Update On The Trial Of The Secwépemc 8 Land Defenders On Trial In Kamloops

On March 1st, eight water and land protectors (now known in the press as the Secwépemc 8) appeared either in Kamloops Supreme Court or by phone.

The next hearing is scheduled for March 15th at 2 PM in Kamloops Supreme Court (or by phone for the arrestees who reside in the Lower Mainland). The dial-in number and passcode will be shared, once they are available, and anyone from the public is welcome to join the call as an observer, but is not permitted to speak.

The accused are - 

Water and land protectors arrested on Oct. 15th

Secwépemc Hereditary Chief, Sagwses Henry Sauls

Secwépemc Matriarch, April Thomas  

Billie (Jocelyn) Pierre of the Nlaka’pamux Nation

Romilly Cavanaugh, settler ally

Water and land protectors arrested on Oct. 17th

Secwépemc Matriarch, Miranda Dick

Heather Lamoureux, settler ally

Susan Bibbings, settler ally

Laura Zadorozny, settler ally

The presiding judge is Shelley Fitzpatrick and the Crown prosecutor is Neil Wiberg. The accused were arrested in so-called Kamloops, and have been charged with criminal contempt of court for allegedly violating the TMX injunction against obstructing construction of the new pipeline. This hearing was to confirm the charges, ask the accused if they would be represented by legal council, and to set a date for the next hearing. The prosecutor has indicated that the trials will not start for at least a couple of months, and he anticipates that those arrested on Oct. 15th will have a one-week trial, and those arrested on Oct. 17th will be in a separate trial of the same duration. 

The indigenous arrestees have stated clearly from the first day of the hearings that the provincial court does not have jurisdiction over actions that occur on their unceded territories.

In solidarity with all land and water protectors!