutely nothing.

Not entirely true; it's probably made more people angry at the so-called environmental movement and stirred-up some latent racism in a few others.

[Cats4Hire]

It also helped burn more fossil fuels from people idling, probably delayed all buses in the area (not even sure if the Swartz Bay routes could make it) and wasted paper with dumb brochures

[Mike K.]

Everything was stalled. BC Ferries staff couldn’t even get to the terminal.

[Bernard]

What did it accomplish?   It got a lot of people talking about the protest and the protesters.   Is that helpful?   That really is the question

[DustMagnet]

Really though, did the protesters do more damage than high winds or a traffic accident?   It's like condemning someone for starting a forest fire when lightning starts most of them anyway.

[Mike K.]

There was no way to turn around. They corralled and trapped hundreds of people against their will.

[Cats4Hire]

I'm sure if we could find a way to charge wind for interfering with business we would

[kenmuir]

I'm sure if we could find a way to charge wind for interfering with business we would

Prior experience says otherwise, as we keep re-electing some Victoria city council members.

[LJ]

Well at least the protestors didn't miss any work.

[VIResident]

Prior experience says otherwise, as we keep re-electing some Victoria city council members.

We get the government we deserve.