Cultural survival and environmental degradation in the mountains of the Secwepemc

Amenity migration, and more generally inmigration, is a contemporary force critically impacting the Secwepemc people and lands. To comprehend its effects one must understand the unique relationship between the Secwepemc (also known as the Shuswap people) and our traditional lands and resources, the history of contact with European settlers and aboriginal land ownership and jurisdictional issues in British Columbia (BC). Since early contact with European settlers, the Secwepemc lands and culture have experienced devastating effects from in-migration of various forms. One of the earliest examples of this happened between the years 1850 and 1903, when a series of epidemics were responsible for reducing Secwepemc populations by nearly 70% in just two generations and even extinguishing some communities altogether. Out of 30 original bands in the Secwepemc Nation, only 17 survived. The onslaught of 'development' began in the mid-1800s with the arrival of Catholic Church missionaries, and grew with the fur traders, miners, loggers, land speculators, ranchers, tourists and amenity settlers. Today, amenity-motivated enterprise and settlers are focused on Secwepemc lands, littering the mountains with insensitive, large-scale residential, commercial, industrial and recreational developments. Despite the settlers' insensitivity to the negative effects of the developments, the Secwepemc are striving to uphold our deep symbiotic relationship and responsibility to the land. In consideration of this special relationship and responsibility, the negative effects of immigration have far greater impact on the Secwepemc than on most non-Secwepemc, because the Secwepemc are elementally reliant on the land for maintaining our distinct Secwepemc identity, culture and livelihood. Any harmful development to the land directly affects the entire Secwepemc way of life. However, the outcome is larger because there is also a direct relationship between the loss of Secwepemc culture, the loss of biodiversity and the longer-term health and integrity of all inhabitants of Secwepemc territory. Although the phenomenon of amenity migration (AM) is apparent throughout the traditional territory of the Secwepemc, this study focuses on its effects in the area known to the Secwepemc as Skwelkwekwelt. It is one of the last remaining, yet endangered alpine mountain ecosystems in Secwepemc territory. Its biodiversity is being severely degraded, and this plays a critical role in the deterioration of the cultural fabric of the Secwepemc. This chapter describes Skwelkwekwelt's amenity migration, and its direct and indirect effects on the Secwepemc, as well as outlining what can be done to address its harmful impacts. Chapter 10 from Moss L.A.G. ed. The Amenity Migrants: Seeking and Sustaining Mountains and their Cultures Permission granted by CABI (Full book can be purchased via www.cabi.org/bookshop) ©CAB International 2006.