Gustafsen Lake standoff facts for kids
The Gustafsen Lake standoff was a serious disagreement over land in British Columbia, Canada. It led to a tense situation between the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) and a group of Indigenous people called the Ts'peten Defenders. The standoff happened at Gustafsen Lake, which is known as Ts'peten in the Shuswap language.
This event began on August 18, 1995, and lasted for 31 days. It ended peacefully on September 17, 1995, when the remaining people left the site. The RCMP operation was very large and costly. About 400 police officers were involved, and they even received help from the Canadian Armed Forces in an effort called Operation Wallaby.
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What Led to the Gustafsen Lake Standoff?
The Sun Dance Ceremony
The Gustafsen Lake site is a special place for the Secwepemc (Shuswap) people. It is located near 100 Mile House, British Columbia, at 51°32′28.8″N 121°43′0.1″W / 51.541333°N 121.716694°W. In 1995, it was the sixth time the Sun Dance, a spiritual ceremony, was held there.
The Sun Dances began after a spiritual leader named Percy Rosette and other Shuswap elders had a vision about the site. Rosette asked Lyle James, the ranch owner, if they could hold the ceremony on his land. James agreed for four years, as long as no permanent buildings were put up.
Permanent Stay and Legal Action
However, in late 1994, James found that Rosette and his partner, Mary Pena, had started living permanently at the site.
Rosette was in touch with Bruce Allan Clark, a lawyer who supported Indigenous rights. On January 3, 1995, Clark sent a petition to the Queen. This petition, signed by Indigenous religious leaders, asked for an international investigation into the Canadian government's occupation of unceded Indigenous territories. Unceded land means land that Indigenous people never officially gave up or sold.
At this time, the RCMP tried to help both sides talk to each other. They acted as mediators between the ranch owner and the people living at the site.
Rising Tensions at the Lake
Eviction Notice and Sacred Land
In June 1995, more people joined Rosette and Pena at Gustafsen Lake. These included Secwepemc people, other Indigenous groups, and non-Indigenous supporters. They were preparing for the Sun Dance in July.
The situation became more difficult when the occupiers built a fence to keep cattle away from the ceremony area. Ranch owner Lyle James saw this as the occupiers trying to claim the land. He then gave them an eviction notice.
Religious Disrespect and Calls for Defense
Reports said that ranch workers put the eviction notice on a sacred spear. This made the Indigenous people feel that their religion was being disrespected. Guns were already at the camp. The 1995 Sun Dance leader, Splitting the Sky, then called for an armed defense.
The occupiers also disagreed with local elected Shuswap leaders. They felt these leaders were too close to the Canadian government. Press releases from the occupiers in June and July invited Sun Dancers to the site. They stated their right to practice their religion and repeated that the land was part of unceded Indigenous territory.
Later, shots were reportedly fired towards forestry workers nearby. After this, the RCMP tried to secure the area.
The Standoff Begins
Police Presence and Negotiations
On August 18, 1995, members of the RCMP Emergency Response Team (ERT) were seen near the site. The occupiers, believing a police invasion was about to happen, fired shots.
The RCMP tried to negotiate with the occupiers. They spoke through local elected leaders and then through Assembly of First Nations (AFN) Grand Chief Ovide Mercredi. However, these talks were not successful.
Large-Scale Police Operation
The RCMP then started one of the biggest police operations in Canadian history. About 400 tactical police officers were deployed. They used five helicopters, two surveillance planes, and nine Bison Armoured Personnel Carriers (APCs). These APCs were borrowed from the Canadian Army.
The RCMP kept journalists far away from the site. Some reporters felt uneasy because only the police's side of the story was being shared. Police can create "exclusion zones" for safety, but these are usually small.
Clashes and End of the Standoff
On September 11, the RCMP set off an explosive device buried in an access road to the camp. This heavily damaged a supply truck driven by the occupiers. This incident led to a firefight where the Bison APCs were used. Suniva Bronson, a non-Indigenous occupier, was shot in the arm. She was the only person injured during the long exchange of bullets.
The next day, police snipers shot at an unarmed man crossing a field that was supposed to be a no-shoot zone. Police later admitted this was a mistake.
The standoff ended peacefully on September 17. The remaining occupiers left the site with the help of medicine man John Stevens. By the end of the 31-day standoff, police had fired up to 77,000 rounds of ammunition. One Indigenous leader claimed that in one shooting incident, two APCs actually fired at each other because their view was blocked. This operation was the largest of its kind in British Columbia's history and cost $5.5 million.
After the Standoff: Consequences and Appeals
Charges and Convictions
After the standoff, eighteen people were charged: fourteen Indigenous and four non-Indigenous. Fifteen of them were found guilty and received jail sentences from six months to eight years.
William "Wolverine" Jones Ignace, a leader of the occupation, was found guilty of several charges. These included damaging property, endangering lives, having firearms and explosives, and shooting at police.
Appeals and Jurisdiction
Three of the people found guilty appealed their verdicts. They argued that Canadian courts did not have authority over the land where the Gustafsen Lake standoff happened. They claimed it was still unceded Indigenous land. However, the Supreme Court of British Columbia did not agree to hear their appeal.
Political Asylum in the United States
One of those convicted was James Pitawanakwat. He was sentenced to three years in jail. Nine days after being released on parole, he left Canada for the United States. He successfully fought against being sent back to Canada. He became the only Indigenous person ever granted political asylum in the United States. This means the U.S. government protected him because they believed he faced political persecution in Canada.
Magistrate Judge Janice M. Stewart of the U.S District Court in Oregon stated that the Gustafsen Lake incident involved "an organized group of Indigenous people rising up in their homeland against an occupation by the government of Canada of their sacred and unceded tribal land." She also said that the "Canadian government engaged in a smear and disinformation campaign to prevent the media from learning and publicizing the true extent and political nature of these events."
