Stk’emlupsemc te Secwépemc First Nation is going to court to secure Aboriginal title to their unceded traditional territory in the Kamloops region in interior BC (pronounced Ste-kem-LUP-sem t’ suh-WEP-muhc).
For all of us who care about Indigenous rights, this is huge! Recognition of Aboriginal title in court holds unique potential for Indigenous self-determination on the land. However, as the Tsilhqot'in can attest, it’s not an easy road to walk. Fighting for Aboriginal title in Canadian courts is an onerous, multi-year undertaking that requires enormous stamina and commitment from the entire community. Oh, and money. A lot of it.Will you stand with the Secwépemc in this historic legal battle?
At the heart of the Secwépemc case is Pípsell (Jacko Lake, near Kamloops), a spiritual site which is the source of a foundational story for the Secwépemc people - the Trout Children Oral History.
As Indigenous legal challenges carry the day in courtroom after courtroom, striking down multimillion-dollar projects like TransMountain pipeline, we can expect Canada and BC to put up a last-ditch attempt to protect colonial agendas. The Secwépemc are ready to meet this onslaught with a determination that is grounded in their Indigenous law and their obligation as yecwemínem to care for land, water and sky worlds within their homeland, Secwepemcul’ecw.
Are you ready to stand with the Secwépemc?
Like the Secwépemc, RAVEN is in for the long haul. This is a marathon, not a sprint, and we will be pacing ourselves and what we’re asking of our community. For this year, we have set a realistic goal of $80,000, which will be used for collecting evidence, reviewing opposing parties’ materials and building the complex legal arguments that go into a title case.
For Secwepemcul’ecw,