Douglas Treaty

Times Colonist: Jul 18, 1985 The Tsawout Indian Band is prepared to go to the Supreme Court of Canada to prevent a 500-boat marina development in Saanichton Bay, says councilor Gus Underwood.    “We’re prepared to take whatever measures are necessary,” he said. “We’ll carry our fight to the highest court in the land to get justice.”    Central Saanich council con Monday issued a development permit for the marina.    The band claims the development on the 6.15-hectare site is contrary to the 1858 James Douglas Treaty, which guaranteed Saanich Indians hunting and fishing rights.    Underwood, who was out of town and [...]

Times Colonist: Jul 16, 1985    Central Saanich council unanimously approved issuing a development permit for a 500-boat marina in Saanichton Bay Monday despite warnings from native Indians that development is contrary to the James Douglas Treaty.    Council’s action paves the way for a request for a building permit by Saanichton Marina Ltd.    The area has been zoned for marina use for 16 years.    “The Indian people of Saanich demand that you respect the terms of the treaty,” said Tsawout band manager Earl Claxton.     “In return for making lands available for non-Indian settlement, including the lands where this council is debating [...]

Foraging First Nations class disrupted by police Students ordered to drop knives, sparking protest JUDITH LAVOIE Times Colonist An outdoor class on traditional First Nations practices came to an abrupt end this week after police arrived and told students to drop the knives they were using to forage for roots and plants.    High school students from Lau,Welnew Tribal School were shaken by the incident at Centennial Park in Central Saanich. A Facebook group set up to protest police actions immediately drew almost 2,000 supporters.    However, Central Saanich police defended their response, saying they needed to ensure park users were safe [...]

Chief threatens suit over road Tseycum leader wants money and land for paved-over gravesites on scenic route in North Saanich. It's all about respect, he says. JUDITH LAVOIE Times Colonist The Tseycum First Nation is asking for money and land in exchange for allowing West Saanich Road traffic to continue running unimpeded through the North Saanich reserve.    West Saanich Road was built over Tseycum gravesites and the band hasn't been properly compensated, said Tseycum Chief Vern Jacks.    The band is talking about suing the provincial government, or even digging up the road to rebury ancestors, he said.    Jacks has a [...]

Natives appeal case VICTORIA – Two native men are appealing a precedent-setting decision outlawing pit-lamping – the use of lights to hunt game at night.    Ivan Morris and Carl Olson, of the Saanich First Nation were caught using a flashlight to spot and shoot what turned out to be a decoy deer near Youbou in 1996.    The B.C. Supreme Court rejected an earlier appeal that the 1852 Douglas Treaty allows aboriginals to hunt at night with lights.  Their latest appeal will be heard in the B.C. Court of Appeal. RECENT POSTS How are we doing? Leave [...]

Natives given OK to hunt with lights UNDER DOUGLAS TREATY: B.C. Wildfire Fed outraged; natives say it’s traditional hunting [IMAGE] Ivan Morris (left) and Carol Olsen, the hunters who were charged with hunting with lights at night, discuss their Supreme Court of Canada case with the media at a news conference in Vancouver yesterday afternoon.  SAM LEUNG – THE PROVINCE BY ETHAN BARON STAFF REPORTER    A Vancouver Island native band yesterday won the right to hunt with lights at night, in a 4-3 Supreme Court of Canada decision blasted by B.C.’s hunting lobby.    “I’m outraged,” said Paul Adams, executive-director of [...]

What are your thoughts on the Douglas Treaty? Let us know through this survey by clicking the button below: Survey Transcript ÍY SȻÁĆEL E TIÁ ÁNEȻ W̱EM,LEŚELWET TŦE NE SNÁ ĆSE AȽE SEN EṮ W̱SÁNEĆ My English name is Hannah is, and my W̱ILṈEW̱ SNÁ is W̱EM,LEŚELWET and I'm a direct descendant of the Douglas Treaty. What do you think to hunt & fish meant to our ancestors? I think to hunt and fish for my ancestors was a way of life. It was a way of being, and it was how we took care of our people, [...]

What are your thoughts on the Douglas Treaty? Let us know through this survey by clicking the button below: Survey Transcript ÍY, SȻÁĆEL Joni Olson TŦE NE SNÁ. Tsartlip First Nation is my home community. I am a W̱SÁNEĆ person. My name is Joni Olson. I work at the W̱SÁNEĆ Leadership Council, but hopefully we'll just be answering the questions today, as per who I am as a W̱SÁNEĆ woman. HÍSW̱ḴE What does to hunt and fish as formerly mean to our ancestors? To me it means to care for the environment in which the animals that we [...]

What are your thoughts on the Douglas Treaty? Let us know through this survey by clicking the button below: Survey Transcript ÍY, SȻÁĆEL SIÁM ĆSE ÁȽE S[SNÁ] TŦE NE SNÁ EN EṮ W̱JOȽEȽP] Good day, my name is Joe Seward. I'm Tsartlip council, my traditional name is ŦḴOTEĆTEN and I come from here in the Tsartlip village. Do you think that the Douglas Treaty should have economic rights in a modern context?  I definitely think there should be some sort of benefit or compensation to our people for the loss of land use. Our identity as W̱SÁNEĆ people [...]

What are your thoughts on the Douglas Treaty? Let us know through this survey by clicking the button below: Survey Transcript My name is Verta Elsworth. I am from the W̱JOȽEȽP as Tsartlip, but our First Nations phrase is W̱JOȽEȽP, land of the maples, born and raised here. My traditional name is WILṈEW̱ SNÁ and who am I? I'm a wife of almost 40 years. I have six children and seven grandchildren. What does to hunt and fish as formerly mean to you? When the treaty was signed in 1850, it certainly changed because our land was what [...]