ee

A POSSIBLE LAND CLAIM on the new Mf. Newton school site
was announced by Chief Dan Sam Thursday night during an
information meeting on the new school. Sam was accom=
panied by band councillor John Elliott and land claim

researcher Robert Sam.

“RESERVE

s

Fi

Continued from Page Al
or early in March.

“The present south-eastem cor-
ner of the reserve is located in the
centre of Stelly’s Crossroad at
Gowdy Road,” Sam said.

“This is right against the site of
the proposed Mt. Newton Middle
School. Since the entire southem
boundary of our reserve is in
dispute, the Tsartlip Band believes
that a portion of the school site
may be on our reserve land.”

Loveless said the school board
bought the 11-acre site from the
federal government.

“J don’t think the federal gov-
emment would be acting nght if
they sold us land that was not
theirs to sell.”

A title search by the school
district showed the federal govern-
ment had clear title to the property.

“We certainly wouldn’t have
purchased the land if we knew it
wasn’t ours to purchase.”

The board is now waiting for
more information from the Tsartlip
band on the land claim.

Sam said the reserve boundaries
were first surveyed in 1858, under
the administration of Sir James
Douglas, and again in 1874 and
1878 after B.C. joined Confedera-
tion.

“Tn 1910 we believe that the

‘@® Indian agent conspired with the

local Member of Parliament to
deprive us of valuable reserve land
along the southern boundary of
our reserve.

“This was done so that Stelly’s
Crossroad could be extended from
West Saanich Road to the water
without encroaching on the neigh-
boring municipal subdivisions.”

Sam also cited a 1935 land
exchange forced on the band.
Since then, the band has com-
plained to the Department of

Indian Affairs about the new -

southem boundary “and the way
we were cheated out of our reserve
land.”

Loveless said the board heard
nothing from the band on the land
claim during the year-long bid to
have the school site removed from
the agricultural land reserve.

“The timing is everything. Now
is not the time to be telling us,”
Loveless said.

With the site out of the land
reserve, the school design has been
finalized, financing approved and
construction is expected to start in
June.

“There is a certain irony there,”
Loveless said.

Sam hoped the band and school
board would maintain a spirit of
understanding and co-operation
while reviewing the land claim.

Unlike non-natives, who may
move from their home towns after
completing school, Sam said
Native people stay close to their
ancestral homeland.

“We have future generations. I
have a grandson, seven years old
and I wonder, where is he going to
build?”

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TheReview Wednesday, February 21,1990 — A5

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