Ancestors can now rest in peace on Grace Islet

[Oscar]

Burial Site Purchase Shows What's Possible for First Nations Rights

[ http://thetyee.ca/Opinion/2015/01/16/Gr ... ign=170115 ]

Ancestors can now rest in peace on Grace Islet. But will this solution work for other sites?

By Judith Sayers, 16 Jan 2015, TheTyee.ca

At last, the ancestors of the Cowichan, Tseycum, Penelakut, Tsawout, Tsartlip and Pauquachincan peoples can rest peacefully on Grace Islet, a little islet off Salt Spring Island in British Columbia.

A partnership between the First Nations, the B.C. government and the Nature Conservancy of Canada was formed to buy the islet from an owner that was building a home over burial cairns. [ http://thetyee.ca/Opinion/2014/08/18/Fi ... elopments/ ] A framework agreement has been signed with the owner, and hopes are this will be finalized soon.

All parties need to be commended for this agreement to solve a very contentious issue, with a special mention for the owner who agreed to do this.

The clash over Grace Islet arose when the government's Archaeology Branch was considering issuing permits to build over 20 burial cairns on the islet. First Nations were adamantly opposed to any interference with these burial sites and mounted a public campaign to stop development. Many people supported these efforts.

The issue of the ability to desecrate First Nations burial sites for development while non-First Nations burial sites are rarely disturbed rose its head again. First Nations are frequently asked to move their burial sites to make room for development, and this was not an acceptable option for the burial sites on Grace Islet.

The provincial government's decision to allow development on Grace Islet sparked a strongly negative reaction. When the First Nations found that the developer had breached the conditions set out in the permit and had built a footing into one of the cairns and damaged another, outrage mounted.

The B.C. government has been very reluctant to interfere with private property even though the Heritage Conservation Act applies to both Crown and private lands. Under the Act, the government has the power to stop development where there is proposed desecration of burial sites but has never done so.

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