kerrycoast

[kerrycoast]

How did the National Day of Action become Canada's "Aboriginal Day"?

The Assembly of First Nations called for a National Day of Action in 2007. The call was answered in over 100 locations across Canada, where people stopped traffic, trains, and TV news on June 29th. AFN Chief Phil Fontaine made the call for immediate action to address the situation of Indigenous Peoples in Canada.       At the end of the first National Day of Action, June 29, the AFN press…

[kerrycoast]

Archive Quarterly ~ journal of the west wasn't won archive project. Spring 2025 edition

[kerrycoast]

Closing Statement of the Gitxsan and Wet'suwet'en in Delgamuukw v. The Queen

On May 14, 1990, the Gitxsan and Wet’suwet’en Plaintiffs in Delgamuukw v. The Queen made their closing statements at the end of their trial. As reprinted in the United Native Nations 1990 book of their AGM presentations, they said:      “We, the Gitksan and Wet’suwet’en people, are in the court to state the truth of the ownership and jurisdiction we exercise over our territories.      Three…

[kerrycoast]

On the record – if you can find the record!

Since 1951, when Indigenous people were allowed access to the colonial courts, the views of crown lawyers and judges are right there on the record. Here are some case files from the archive project: factums, memos, early decisions, and case summaries from the time. Most of these records are not maintained online. Only the ruling of the highest court is available, so, in cases that have been in…

[kerrycoast]

Archive Quarterly ~ journal of The West Wasn't Won archive project

Archive Quarterly summaries and info

This journal offers a curated collection of rare archival material in every issue: maps, timelines, new interviews, key excerpts from original docs, and more. Honouring the indomitable spirit of Indigenous Peoples west of the Rocky Mountains, the young archive documents British Columbia and Canada’s colonial project and the way it’s carried out in deliberate violation of international law,…

[kerrycoast]

Native Peoples Caravan, Parliament Hill, 1974

The Native Peoples Caravan arrived at Parliament Hill on Monday morning, September 30, 1974.

“The RCMP had the guns, the bayonets and the tear gas; we had a drum and a sheet of paper with our demands.” – Louis Cameron, Ojibway Warriors Society. On September 29, 1974, the Native Peoples Caravan arrived in Ottawa. From uprisings that summer at the Two Springs occupation in Secwepemc and the reoccupation of Anishinaabe Park by the Ojibway Warriors Society, the Caravan was joined by people…

[kerrycoast]

Native 9/11

September 11 siege at Gustafsen Lake 1995 29 years later, Canada evades the legal and jurisdictional issues they tried to kill along with Secwepemc leaders. Wolverine, pictured above, was not only the War Chief at Ts’peten, but Chief of Lawfare. After agreeing to a ceasefire and burning their weapons, Wolverine and a dozen other Sundance defenders walked out of their besieged camp on the…

[kerrycoast]

On August 15, 1824...

The first HBC Governor west of the Rockies made his first tour of the forts with a note to himself in mind: the potential profit in Christian conversion of his newly acquired, autonomous Indigenous trading partners. On August 15, 1824, George Simpson, Governor of Hudson’s Bay Company “North” (mostly west), left Ottawa for the Oregon Territory.       His mission was to make the newly acquired…

[kerrycoast]

Friends of Clayoquot, Summer 1994

"If we protect them we have to say "no" to industrial pollution and to the idea of safe levels of poison chemicals." - Chief Simon Lucas, Nuu-cha-nulth, excerpt from his 1988 presentation recorded in the journal.

The largest demonstration of solidarity with Indigenous Peoples and their land titles until Fairy Creek, mass arrests at Clayoquot Sound in 1993 are said to have been at least 850 persons strong. 300 arrests in one day, to stop logging in the Nuu-chah-nulth coastal old-growth forests. In 1994, the Friends of Clayoquot organization published a journal to document their thinking at the…

[kerrycoast]

Archive Quarterly ~ Summer 24

Honouring the indomitable spirit of Indigenous Peoples west of the Rocky Mountains.

