A First Nation in southern B.C. has won its fight to gain access to a private property in order to complete the removal of remains from an ancestral burial site.
Members of the Lower Similkameen Indian Band were granted the ministerial order to enter the property in Cawston following a meeting with government officials last week.
Natural resource officers cut the lock on a private property near Cawston, B.C. where the Lower Similkameen Indian Band has been granted access to collect remains from an ancestral burial site. (Lower Similkameen Indian Band/Facebook)
The First Nation says the move is unprecedented and will ensure that the reburial of the remains is expedited and sanctioned.
A press release put out by the band stated that the burial ground was desecrated on February 29, 2016.
“Under the Liberal government, LSIB was granted temporary access to collect approximately 500 exposed remains but additional collection was required,” stated the release.
Chief Keith Crow says the decision comes after more than a year and a half of waiting and is a step towards meaningful
nation-to-nation relations in B.C.
@jjhorgan we applaud the NDP for taking respectful decisive action to #protectoursacredsites #unprecedentedministerialorder pic.twitter.com/2szGheBoYK
With files from Canadian Press