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Story submitted
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“The story for the treaty began last month after I got a press release from the provincial government detailing how Canada and the United States had reached this agreement in principle to modernize the Columbia River Treaty,” says
Aaron.
“In that press release, they [the government] kind of just pat themselves on the back.”
Aaron tells me that IndigiNews editor Cara McKenna encouraged him to take the time to dig into it further. After all, this treaty is the largest infringement upon the Nation's title and rights to the land.
So Aaron went to the Okanagan Nation Alliance (ONA) Annual General meeting, where he heard from the community that this treaty had excluded Indigenous voices for 60 years. Indigenous leaders spoke of how the government had not even bothered to consult with them, and made it clear that there’s still a long way to go.
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Photo by Aaron Hemens
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“The story became deeper when I went to the AGM, which I'm grateful for,” Aaron told me.
At the AGM, the Nation talked about how they had to fight to be included in the process. It was the ONA who pushed to have salmon incorporated into the treaty.
Alongside Aaron’s story, we also published an op-ed by leaders from the Secwépemc, syilx Okanagan and Ktunaxa Nations talking about the importance of restoring the salmon runs that have been harmed by the Columbia River dams.
Of course, there are many more aspects of this story to capture, and we plan to keep covering it as the treaty process moves along. We are lucky to work with Aaron, who prioritizes kinship in community, by embodying one of the most important values to many Indigenous cultures –– listening.
hiy hiy,
Aunty Eden
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