The National Government (TNG) of Tŝilhqot’in is asking the governments of BC and Canadians who defend and support knowledge, laws and jurisdiction over their own territory, among other things, following a landslide last summer last summer .
At the end of July, a landslide in Nagwentled, also known as Farwell Canyon, blocked the Chilcotin river inside BC, a vital current for salmon, for six days.
The effect that the slide had on salmon still is not clear, although the Department of Fishing and Oceans said in September that very few had passed the area of landslides.
A new TNG report analyzed the Tŝilhqot’in response and provincial and federal governments, in an effort to discover what worked and what should happen in the future.
The aerial images provided by the head of Williams Lake First Nation Willie Sellars from 4 PM PT on Monday show that the Chilcotin river flows quickly, almost six days after a landslide of earth represents the river.
The TNG is composed of six communities of Tŝilhqot’in who work together to advocate for the people tŝilhqot’in. Among them is the head of TL’esqox, Francis Lacese, who said that handling the land and water within the TNG territory is part of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
“Governments have to change their legislation and their way of thinking,” he said.
The TNG says that the slide meant a “change of waters” and a realignment of relations between TNG and other governments.
The report touches the fact that the Tŝilhqot’in nation is in charge of emergency management when it comes to fires in its territory, but the landslide response was a different story.
He says that the landslide revealed deficits in communication and coordination of the emergency response of provincial and federal governments.
The TNG says that it had to overcome the “jurisdictional confusion” and that the province “fought” to share information about the slide, and as a result, the emergency management of the first nation was “largely hindered” when trying to help residents due to a lack of updated information.
The key between complaints, according to the report, was the lack of information exchange.
“While the provincial government organized in a useful way the visualizations of helicopters for bosses and higher personnel, the province was reluctant to share monitoring data on a government to government with the government with the [Tsilhqot’in National Government]”, says the report.
‘They know what they are doing’
The nation says that he wants to make sure he leads emergency management within its own territory.
Jenny Philbrick, executive director of TNG, said that although the tŝilhqot’in began working in the landslide immediately, provincial and federal governments also got involved.
“People and many other indigenous people have jurisdiction in their own lands, and know what they are doing,” Philbrick said during a press conference on Monday.
“Indigenous peoples should take the lead in their own lands.”
Financing is needed
Among its four calls to action is money for emergency reserve and restoration funds.
The first nation says that the uncertain and delayed funds of the federal government forced him to advance with “urgent and vital actions to administer the salmon” without a guarantee of support from Ottawa.
Philbrick said the current funds are necessary, since two subsequent land landslides occurred after the initial fall, and another is expected.
“Another reason why this is so important [is] To ensure that these relationships are good and that there are still funds that flow for future landslides. “
The TNG also says that given its historical knowledge and its experience in the area and in terms of salmon, it is in the best position to lead the recovery of salmon. He is calling the province and the federals who make the transition from the Emergency Salmon Working Group of TNG to a long -term project.
The Federal Fisheries Department and Oceans could not provide a response to the report before the publication.
In a joint statement, the Ministries of Emergency Management and Water Administration, Land and Resources, said the province is reviewing the report. The province said the first nations contributed largely to the response and recovery efforts on the slide site.
“We gather traditional knowledge and modern technology to understand what was happening in every step of the road.
“We recognize that this was a unique event, and many governments, including the first nations and local authorities, seek to obtain learning from experiences through the response and recovery of chilcotine sliding emergency. We will continue working closely with our partners in all The levels to keep people and safe communities. “
