Delgamuukw ignored

Page 7

The south-central Skeetchestn Indian band has announced plans to appeal a recent B.C. Supreme Court decision regarding Aboriginal title at Six-Mile Ranch.

According to information provided by the Skeetchestn Indian band, the B.C. Registrar of Lands had previously refused to register notice of the band's Aboriginal title as an interest in the land at Six-Mile Ranch. In January, the B.C. Supreme Court upheld that decision, indicating that, under the B.C. Lands Act, Aboriginal title cannot be registered as an interest in land.

According to Chief Ron Ignace, the proposed Six Mile Ranch development is within the traditional territory of the Skeetchestn Indian band and the Kamloops Indian b!and. The controversy involves 1,000 acres of fee simple land that developers Kamlands Holdings Ltd. want to turn into a lakeside resort. The proposed development includes "a marina, golf course, an equestrian center, 518 townhomes, bungalows, multi-story living units, three hotels, and 75 condominium hotel suites convertible into 150 hotel rooms."

Ignace explained that the land in question was originally included within the provincial agriculture land reserve. As such, the local bands could still maintain their ties to the land. Now that developers have successfully lobbied to have the lands taken out of the agricultural land reserve, and a commercial development is being proposed, Ignace said Native people in the area are "afraid it would severely impact and hamper our ties to that land. It's a major part of our traditional territory . . . and, according to Delgamuukw, if there is to be that kind of impact on our traditional territory, it is incumbent upon the province to enter into good faith negotiations with us, and they neglected to do that."