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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Okanagan Indian Band Chief slams Tolko’s decision to log watershed that supplies OKIB’s drinking water as well as government complicity
Okanagan Nation Territory, Vernon – Chief Fabian Alexis of the Okanagan Indian Band today reacted with anger to news that Tolko was proceeding with logging of the Browns Creek Watershed, the watershed which supplies much of the Okanagan Indian Band’s water supply.
“Their actions seem designed to spark the maximum confrontation with the Okanagan Indian Band and the Okanagan Nation,” said Chief Alexis.
“Tolko has refused to share with us their archaeological report in spite of a court direction. The more we have raised our concerns and objections to Tolko logging the watershed that supplies our drinking water, the more determined they have become to log it,” noted Chief Alexis.
“I guess Tolko wants to try and show us whose boss. Perhaps Tolko’s owners might want to consider the fact that title to the lands they are now logging is a matter that is still before the courts Tolko may well find itself in a situation where the TFL and logging permits are invalidated and they will have to then deal directly with us for permission to log within the Okanagan Nations traditional territories. So perhaps Tolko’s owners might want to look beyond the next fiscal quarter and see what sort of relationship they want to have with us,” warned Chief Alexis.
“To that end I would encourage Tolko’s CEO Brad Thorlakson to meet with me rather than to continue to escalate the situation to a point where everyone loses,” said Chief Alexis. “I would also request that he share with us the archaeological reports that have been done to date.”
“I also want to let the Province of British Columbia know that we are well aware of their complicity in allowing this situation to get to this point,” noted Chief Alexis. “A government that was interested in paying more than symbolic lip service to aboriginal title and rights would not have granted cutting permits to Tolko on lands where two court orders provide that the Okanagan can gather evidence of aboriginal title and over which the Province has admitted that the Okanagan have an aboriginal right to harvest trees.”
“It seems that Forest Minister Pat Bell and Aboriginal Affairs Minister George Abbott are quite content to let the confrontation continue to escalate,” added Chief Alexis. “If this was a watershed supplying water to Kelowna or Vancouver, the fragile water supply would be protected.”
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For more information please contact:
Chief Fabian Alexis cell (250) 306-2838, phone (250) 542-4328