Featuring: A special investigation of the 1974 blockade of Highway 12, at Bonaparte, Secwepemc. After Elder James Morgan’s house burned down, and there was no access to funds or building materials to rebuild it, the Chief and dozens of others held down a narrow strip of the main transportation artery between Lillooet and the Interior – to levy a $5-per-traveller toll, raising funds to rebuild…

[kerrycoast]

Roadblocking for Title

Is Haida Title the same as Aboriginal title?

With the recent Haida agreement, “Rising Tides,” where British Columbia recognizes Haida title to its lands and waters as “Aboriginal title,” we are forced to wonder: is this the same “Title” that Indigenous Peoples west of the Rocky Mountains have been roadblocking, litigating, and petitioning international courts for? No doubt the Haida have little intention of relinquishing their inherent…

[kerrycoast]

DECLARATION OF THE INDIAN CHIEFS IN THE SOUTHERN INTERIOR OF BC

"Second, we stand for compensation to us by the British Columbia government for all lands of ours appropriated, or held by them, including all lands preempted or bought by settlers, miners, lumbermen, etc."

July 16, 1910 Chiefs from the Southern Interior met at Spences Bridge in 1910, to study the demands of the Indian Rights Association of BC. The Interior Chiefs decided to affiliate with the coast Indian Rights Association and stand with them to demand certain rights for Indian people and a settlement of the land issue. But the Chiefs also understood how important it was for them to carefully…

[kerrycoast]

02.24.2024 ~ Today is a great day for history!

Introducing Archive Quarterly, a new subscription journal from The West Wasn't Won. Because what was hidden from history is what’s needed now.

Introducing:    Archive Quarterly It’s The West Wasn’t Won’s own journal, like a news clipping service across the last two or three hundred years. Did you know? This month marks a hundred years since the Allied Tribes of British Columbia petitioned to shut down the Indian Reserve Commission report. If you didn’t, a subscription to Archive Quarterly will really help! What was hidden from…

[kerrycoast]

BC attempts Centennial Lands Act Amendment

BC Lands Act 2024 - seeking Indigenous co-management under crown power?

100 years ago this month, the Allied Tribes of British Columbia petitioned Parliament to shut down the report of the Indian Reserve Commission. BC has very quietly set up a public consultation process on its plans to embed First Nations local governments within its Lands Act. The lead is buried pretty deep: BC’s original assumption of control of all the land (without treaty or constructive…

[kerrycoast]

The Device of Indian Status

Note: this article has not been updated to reflect the Daniels decision of 2016, and the Descheneaux decision of 2021. The device of Indian Status and its creation: Non-Status Indians Summary The Canadian construct of the “Status Indian,” where in reality there is no such thing but rather human beings who are Cree, Mohawk, Haida, Miq Maq, Ojibway, Tsimpshian, and other nationals, is a sweeping…

[kerrycoast]

Reconciliation means Municipalization

In the 1970s, at least one informant in the Canadian government was relaying the state’s plans to Indigenous political leaders. The obvious question is, why did the Attorney General, the Superintendents, judges and Ministers have secret plans?

Part 5 of this week’s blog, No More “Reconciliation Sticks” In the 1970s, at least one informant in the Canadian government was relaying the state’s plans to Indigenous political leaders.             The obvious question is, why did the Governors Attorney and General, the Superintendents, judges and Ministers have secret plans? In one easily cracked nutshell, they were already wildly liable…

[kerrycoast]

Enforcement of Reconciliation

The awkwardness at a Reconciliation event is easily explained. The city speaker knows his tax revenue comes from unceded, non-treaty Indigenous lands, and if any native whomever exercises his rights there, he'll be incarcerated as per reconciliation rules

Part 4 of this week’s blog: No More “Reconciliation Sticks” Now that we have reconciled ourselves to the reality, as described in the last three parts of this blog, of bottom-line, extinguishment-policy reconciliation, all those orange T-shirts look different. You can bet they mean something different to the wearer, depending on whether they are Indigenous or not. Maybe we go to Capital R (for…