Tk'emlups Chief Rosanne Casimir addressed the situation with the Tiny House Warriors on Thursday (Image Credit: CFJC Today

By Chad Klassen

TRANS MOUNTAIN PIPELINE

Tk’emlups chief taking legal action after Tiny House Warriors ‘defamatory’ Facebook post

Jul 9, 2020 | 5:00 PM

KAMLOOPS — Tk’emlups Chief Rosanne Casimir is responding to a Facebook post by the Tiny House Warriors that she says is defamatory.

The post, published last week, linked Casimir and Simpcw First Nations Chief Shelly Loring to sex trafficking. Since then, Casimir has been through a challenging time.

“On me personally, it has been very difficult,” Casimir told CFJC Today. “I knew there would be some backlash. To the extent, I had no idea, but we definitely got exactly that.”

The Tiny House Warriors posted the claim last week after the two chiefs asked the group to stand down their protest camp against the Trans Mountain pipeline.

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“I’m not willing to dignify false and defamatory personal attacks with a response to their Facebook post,” said Casimir outside the Tk’emlups Indian Band office on Thursday (July 9). “Any false and defamatory statement will be turned over to my legal advisors for prosecution.”

Through all of this, Casimir stands behind her original statement.

“I want the Tiny House Warriors to stand down and they don’t speak for Tk’emlups te Secwepemc. We have elected leaders under our own custom election code and that all chiefs speak for their individual campfires.”

CFJC Today reached out to the Tiny House Warriors in Blue River, but they declined to comment. However, they say they’re determined to carry on with their protest camp.

Over the last few years, the Tiny House Warriors camp has been at the centre of confrontations between the group, Trans Mountain employees and other community members.

Several bands, including the Tk’emlups and Simpcw, have agreements for Trans Mountain to twin the pipeline through their territories, but not everyone agrees. With so much divide among First Nations over the pipeline, Casimir says it’s a delicate situation.

“We know that other First Nations do not agree with the pipeline, but we also want to respect that they have their voices,” she said. “But for us, we want to invite individuals and we have invited other chiefs as well to come to our table to have these discussions about the pipeline.”

Casimir has not reached out to the Tiny House Warriors since the Facebook post. She says safety is a concern.

“A lot of members have been threatened. I have also been threatened in the past. Basically, anyone who’s signed on the agreement. So for myself, safety’s always a concern.”