Natives Want Say on Gulf Parks
by Eric Pelkey

To hear that our MP, Gary Lunn, has committed $10 million for the acquisition of lands to add to the Gulf Islands National Park Reserve is another slap in the face to the Saanich tribes.

We have objected strenuously to all levels of government, including Lunn, about the establishment of the reserve without consultation with the Saanich tribes. They include Tsawout, Tsartlip, Pauquachin, Tseycum and Malahat First Nations.

All our grievances on this matter have been referred to the federal and B.C. treaty negotiators' offices, which tell us that if we do not enter the B.C. treaty process, they have no procedural way to deal with our grievances.

 

That we already have a Douglas treaty, deemed to be "protected by the Constitution," and that the southern Gulf Islands are well known historically to be territory of the Saanich tribes, seems to fall on deaf ears. (This on top of including part of our Douglas treaty territory, in the modern Tsawwassen treaty.

We are informed that there might be minimal amount of resources available to us to begin a consultation process. Without informed  consultation, properly resourced, this is clearly a form of oppression of the aboriginal rights of the Saanich tribes.