Home / News Releases / News Release: De-Clawed Bear Paws Dumped Near Scotch Creek
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Secwépemc Territory – The Shuswap Nation Tribal Council (SNTC) Council of Chiefs are abhorred with the discovery of dozens of severed bear paws in the Scotch Creek area, the traditional territory of Secwépemc people.
“Our traditional stories teach us that the bear is a sacred animal forming the foundation of our creation law, the chief of the four-legged and deserves the utmost respect and dignity,” says Kukpi7 Wayne Christian. “Many of our oral histories give us insight into the pivotal role that bear plays on our lands in the animal world and as part of our family.”
This act of desecration has not gone unnoticed by our Nation’s communities and can be felt through the spirits of our people. As caretakers of the land, we condemn the dishonour of this sacred animal which is integral to our health and wellbeing. The SNTC Council of Chiefs unanimously commits to the collaboration with Indigenous stewards of the land and Crown conservation organizations to give our animals the protection they deserve.
A ceremony will be held to honour the bears who have been so carelessly discarded to ensure they are given the respect they deserve.
The Splatsin people reside on Indian reserve lands adjacent to the City of Enderby to the south and across the Shuswap River to the east. The Splatsin are the southernmost tribe of the Shuswap Nation, the largest Interior Salish speaking First Nation in Canada. Their aboriginal territory stretches from the B.C./Alberta border near the Yellowhead Pass to the plateau west of the Fraser River, southeast to the Arrow Lakes and to the upper reaches of the Columbia River.
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Read the joint statement below from the Indigenous bands of the Pespesellkwe te Secwepemc (Adams Lake, Little Shuswap Lake, Splatsin, and Neskonlith Band) about the discovery including a $3,000 reward for information resulting in conviction.
Media Contact
Kukpi7 Wayne Christian, WenecwetsinTribal Chair, Shuswap Nation Tribal CouncilP (250) 503-7072E [email protected]