One of Western Canada’s most important First Nations burial sites will be permanently protected as a sacred site for the Sumas First Nation (Semá:th) in Abbotsford, the province announced on Wednesday (March 27).
The province said in a press release that it has purchased 36 hectares (89 acres) of undeveloped property that is the site of Lightning Rock, believed to be the burial site of hundreds – if not thousands – of Stó:lō peoples.
The province will hold the property until an agreement with Semá:th is negotiated and the land transfer process can be completed, the release states.
The province did not release the cost of the purchase.
Many of those buried at Lightning Rock were victims of the small pox epidemics, with historians estimating that 80 to 90 per cent of the local First Nations people perished.
The site, located at the end of Atkinson Road in east Abbotsford, was purchased by Cold Water Ranch, which intended to develop the property for an industrial project until learning during a public hearing that the land, which had a clean heritage evaluation, was actually a sacred First Nations site and mass burial ground.
The company had been negotiating with the provincial government since 2012 to come to some sort of solution.
Semá:th and the province signed a memorandum of understanding in 2017 to preserve the site.
But in 2019, dozens of Indigenous leaders, local politicians and the then property owners gathered at the site, urging the provincial government to speed up the process.
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At the time, Chief Dalton Silver of Semá:th First Nation said it had been a long and frustrating journey to get the province to “do the right thing.”
F0llowing Wednesday’s announcement, Silver said Semá:th First Nation is pleased that Lightning Rock “has finally received the recognition it deserves as a sacred site for Semá:th people.”
“We extend our gratitude to Semá:th, the S’ólh Téméxw Stewardship Alliance, John Glazema (of) Cold Water Ranch and all those within the government who played a role in moving this forward. This acknowledgment marks a positive step in the right direction towards reconciliation,” he said.
Indigenous Relations Minister Murray Rankin said the land purchase “sets a strong foundation” for the relationship among Semá:th, the province and the City of Abbotsford “and ensures we can move forward together in a positive direction.”
Abbotsford-Mission MLA Pam Alexis said the purchase is “an important milestone,” while Abbotsford Mayor Ross Siemens said Semá:th First Nation and the City of Abbotsford “are committed to working together to address ongoing considerations in this culturally significant area in Semá:th traditional territory.”
The press release states that the province and Semá:th will consult with other local First Nations, municipal officials, residents and stakeholders as the negotiations progress.
– with files from Ben Lypka
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