A visiting Charles, Prince of Wales and his two sons have been included in an "eviction notice" issued by Lil'Wat traditionalists. The royals arrived in BC today for a "quiet ski-vacation" at Whistler Mountain. The resort town was illegally built on sovereign, unceded Lil'Wat Territory. The Lil'Wat traditionalists have been seeking resolution to the forced occupation of their lands by the Canadian and BC authorities and ecocidal incursions by timber companies such as International Forest Products Ltd. and genocidal resort developments such as Whistler and Blackcomb - previously traditional trapping, hunting and burial areas. There is presently an information blockade on the Mt. Currie reserve to publicize the outrages which continue to occur to Lil'Wat territory, including dubious land-leasing by the DIA Band Council system.
A climate of racism in BC has been growing as provincial politicians seek to exploit the recent Delgamuukw land-claims decision of the Canadian Supreme Court which is interpreted by some as recognizing "native title" to traditional lands. The current NDP provincial government is also stonewalling on an inquiry into its paramilitary siege of Shuswap traditionalists at the Ts'peten Sundance camp near Gustafsen Lake, in the summer of 1995. The discharge of thousands of rounds of hollow-point ammunition, the use of Canadian Forces Bison armoured personnel carriers, and videotaped RCMP commanders discussing the killing of the traditionalists and a "smear and disinformation" campaign, has drawn worldwide condemnation and demands that the government assent to the inquiry call.
Elizabeth II is the official Canadian head of state. As such she bears a constitutional responsibility for the ongoing colonization and genocide against indigenous peoples by Canada and BC. During the 1995 standoff, she refused to convene a third party Constitutional Court to hear the international and jurisdictional law respecting the sovereign rights of Indigenous nations, as she is obligated to do in accordance with the precedent of Mohegan Indians vs Connecticut, decided in 1773.
The Eviction Notice to the visiting Royal Princes and others who are illegally occupying Sovereign Lil'Wat Territory reads as follows:
You are hereby notified of the illegality of your presence on Lil'Wat land. You have been tricked into buying land from the illegitimate government of the treasonably founded "province of British Columbia". EVICTION NOTICE
The "province of British Columbia" does not own our land. Your uninvited presence on unceded, Indian land constitutes misprision of treason under the Canadian Constitution Act of 1982, in its affirmation of the Royal Proclamation of 1763, and is contrary to international law regarding nation to nation treaties to precipitate settlement of lands.
The concept of "Crown Land" does not apply in "British Columbia", since the British Monarchy never so much as laid claim to it, which claim itself would be empty of weight in a modern, international court. Many Chiefs of the St'latlimx Nation stated their position clearly in the Declaration of the LiL'Wat Tribe of 1911.
These matters have been raised in provincial and federal Canadian Courts but to unsatisfactory and inaccurate conclusions, owing to the partiality of the courts. Having been foiled thus far by the Canadian Justice system for over a century - also by the United Nations - the Lil'Wat People are left to their own devices and laws to assert their sovereignty as Caretakers of the Land.
This will include pushing back settlements which infringe upon the land needs of the People or the needs of the Land.
Lil'Wat Estken
PO Box 208, Mount Currie, Lil'Wat territory (via 'BC'), VON 2KO
Phone/Fax (604) 894-6095
Email: estken@direct.ca