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February/March 2008 Roadblock
About the Keyoh
News Releases & Documents (All documents in PDF format)
Press Coverage
Current Weather Conditions
Quotes of Support
“I just wanted to thank the Maiyoo Keyoh for what they're doing. As the future of this world looks grimmer and grimmer, I believe people will come to see the importance of Native people's wisdom and advice.
Thank-you and good luck.”
Ryan Stephens - Engineering Student, UBC
Roadblock Location (Click on the image to see a larger map - 485k PDF))
View the location of the blockade online.
Roadblock Images (Small samples - larger images are in the ZIP file):
Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4 | Day 5 | Day 6 | Day 7 | Day 8 | Day 9 | Day 10 | Day 11 | Day 12
February 20 - Day 12 (Download all images in one ZIP File - 2.3MB)
February 19 - Day 11 (Download all images in one ZIP File - 529k)
The Prince George Citizen, a morning daily, carried a long story on the blockade.
The confrontation then escalated when loggers dumped logs across the only road leading into and out of the Maiyoo Keyoh roadblock.
“We asked them how we can get out if we have a medical emergency” Maiyoo Keyoh spokesperson Jim Munroe reported from the site. “They told us that’s our problem.”
He said the loggers also said that if anything happens to the logs piled across the road “we’ll bring our big guns out.”
February 18 - Day 10 (Download all images in one ZIP File - 400k)
While Chief Sally Sam, other Maiyoo Keyoh members and supporters remained on the blockade, spokesperson Jim Munroe held a news conference in Prince George.
Reporters from newspapers and from the Prince George television station attended the news conference and the TV station aired a lengthy report in the evening.
February 17 - Day 9 (Download all images in one ZIP File - 1MB)
A beautiful day marred by the restart of the logging equipment: couldn’t hear the wolves today.
Work on the cabin continued along with the daily chore of cutting firewood to keep the camp fire burning.
We’ve scheduled a news conference for 1 pm tomorrow at Days Inn in Prince George to bring the news media up to date and to answer any questions about the roadblock.
February 16 - Day 8
This was the beginning of the second week of the roadblock.
Loggers working in the nearby clearcut took a day off for the first time since the roadblock was set up. With the heavy equipment silenced wolves could be heard for the first time howling their support for the roadblock.
Work resumed on the cabin and two other keyoh title holders and a respected elder 85 years of age joined the roadblock.
February 15 - Day 7 (Download all images in one ZIP File - 307kb)
At 11:30 am three Ministry of Forests and Range officials delivered a signed copy of the Minister’s letter rejecting the appeal of the Cutting Permit approval. Ministry District Manager Lynda Currie, who approved the Cutting Permit, did not accompany her employees despite invitations given to her employees during two earlier visits.
Legal representation was consulted concerning the Minister’s denial of the appeal.
One of the loggers working in the nearby clearcut delivered dry logs to use for firewood and offered to cut them up for the blockaders.
February 14 - Day 6 (Download all images in one ZIP File - 1.65MB)
The logging roadblock remains in place. At 10:30 a.m. a log loader worked its way up the road towards the roadblock and camp, preparing logs for loading onto trucks. When confronted by people at the blockade the operator turned the machine around and left.
The contractor who employs the loader operator has still not visited the roadblock even though he’s been invited.
Ministry of Forests officials briefly visited the roadblock soon after the loader was turned back but did not suggest the roadblock should be removed.
During the day work started on preparing logs for construction of a cabin to replace the temporary lean-to shelter.
Later in the day a letter from BC Minister of Forests and Range was received. The letter rejects the Maiyoo Keyoh appeal of the decision to award Canfor the cutting permit.
Maiyoo Keyoh will now appeal the decision to the Forest Practices Board.
February 13 - Day 5 (Download all images in one ZIP File - 640k)
Four youth joined 70 year old elder and clan Chief Sally Sam and her other supporters on the Maiyoo Keyoh logging roadblock on Wednesday.
Canfor Planning Manager phoned and agreed to meet soon to discuss the situation. Ministry of Forests District Manager Lynda Currie has not responded to requests for a meeting, however.
It is now 19 days since a letter appealing her decision to award this Cutting Permit was sent to BC Minister of Forests and Range Rich Coleman. Like the District Manager, the Minister has not replied.
The roadblock remains in place 24 hours a day.
February 12 - Day 4 (Download all images in one ZIP File - 1.25MB)
The roadblock remains in place with continuing support from neighbouring keyoh titleholders.
The roadblock prevents access to the right of way and to timber Canfor’s logging contractor had already cut on the right of way. This timber is worth at least $60,000. Today, however, the contractor moved another piece of equipment away from the area.
Neither the Ministry of Forests nor the RCMP visited the roadblock today, and Canfor officials have yet to appear.
February 11 - Day 3 (Download all images in one ZIP file - 1.45MB)
BC Ministry of Forests and Range officials visited the blockade in the morning and two RCMP officers visited in the afternoon. Neither the Ministry officials nor the RCMP asked Sally and her supporters to remove the blockade.
Members of the logging contractor’s crew continued to visit the site but made no attempt to pass the blockade and resume work.
The blockade remains in place 24 hours a day.
February 10 - Day 2 (Download all images in one ZIP file - 3.75MB)
Two neighbouring keyoh titleholders joined the roadblock.
A lean-to was constructed to provide shelter from the cold and wind. The back of the lean-to reflects heat back from a fire in front of the lean-to providing a warm place to sleep each night.
Members of the logging contractor’s crew visited the site but made no attempt to pass the blockade and resume work.
February 9 - Day 1 (Download all images in one ZIP file - 2.6MB)
Maiyoo Keyoh titleholder Sally Sam found a logging contractor employed by Canfor beginning to cut the right of way for a logging road into the keyoh. She ordered the contractor’s crew off the land and established a roadblock to prevent them from returning.
The blockade was kept in place overnight even though the temperature dropped to minus 25 degrees celsius.
For more information, please contact:
Jim Munroe / President, Maiyoo Keyoh Society
Provisional Office
702 Willoughby Place
Williams Lake, BC
V2G 3J6
Wk (250) 305-1092
Fx (250) 398-6329
jim@maiyookeyoh.ca
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