Essay About Natives Of Canada And Shuswap People

Gustafsen Lake
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Gustafsen Lake.
For centuries, the natives of Canada have been suffering damages
through their land and themselves. Events such as Oka, Ipperwash, Lubican,
and Gustafsen trails the racism and cruelty to the aboriginals. Land being
usurped over for the use of natural supplies or accommodations, being killed
and jailed for protecting their rights given bygone ago. Gustafsen Lake
shows these attributes when the Secwepemc (Shuswap) was being raided
by more than one-hundred RCMP officers for carrying out an ancient ritual
that the sun dancers have done for more than a century. Gustafsen Lake
will be explained through the history and background of the native people,
the history of the land, and the communication of the government for peace
and resolution.
The Secwepemc or Shuswap for the non-natives have called, means
the Shuswap people. The reason for the non-natives calling them the
Shuswap happened when the eastern settlers came to land on British
Columbia. They could not pronounce Secwepemc so they made an easier
word to call them by. This happened with most / majority of other native
bands. There were 17 bands of Shuswaps that controlled the vast area of
British Columbia for 10,000 years and controlling 56,000 square miles of
traditional land. The Shuswap diets through berries, meat, fish and
roots and the occupation for the them back than were hunting, fishing, and
trading. .Althought most of the bands were hybrids, they all share
similar traditions, rituals, and language. This would all soon change when
the eastern settlers came on their land and spreading smallpox in 1862,
wiping out 32 tribal villages, killing more than a hundred thousand. (SCES).
In the 19th century, the area has been industrialized, schools being built, and
the tradition being changed with less than eight thousand Shuswap,. Later in
the 19th century, they are now coming back in a positive force. Getting jobs
in many enterprises and tradition coming / being taught again. Again! The
non-natives took action to downgrade the Shuswap from advancing further
in their destiny for a better future, causing them to go back to second hand
occupations. Now that the history hits them again, they refused to be puppets
and caused rallies to the government for a better life. Declarations have been
signed, social development and economic development became prosperous
and the Shuswap people now living a happy life again. Although this sounds
like a downward spiral that goes back up again, The Shuswap people
of today will be looking forward to not go down that road again.. Elders of
the Secwepemc created traditional schools for their people to learn about the
culture and language. The Shuswap population is now growing more than
ever, less alcoholism, less early birth deaths, less incarceration, and
violence. Like every other native bands, they may struggle but they will
always find a way to confront it, just like the Oka incident.
What happened at Gustafsen Lake (Ts Peten)? In June of 1995,
it started out when a farmer named Lyle James, an American farmer, who
happened to “own” Gustafsen found a sun dancer of the Shuswap swatting
on his ranch. Every year James would let them do their spirit ceremonies for
ten days and leave but not in June of 95. The sundancers have told him that
he was on their sacred burial and ceremonial land where it is theres since
they have existed. This is true because there were no treaties or documents
that were signed to anyone to own Gustafsen, it was still unceded and
belonged to the Shuswap. During that time, the Shuswap built a fence so
the cattle and farmers cannot step on their land. Things get escalated and
the RCMP were called in to make the Shuswap leave. The Shuswap resisted
and will now create what is known in Canadian history, the biggest and
costly paramilitary. Needing four hundred RCMP officers fully armed to
take down fourteen Shuswaps and nearly five million dollars from tax payers
for the operation. .50 Calibur machine guns, land mines, grenades, and more
terrifying weapons were used on these band of groups.
The Shuswap only had minimal arsenal (machete, 8mm glock, ak-47). Both
sides