SKWELKWEK'WELT, SECWEPEMC TERRITORY - A peaceful protest at Sun Peaks village on June 24, 2001 was broken up by an attack on a 24-year-old Secwepemc woman by an intoxicated and belligerent Sun Peaks resident. This man is well known to the Native Youth Movement, since their occupation at McGillvery Lake on June 1, 2001, for his constant harassment, racial slurs and threats toward them. Last night he punched Nicole Manuel, spokesperson for the Native Youth Movement, in the face.

As a group of approximately 20 Native Youth Movement members walked through Sun Peaks village singing traditional Native songs and voicing a firm stance against development on Skwelkwek'welt, the Sun Peaks resident walked off the terrace of a restaurant in the Sun Peaks day lodge, where he had been drinking with several other white men and shouting racial slurs at the protesters. He charged the group of Native Youth shouting "F...... Indians, get off our land!" and "You want war, come on!" He first swung several punches in the direction of the young men, then he directed his attention at Nicole Manuel, shouting at her and finally punching her in the face.

She was immediately protected from further attack by a young warrior who later said: "The necessary actions were taken against this man for attacking our Sister. We will not tolerate any more abuse and assaults against our Women, our Peoples or our Land. We will protect them by any means necessary."

The Native Youth Movement view this as a direct action of hate crime which is being tolerated and promoted by the RCMP and Sun Peaks. We have received continual harassment by the RCMP, BC and Canadian government officials and Sun Peaks residents and employees. These people must be held accountable of the actions of these parties and recognise that we hold Aboriginal Title to these lands and every right to be here. We will continue to exercise our rights and title to our lands on Skwelkwek'welt, which includes the Sun Peaks village.

Today we find ourselves under the same attack as our ancestors did with horse carriages and wagon still making tracks of destruction on our land, but now they carry tourists who fund the destruction of our natural resources and way of life. As we observed on of these carriages going by in Sun Peaks village, we did as our ancestors have always done in reminding the non-Natives that they are on Secwepemc Territory and that has never been sold or surrendered. We walked beside the carriage and sang our traditional songs and prayed for the immediate half of the destruction of this land. Those who believe they can break our People's spirits with their wanton attacks are gravely mistaken.