PRESS ADVISORY – FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

January 19, 2016

The following press release is written from unceded and unsurrendered Secwepemc Territory under the auspices of Tribal Law.

On Sunday, January 17th, 2016, the Allied Tribes, representatives of Tribes from across Turtle Island (Anishnaabe, Dene Suline, Tsimshian, St’at’imc, Okanagan, Ahousaht, Snuneymuxw, Wet’suwet’en, etc.) met at Adams Lake Gym in Secwepemculecw (“Chase”), honouring Wolverine’s call for a historic gathering and feast. The last time such a meeting of the Allied Tribes had been called was at Spences Bridge when the Spences Bridge Memorial Letter 1911 was sent to then Federal Minister of the Interior, Frank Oliver (see attached document).

This gathering coincides with the deadline given by Wolverine to receive a response from the letter he had sent on January 4, 2016 calling for a National Inquiry into the brutal attack on the Secwepemc people at Ts’Peten (Gustafsen Lake) as they were defending their right to use their land in ceremony (Gustafsen Lake Standoff 1995, see attached letter).

The Allied Tribes stand together calling for this National Inquiry into the Gustafsen Lake Standoff 1995 to bring forward again, publicly, the issue of jurisdiction and unceded and unsurrendered Territory. The Allied Tribes stand together to call James Pitawanakwat, Ts’Peten/Gustafsen Lake Defender, living in political exile in the so called United States of America, home. The Allied Tribes stand together to continue to rise together under the Law that supersedes all other law, Tribal Law, pledging to take action to support each other in their fight to protect and defend the Lands, the Waters and all of our Future Generations.

In attendance at the feast and gathering were representatives from resistance sites across so called British Columbia, including Unist’ot’en, Lelu Island and the St’at’imc Voice for the Voiceless Camp.

The Allied Tribes Declaration 2016 will be sent to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Attorney General Jody Wilson as well.

Please see documents below: ALLIED TRIBES DECLARATION 2016, WOLVERINE’S

JAN. 4 LETTER TO PM/AG, SPENCES BRIDGE MEMORIAL LETTER 1911

Media Contact

Kanahus Manuel, (250) 299-1859/Anushka Azadi, (403) 998-0432 tspetendefencecommittee@gmail.com

ALLIED TRIBES DECLARATION 2016, SECWEPEMCULECW

On January 17th 2016, on unceded and unsurrendered Territories of the Secwepemc

People, in ceremony and under the exclusive jurisdiction of Tribal Law, we, the Allied Tribes come together to honour Wolverine’s call and invitation to all warriors and land defenders, all those that take the stance of full sovereignty and jurisdiction on our Territories.

Wolverine, esteemed Secwepemc War Hero and Elder, 20 years ago, stood in defence of unceded and unsurrendered Secwepemc Territory against the brutal and genocidal treasonous attack by the Provincial and Federal governments, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) and the Federal Military Forces at Ts’Peten/Gustafsen Lake in 1995. This gathering coincides with the deadline given by Wolverine to receive a response from the letter he had sent on January 4, 2016 calling for a National Inquiry into this brutal attack on the Secwepemc people at Ts’Peten for defending their right to use their land in ceremony.

We honour this call today at this historic gathering of the Allied Tribes as we stand together in the same stance Wolverine took and continues to take:

1. Tribal Law is the highest law, the true and original law, the only law, on our Territories.

2. The Provincial and Federal governments of “Canada” hold none of the authority and none of the jurisdiction they have claimed through violence, deception and coercion. Any authority and jurisdiction they have used as weapons against us have not, will not and cannot destroy us.

3. We will continue to, as we have since time immemorial, defend our Territories in rejection of the colonial, genocidal, military occupation called “Canada”.

4. We have never ceded or surrendered our Territories to the Provincial and Federal governments of “Canada” and we will never cede or surrender these Territories.

In this stance we hold up Wolverine’s Call for a National Inquiry into the Ts’Peten/

Gustafsen Lake Standoff. In this stance, we bear witness to the tribal adoption of James Pitawanakwat another Ts’Peten/Gustafsen Lake Defender, living in political exile in the so called United States of America. In this stance, we call James Pitawanakwa home to Secwepemculecw, free and clear.

We have gathered in ceremony today to walk together and stand together as one to uphold our responsibilities, obligations, duties and loyalties to each other and to all of our relatives; our Lands, our Waters and our Future Generations. The blood and bones of all of our ancestors are in the earth we walk on. The same blood that flows through one, flows through us all. We have joined each of our home fires into one fire so that we may continue to assert our Tribal Law, our inherent jurisdiction on our Territories, with the unified strength and purpose, power and pride of all of our Tribes. When when one Tribe calls out, all Tribes answer. When one Tribe stands, all Tribes rise.

It must be known, the dire and unjust situation Indigenous Tribes have been subjected to at the hands of colonial governments. The Allied Tribes today continue to put their bodies and Freedom on the line to defend our Territories against the continued genocide and war on our Earth and our Children. We have never and we will never consent to that which destroys us, our Territories and the hope for our Future Generations.

We honour all of those in attendance here today who made the long journey to represent their Tribes, together we honour our ancestors and responsibilities to our Land.

The Allied Tribes in name and action with all Land Defenders on our Territories taking the same stance to uphold our Tribal Law and facing the same genocidal regime and violent force that attempted to murder the Ts’Peten/Gustafsen Lake Defenders, we are united and moving forward together for liberation of our People, Lands, and Water and the future generations.

Ancestral Pride ~ Xhopakelxhit, Gwaiina ~ Snuneymuxw/Ahousaht ~ Coast Salish, Nuu Chah Nulth

Laax Uula (Lelu Island), Gitwilgyoots Tribe, Tsimshian Nation

Ktunaxa

Secwepemc

Anishinabe – giga aki ikwe -my ing gun dodem

Neyhiyaw – Kihiw Mihkwan Iskwew – Wapistan iskinisiyan

Senk;lip – kwu squilxw tribe

Anishinabek – Kai Kai Kons, Mang Dootem

Misko kinew, mahikan dootem, anishnabe inowak

The Unist’ot’en and Likhts’amisyu of the Wet’suwet’en

St’atlimc Nation – Hostin – Lil’wat

Anishinabe

Ktunaxa

Dene Zena – Northern Trappers Alliance – Dene Suline

Secwepemc’ulecw Grassroots/Say No to the NSTQ Treaty

Tsimshian Nation, Gitwilgyoots

Tl’abāne: Tātsetān (Tahltan)

St’at’imc

Okanagan: St-Wan-mx

Voice for the Voiceless Campunnamed (1)