The Snuneymuxw First Nation is launching a systematic and comprehensive strategy to redress the wrongs done to Nanaimo Harbour and Nanaimo River Estuary.
The strategy will involve a combination of legal actions, action implementing Snuneymuxw'ʹs Aboriginal Title and Fisheries recognized in the Treaty of 1854, environmental studies and initiatives, and adoption and implementation of a Nanaimo Harbour and Estuary Stewardship Plan.
The launching of the strategy emerges out of the continuing denial of Snuneymuxw'ʹs Treaty rights and interests throughout the Estuary by the Federal Government, Provincial Government, and the Nanaimo Port Authority.
"ʺThe Estuary is the at the heart of what our Treaty of 1854 recognizes and protects. For a number of years Snuneymuxw has made it clear that we would no longer tolerate the denial of our title to the Estuary, including our fisheries. We have sought to work in meaningful partnership with Canada, the Province, and the Nanaimo Port Authority to find a mutual pathway forward. The Crown and the Port Authority have all made it clear that they believe nothing compels them to find an honourable path together and that they intend to stay firmly on the pathway of denial of Snuneymuxw rights and destruction of Snuneymuxw fisheries and environment. This leaves the Snuneymuxw Nation to act in accordance with our clear obligations and duties to our people and our territory – we will fight to protect our people and we will fight to protect the territories that have been entrusted to us. The days of the Crown and
Crown entities acting like we don’t matter and acting like our rights and fisheries don’t matter are over"ʺ, said Chief Douglas White III, of the Snuneymuxw First Nation.
One of the most destructive, and on--‐‑going, wrongs in the Nanaimo Harbour and Estuary has been the use of it for log--‐‑booming. Currently the Province, the Nanaimo Port Authority, and forestry companies all derive benefit from log--‐‑booming. At the same time, log--‐‑booming has been tremendously destructive to Snuneymuxw'ʹs Treaty protected Fisheries, and the marine environment. "ʺLet'ʹs be clear. A situation where the Crown and logging companies derive benefits from the destruction of aspects of the Harbour and Estuary and destruction of
Snuneymuxw'ʹs Fisheries is simply intolerable and will no longer be allowed,"ʺ said Chief White.
A recent hot--‐‑button issue has been the controversial proposal by the Nanaimo Port Authority and the Pacific Northwest Marina Group to privatize Nanaimo'ʹs downtown marina, located at one of Snuneymuxw’s main winter village sites, protected by Treaty. Snuneymuxw has met with the same patterns of disrespect that many citizens of the region have felt with this proposal including:
• The failure by the NPA or the Pacific Marina Group to provide any meaningful notice of their plans prior to publicly announcing them in May
• The refusal by the NPA or the Pacific Marina Group to disclose the terms of their lease agreement, despite specific requests
• The failure by the NPA or the Pacific Marina Group to properly recognize that
Snuneymuxw has distinct and clear legal rights and interests in the area
• Despite a commitment in September, the failure by the NPA to follow--‐‑through to date on the joint design of a process to review and assess the proposal
"ʺSnuneymuxw has long made it clear that proposals and projects of this sort, which are in vital areas for our People, will not take place without our meaningful participation in the project and assurances on how concerns related to fisheries and the environment will be addressed,"ʺ said
Chief White. "ʺThe NPA and the Pacific Northwest Marina Group have long known this.
Despite that, they have not taken us seriously or treated us respectfully. They simply continue to deny our real and legal interests with respect to the waters where the current marina is located, and new marina is proposed"ʺ, he added.
The first focus of Snuneymuxw'ʹs comprehensive Strategy will be on the Nanaimo Port Authority, and their current, and proposed operations that impact the Estuary.
