VANCOUVER, B.C. - Long time aboriginal rights activists Chubb and Loretta Pascal from the Lil 'Wat Estken Nation served British Columbia Attorney General Ujjal Dosanjh on Friday May 10th, 1996 with copies of a petition filed with The Supreme Court of B.C. earlier that day. This petition addresses the same point of law established in Clark v. Friesen, Pascal v. Walker and now includes William Jones Ignace and Glenn Deneault, Ts'peten Defenders, as petitioners. Essentially, the petition demands that the Attorney General of British Columbia prove that there is any legal basis for the domestic courts of British Columbia to have legal jurisdiction over unceded aboriginal territories. Since under constitutional law there is no legal basis, the petition goes on to request habeas corpus relative to the release of political prisoner William Jones Ignace (Wolverine). Furthering the argument brilliantly presented by human rights crusader and constitutional lawyer Dr. Bruce Clark, the petition attempts to legally resolve the theft of unceded aboriginal lands to create a constitutionally viable foundation for aboriginal traditionalists' claims to their home lands. This petition attempts to end the long series of deceptions and shady dealings that have shadowed most of the land transfers in British Columbia at the expense of its aboriginal people.
The illegal assumption of jurisdiction was first used in British Columbia in 1864 when Judge Begbie ordered a group of Chilcoten Indian peace emissaries executed by hanging. Unfortunately, its use to the present time has justified purposes just as questionable with violence consistently being used on native people if they resisted. The 'standoff' at Gustafsen Lake is just another example of the force that is used to support this questionable series of land transfers and imposition of domination of one people upon another. As Chubb Pascal of the Lil'Wat Estken says: "All people must realize that: the bases for most of the now civilized people of LIL'WAT NATION is THE RULE OF LAW, OUR PEOPLES' CONSTITUTION, AND OUR WAY OF LIFE."
Fellow freedom fighter Loretta Pascal goes on to say about serving Ujjal Dosanjh with the petition: "History repeated itself on May 10, 1996....The Petitions, notices of Constitutional question, affidavits, and appendices to factums, served and delivered May 10, 1911 included this Declaration of the Lillooet Tribe "WE CLAIM THAT WE ARE THE RIGHTFUL OWNER OF OUR TRIBAL TERRITORIES, AND EVERYTHING PERTAINING THERETO, " one of the Signatories was my grandfather. In this petition of 85 years ago, the Lillooet were allied with the Shuswap and Okanagan in principle and declaration."
"We pursue what our ancestors set out to do" says Loretta, remembering her grandfather.
The Attorney General must appear in court to answer this civil suit within seven days or it will proceed without him.
For more information and copies of the petition please contact: Loretta and Chubb Pascal at (604) 894-6640, Fax: (604) 894-6095.