Editors’ Note | Tomorrow, Sunday morning at 7am, the Mayor’s Encampment Committee is going to try to evict the tent city at Oppenheimer park. Homelessness is increasing because rents are too high, wages and welfare are too low, and the city/developers are gentrifying the Eastside. Highlighting the colonial expansionist aspect of this ongoing process, here is a statement from the residents of the park, Salish peoples and community supporters.
NOTICE OF EVICTION
Issued on this 20th day of July, 2014 and effective immediately.
We, the indigenous people here today in Oppenheimer Park, do hereby assert our Aboriginal Title, as established in law by the Supreme Court of Canada in Tsilhqot’in v British Columbia. Our people have held title to this land since time immemorial, and we are exerting our right to exclusive authority, recognized as an inherent element of our title, over this land and this camp.
The City of Vancouver recognizes the unceded and enduring existence of our Aboriginal Title here. Under this recognition, we now require that you leave this place and cease any attempts to remove people or their belongings from this place. Because we are the title holders to this land, we assert that you do not have jurisdiction over this place until such time as our title to it is lawfully resolved. Any actions against this camp are thereby unlawful actions against our title; we demand an immediate cease and desist of action or the threat of action against this camp or those within it.
* There will be a solidarity action tomorrow morning, Oppenheimer Park, to back up the folks who are about to get unconstitutionally evicted from temporary housing they have established there. The City will be there early to evict them, so we’d like to be present by 6:00 am, but any time you can come tomorrow morning is good. Please bring anything you can film/record with, and also bring food contributions for breakfast if you are able. Please pass on the message to anyone in Vancouver who may be able to join or support.
For more information contact:
Audrey Siegl (Musqueam Nation) 778-988-8880
Brody Williams (Haida Nation) 604-336-0419
Please join Facebook event: https://www.facebook.com/events/556185367820280/
