07) SALE OF CESNAM (MARPOLE) LANDS TO MUSQUEAM FINALIZED

 

            After a lengthy struggle to protect an ancient burial site along Marine Drive in southwest Vancouver, the Musqueam Indian Band has succeeded in purchasing a two acre portion of "Cesnam", also known as the Musqueam Marpole Village Site.

 

            The transaction came after 18 months of negotiation, involving Musqueam Chief and Council, Musqueam community members, Century Group (the private owners of the land), and the province of BC.

 

            Cesnam's ancient village and burial site was declared a National Historic Site in 1933. It includes one of the largest pre‑contact middens in Western Canada.

 

            In early 2012, Century Group had approval from the City of Vancouver to develop a multi‑family residential condominium project on the site. But during pre‑construction archaeological work, ancestral remains were uncovered, causing great anguish to Musqueam members. Band members and supporters used a wide range of tactics last year to draw public attention to the issue.

 

            The proposed development would have destroyed a sacred burial place precious to Musqueam, an important link to the band's heritage extending back thousands of years in the geographic area known today as Vancouver. Like most of the rest of British Columbia, the traditional territories of the Musqueam and other Coast Salish nations have never been surrendered to colonial powers or the present-day Canadian state. This de facto occupation of unceded First Nation territories has allowed private corporate interests to gain incredible wealth on the west coast, while Aboriginal peoples remain impoverished.

 

            "As Chief of the Musqueam Indian Band, I am pleased with the outcome. I would like to acknowledge and thank the Musqueam members and supporters who drove this process on the ground level. It is our teachings to always protect the interests of our membership, including our lands, history, and culture," said Chief Wayne Sparrow. "The successful resolution of the development plans for these lands demonstrates First Nations and private property owners can work together to understand each other's interests, and conduct business in a respectful way."

 

            Musqueam is currently in discussion with all levels of government to identify the next steps to ensure the protection of Cesnam for generations to come.

 

(The above article is from the October 16-31, 2013, issue of People's Voice, Canada's leading communist newspaper. Articles can be reprinted free if the source is credited. Subscription rates in Canada: $30/year, or $15 low income rate; for U.S. readers - $45 US per year; other overseas readers - $45 US or $50 CDN per year. Send to People's Voice, c/o PV Business Manager, 706 Clark Drive, Vancouver, BC, V5L 3J1.)