Nuxalkm and Supporters Taken Hostage

Starting with Early morning Raids today, the RCMP imprisoned 14 Ista demonstrators, including 3 Non-native FAN supporters.

The raids all appear to have taken place on Nuxalk territory in and around Bella-Coola,

This is a kidnapping in that the purpose of the action is to force the Nuxalk people to rescind their rights and responsibility to defend their land, their history, their livlihood and Ista, where the first Nuxalk woman is said to have come to earth -- an equivalent to the Christian 'Eden'. _______________

The following was taken from the verbal reading of a press release on the matter:

8 people under that same warrant have eluded police.

The people that have been detained, appeared in BC Supreme court today at 4:30pm and will be detained until April 29.

There will also be one appearance on March 29, -- a pro-forma appearance.

Of the 3 hereditary chiefs, the elder chief Nuximlayc (Lawrence Pootlass), has been arrested . the other chiefs -- Qwatsinas (Edward Moody) and Slicxwliqw' (Charles Nelson) are still free.

This is an unofficial release by Stephen Samuel (876-0426)

For more up-to-date information call The Nuxalk Nation Government

House of Smayusta
PO Box 8, Bella Coola B.C.
V0T 1C0
Fax: (604) 799-5707
Tel: (604) 799-5376

And on the thirteenth, a beautiful, burning-hot day in October [1943], I was myself arrested.

At six in the morning -- that hour so beloved of all secret police officials -- I heard the bell ringing rather loudly, and saw below our Seebruck Gendarme, a good soul, who explained apologetically that he had come in performance of what was for him the unpleasant assignment of conveying me to the Army jail at Traunstein.

-- Fritz Reck-Malleczewen, "Diary of a Man in Despair"