Xwe-Nal-Mewx Declaration, 1988

28 Saturday Jan 2017

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aboriginal title, Coast Salish, Declaration, Sovereignty, Xwe Nal Mewx

Also called, Coast Salish Declaration

Begins:

“We know the Creator put us here. We know our Creator gave us laws that govern all our relationships to live in harmony with nature and mankind; defined our rights and responsibilities.

“We have the right to govern ourselves and the right to self-determination. Our rights and responsibilities cannot be altered or taken away by any other nation.

“We have our spiritual beliefs, our languages, our culture, and a place on Mother Earth which provides us with all our needs.

“We have maintained our freedom since time immemorial. …We declare and affirm to the people that… the Xwe-Nal-Mewx have held and till hold title to all lands, waters and resources within our traditional territories. ….”

Full text: xwe-nal-mewx-declaration-coast-salish

Declaration of the Tahltan Tribe, 1910

07 Wednesday Dec 2016

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aboriginal rights, aboriginal title, Land claims, Sovereignty

We, the undersigned members of the Tahltan tribe, speaking for ourselves, and our entire tribe, hereby make known to all whom it may concern, that we have heard of the Indian Rights movement among the Indian tribes of the Coast, and of the southern interior of B.C.. Also we have read the Declaration made by the chiefs of the southern interior tribes at Spences Bridge on the 16th July last, and we hereby declare our complete agreement with the demands of same, and with the position taken by the said chiefs, and their people on all the questions stated in the said Declaration, and we furthermore make known that it is our desire and intention to join with them in the fight for our mutual rights, and that we will assist in the furtherance of this object in every way we can, until such time as all these matters of moment to us are finally settled. We further declare as follows:—

Firstly—We claim the sovereign right to all the country of our tribe—this country of ours which we have held intact from the encroachments of other tribes, from time immemorial, at the cost of our own blood. We have done this because our lives depended on our country. We have never treated with them, nor given them any such title. (We have only very lately learned the B.C. government makes this claim, and that it has for long considered as its property all the territories of the Indian tribes in B.C.)

Secondly--We desire that a part of our country, consisting of one or more large areas (to be erected by us),be retained by us for our own use, said lands and all thereon to be acknowledged by the government as our absolute property. The rest of our tribal land we are willing to relinquish to the B.C. government for adequate compensation.

Thirdly—We wish it known that a small portion of our lands at the mouth of the Tahltan river, was set apart a few years ago by Mr. Vowell as an Indian reservation. These few acres are the only reservation made for our tribe. We may state we never applied for the reservation of this piece of land, and we had no knowledge why the government set it apart for us, nor do we know exactly yet.

Fourthly–-We desire that all questions regarding our lands, hunting, fishing, etc., and every matter concerning our welfare, be settled by treaty between us and the Dominion and B.C. governments.

Fifthly—We are of the opinion it will be better for ourselves, also better for the governments and all concerned, if these treaties are made with us at a very early date, so all friction, and misunderstanding between us and the whites may be avoided, for we hear lately much talk of white settlement in the region, and the building of railways, etc., in the near future.

Signed at Telegraph Creek, B.C., this eighteenth day of October, nineteen hundred and ten, by

Nanok, Chief of the Tahltans

Nastulta, alias Little Jackson

George Assadza, Kenetl, alias Big Jackson

and eighty other members of the tribe

Nuxalk Nation Position 1995

05 Monday Jan 2015

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aboriginal rights, aboriginal title, Canadian Charter, House of Smayusta, INTERFOR, Ista, Nuxalk, Royal Proclamation 1763, Sovereignty

Nuxalk Nation Position

September 10, 1995

First of all we, the Nuxalk Nation, would like to acknowledge Tatau, The Creator, through Manakays, the Great Spirit, for all that he has provided since the beginning of time and still provides today.

We, the Nuxalk Nation, stand in the position of sovereignty against International Forest Products (INTERFOR). We cannot and will never as the Nuxalk Nation compromise this position.

The Sovereignty of the Nuxalk Nation comes from Tatau, the Creator. It is not granted nor subject to the approval of any other nation. As the Nuxalk Nation we have the sovereign right to jurisdictional rule within our own territory. Our lands are a sacred gift. The land is provided for the continued use, benefit and enjoyment of our people, the Nuxalkmc, and it is our ultimate obligation to Tatau, the Creator, to care for and protect it.

INTERFOR has continually raped our lands and continues to do so today! Our old villages, hunting grounds, fishing grounds, grave sites and sacred areas are being destroyed. Our fish and animals that we need to feed our peoples are disappearing. Our food plants, medicinal plants and trees are being trampled on and destroyed, all for the corporate value of the lumber.

We, the Nuxalk Nation, take this stand today and forever to state: “That we are appalled at what INTERFOR has done and is still doing today, to our Nuxalkmc Territory. We have never nor will we ever give our consent to INTERFOR or any other corporation to develop within our territory.

“Our territory is ours, the Nuxalkmc, and we have never ceded it to the Canadian or B.C. provincial government.

“Our nation is not interested in entering into any treaties (B.C. Treaty Commission), agreements or any sort of arrangement with the Canadian government or the British Columbia government concerning our Nuxalk Nation hereditary rights and title.”

