by Greg Nesteroff / Nelson Star (via West Coast Native News)
Two people were taken into custody this morning on a Slocan Valley logging road, less than a day after a judge extended an injunction against the Sinixt First Nation and their supporters.
RCMP Sgt. Darryl Little confirmed two people were arrested without incident for failing to comply with the injunction but said names would not be released until formal charges are laid.
However, Facebook posts have identified one of them as Marilyn James, a prominent member of the Sinixt First Nation. Another post encouraged supporters to attend a hearing at 2 p.m. at the Nelson courthouse, but they had not appeared in court by 3:15. Little said they were being held in Nelson and are expected to be brought over shortly.
Yesterday James suggested she and others would return to the site at daybreak to protect cultural sites in their traditional territory. “I’m a Sinixt woman within Sinixt territory,” she said. “I have to uphold my responsibilities to my society. We’re doing our cultural practices and they’re trying to turn us into criminals.”
Little, who was not present when the arrests were made, said a number of other people were also on site when police arrived but stood aside when asked. He was not sure whether the Crown would proceed with civil or criminal contempt of court charges.
“We will be patrolling the area and monitoring it,” he said. “If the company is blocked we will respond.”
The injunction, which BC Supreme Court Justice Mark McEwan extended until June 30, bars anyone from interfering with Galena Contracting of Nakusp, which has a contract with BC Timber Sales to extend the Perry Ridge forest service road eight kilometers and harvest about 5,000 cubic meters of wood.
(MORE TO COME)
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