Chiefs urge Tiny House Warriors to end pipeline protest camp in B.C.'s central Interior

Chiefs of two First Nations in B.C.'s central Interior are urginganti-pipeline protesters to pack up and leave an uninvited encampment on their traditional territory.

But a leader of the Tiny House Warriors village says they do not recognize the authority of theelected chiefs to make that call.

In a joint statement issued Thursday, Chiefs Shelly Loringof theSimpcwFirst Nation and Rosanne Casimir of the Tk'emlps te SecwpemcFirst Nationsaid the Tiny House Warriorsat Blue Riverhave violatedSecwpemc laws and customs.

"The interactions that I have witnessed are violent in nature," Loring said in an interview with CBCDaybreak Kamloops'Doug Herbert.

"We thought that it was our responsibility to stand up and say this has to stop," Loring said. "This is enough."

The chiefs said protest camp members were not invited and do not speak for the twoFirst Nations located near Barriere and Kamloops, along the North and South Thompson Rivers. The Tiny House Warriors villageat Blue River is located about 230 kilometres north of Kamloops near the path of theTrans Mountain pipeline expansion project.

Loring said the Simpcw Nation gave free, prior and informed consent for Trans Mountain to build and operate the new pipeline.

The First Nation operates a company that provides security for the project. Loringsaid protesters areincreasingly aggressive in almost daily interactions with the Indigenous andnon-Indigenous security workers.

"Some of our individuals that have been threatened. We've had some of our individuals that have been spit on. They have been recorded without their permission," she said.

"There's been a number of negative interactions that have been occurring and this has been ongoing for the last two years."

Kanahus Manuel, a resident of the Tiny House Warriors village and its spokesperson, said in a phone interview that a statement will be issued shortly from lawyers for the group in responseto what she described as false allegations against the protest camp members.

Manuel said she rejects the chiefs' call for the Tiny House Warriors to stand down from their protest because the elected chief-and-council system has been unilaterally imposed by the federal government with no authority over traditional lands outside their own reserve.

Band chiefs' authority challenged

"Federal Indian Bands are not the rightful or collective title holders." Manuel said. "Therefore theycan't make decisions regarding our collective territories."

Earlier this week Kamloops ThompsonMLA Peter Milobarsaid he had met with British Columbia's solicitorgeneral over concernsabout the protest group and its impact on nearby residents and businesses.

Loring said the First Nation shares concerns expressed by the protesters for the safety of women and girls in the communities affected by the pipeline construction boom. However, the Tiny House protesters have not spoken with her about the situation.

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Among19 women from the Simpcw First Nation are working on the Trans Mountain project, she said,"they report positive experiences and no serious incidents."

On Thursday the Supreme Court of Canada rejected the last remaining court challenge to the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion project, refusing to hear an appeal from several First Nations against the project.

Loring said she is now concerned that more protesters will be coming from across the country to join the Tiny House camp.