The power that these two governments claim to have over our territory is an illegal power within their own jurisdiction as shown in the Constitution which reflects to the Royal Proclamation of 1763.

The following section is from the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms to remind you that the Royal Proclamation is still legal and binding.

CANADIAN CHARTER OF RIGHTS AND FREEDOMS

Whereas Canada is founded upon principles that recognize the supremacy of God and the rule of law:

Guarantee of Rights and Freedoms….

General

The guarantee in this Charter of certain rights and freedoms shall not be construed so as to abrogate or derogate from any aboriginal, treaty or other rights or freedoms that pertain to the aboriginal people of Canada including
a) any rights or freedoms that have been recognized by the Royal Proclamation of October 7, 1763; and
b) any rights or freedoms that now exist by way of land claim agreements or may be so acquired.

The following section is recited from the Royal Proclamation of October 7, 1763:

The Royal Proclamation of October 7, 1763, (by the King, A proclamation, George R)

And whereas it is just and reasonable, and essential to Our Interest and the Security of Our Colonies, that the several Nations or Tribes of Indians, with whom We are connected, and who live under Our Protection, should not be molested or disturbed in the Possession of such Parts of Our Dominions and Territories as, not having been ceded to, or purchased by Us, are reserved to them, or any of them, as their Hunting Grounds;

… beyond the Heads or Sources of any of the Rivers which fall into the Atlantick Ocean from the West and North-West, or upon any Lands whatever, which, not having been ceded to, or purchased by Us as aforesaid, are reserved to the said Indians, or any of them. And

…lying to the Westward of the Sources of the Rivers which fall into the Sea from the West and North West, as aforesaid; and We do hereby strictly forbid, …Our loving Subjects from making any Purchases or Settlements whatever, or taking Possession of any of the Lands above reserved, without Our especial Leave and Licence for that Purpose first obtained. And We …strictly …require all Persons… who have either wilfully or inadvertently seated themselves upon … Lands, which, not having been ceded to, or purchased by Us, are still reserved to the said Indians as aforesaid, forthwith to remove themselves from such Settlements.

… if, at any Time, any of the said Indians should be inclined to dispose of the said Lands, that same shall be purchased only for Us, in Our Name, at some publick Meeting or Assembly of the said Indians to be held for that Purpose by the Governor or Commander in Chief of Our Colonies … and in case they shall lie within the Limits of any Proprietary Government, they shall be purchased only for the Use and in the Name of such Proprietaries, conformable to such Directions and Instructions as We or they shall think proper to give for that Purpose…

The sovereign Nuxalk Nation Chiefs have given INTERFOR notice that they are trespassing on Nuxalk Nation Territory that has never been sold or ceded, and that the Canadian court system has no jurisdiction over our territory. This is also to serve notice that we do not recognize any court injunctions served to any Nuxalkmc or to our guests (Forest Action Network) of the Nuxalk Nation invited into our traditional territory by our hereditary leadership.

So, with this, we, the Nuxalk Nation will do whatever we have to within our own traditional Nuxalk jurisdiction to stop INTERFOR from any development on our territory. We do this as our obligation to Tatau, the Creator, and also to ensure that our lands provided for our children, grandchildren and children yet unborn.

Way!

NUXALK STRONG NUXALK FOREVER

Signed:

Chief Nuximlayc (Lawrence Pootlass)

Chief Qwatsinas (Edward Moody)

Chief Liciwmutu7gayc (Taylor T)

Chief Slicxwliqw’ (Charles Nelson)

Chief Sats’alanlh (Peter Schooner)

…and others

House of Smayusta

PO Box 8, Bella Coola, V0T 1C0

Declaration of Secwepemc Sovereignty, 1983

30 Tuesday Dec 2014

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Secwepemc, Shuswap, Sovereignty

Secwepemc Chiefs and Representatives, collectively the only spokespersons for Secwepemc, declare that on this day, January 17, 1983, that we reaffirm our sovereignty over our traditional territory.

We follow the path of our Elders and our Forefathers in standing firm for our sovereignty over our territory so that the future generations of our children will also have what has been handed down to us by our Creator. Today through this Declaration we ensure that Secwepemc sovereignty over our territory comes from the past, to the present and forever on into the future.

We have governed, managed, controlled, developed, protected and defended our territory since time immemorial. We have never abandoned our territory or sold it. We have never conceded our sovereignty by agreement or by conquest to any other nation.

We declare our sovereignty over all our lands, waters, air and all their resources in the Interior of what is now known as British Columbia, the land generally speaking that lays between latitude 50degrees, 30 minutes and 53degrees north, from the Fraser River area to the Rocky Mountains.

We will work arm in arm with Secwepemc and other peoples who are willing to support our mandate which is to affirm our sovereignty over our traditional territory.

We, Secwepemc, will work towards self-reliance on the basis of co-operation.

We declare our support in the struggle for self-determination and independence of Indigenous and Third World Nations.

The West Wasn't Won

~ Outlive the colonial world.

Tag Archives: Sovereignty

Xwe-Nal-Mewx Declaration, 1988

Declaration of the Tahltan Tribe, 1910

Nuxalk Nation Position 1995

Declaration of Secwepemc Sovereignty, 1983