In a petition signed by fourteen of our chiefs and sent to your Indian
department, July, 1908, we pointed out the disabilities under which we
labour owing to the inadequacy of most of our reservations, some
having hardly any good land, others no irrigation water, etc., our
limitations re: pasture lands for stock owing to fencing of so-called
government lands by whites; the severe restriction put on us lately
by the government re: hunting and fishing; the depletion of salmon
by over-fishing of the whites, and other matters affecting us. In many
places we are debarred from camping, travelling, gathering roots and
obtaining wood and water as heretofore. Our people are fined and
imprisoned for breaking the game and fish laws, and using the same
game and fish which we were told would always be ours for food,
Gradually, we are becoming regarded as trespassers over a large
portion of this, our country. Our old people say, "How are we to live?
If the government takes our food from us they must give us other food
in its place." Conditions of living have been thrust on us which we did
not expect, and which we consider in great measure, unnecessary and
injurious, We have no grudge against the white race as a whole, nor
against the settlers, but we want to have an equal chance with them of
making a living. We welcome them to this country. It is not in most
cases their fault, they have taken up and improved and paid for their
lands in good faith. It is their government which is to blame by heaping
up injustice on us. But it is also their duty to see their government does
right by us, and gives us a square deal. We condemn the whole policy
of the B.C. government towards the Indian tribes of this country as utterly
unjust, shameful and blundering in every way. We denounce same as
being the main cause of the unsatisfactory condition of Indian affairs in
this country and the animosity and friction with the whites. So long as
what we consider justice is withheld from us, so long will dissatisfaction
and unrest exist among us, and we will continue to struggle to better
ourselves. For the accomplishment of this end we and other Indian tribes
of this country are now uniting and we ask the help of yourself and
government in this fight for our rights. We believe it is not the desire,
nor policy of your government that these conditions should exist. We
demanded that our land question be settled, and ask that treaties be
made between the government and each of our tribes, in the same manner
as accomplished with the Indian tribes of the other provinces of Canada,
and in the neighbouring parts of the United States. We desire that every
matter of importance to each tribe be a subject of treaty, so we may have
a definite understanding with the government on all questions of moment
between us and them. In a declaration made last month, and signed by
twenty-four of our chiefs (a copy of which has been sent to your Indian
department), we have stated our position on these matters. Now we
sincerely hope you will carefully consider everything we have herewith
brought before you and that you will recognize the disadvantages we
labour under, and the darkness of the outlook for us if these questions
are not speedily settled. Hoping you have had a pleasant sojourn in this
country, and wishing you a good journey home, we remain

Yours very sincerely,

The Chiefs of the Shuswap, Okanagan and Thompson or Couteau tribes
- per their secretary, J.A. Teit, August 25, 1910