B.C. Natives Charged Over Defiant Logging
9/23/99
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Title: B.C. NATIVES Charged over Defiant Logging
Source: Environment News Service, http://ens.lycos.com/
Status: Copyright 1999, contact source for permission to reprint
Date: September 23, 1999
KELOWNA, British Columbia, Canada, September 23, 1999 (ENS) -
Frustrated with the slow process of land claims negotiations, British
Columbia native people are going ahead and logging Crown lands
without waiting for government permits. Today, the issue is coming
before the court in Kelowna.
The Westbank First Nation in the south-central part of the province
started logging Crown land last week without a permit, in spite of
orders to stop. They claim a Supreme Court of Canada ruling gives
them access to resources on their traditional territory.
B.C. Forests Minister Dave Zirnhelt met Tuesday in Ottawa with
federal Aboriginal Affairs Minister Robert Nault to consider the
positions of the two governments on the matter.
Native leaders say the Westbank action is only the beginning and
other tribes will follow suit.
"What you are seeing is going to pick up momentum," said Stewart
Phillip, president of the Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs. "More and more
First Nations are going to assert their aboriginal rights and
aboriginal title."
The Carrier Sekani Tribal Council of northern B.C. wants to stop the
move of 13 forest companies out of the Prince George timber supply
area into the tribe's traditional lands west of Prince George.
Some forest companies are going along with native goals. Riverside
Forest Products, has a government permit but stopped building a
logging road through lands claimed by the Williams Lake band in
response to a request from the native people.