The Syilx Okanagan Nation in British Columbia has denied issuing a cease and desist letter purportedly protecting a controversial ostrich farm from a cull by the Canada Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) and has cast doubt on its legitimacy. The Universal Ostrich Farm in Edgewood, B.C., has been in a legal battle with the CFIA following an avian flu outbreak in December that led to the deaths of 69 ostriches and a subsequent cull order to eliminate over 300 remaining birds at the farm. According to the Chiefs Executive Council of the Syilx Okanagan Nation, they received a copy of the cease and desist letter allegedly shared with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) by the farm’s spokesperson. The letter, obtained by the Okanagan Nation Alliance, asserts that the farm falls within the territorial boundaries of the Secwepemc and Sylix Tribal people and declares protection from these tribes with a cease and desist order issued by the matriarchal authority of the Secwepemc Signatory Tribe, signed by “Manitou Wabski Kinew, legal advisor for Signatory Indian Tribes and all Subjects within Tribal Territories.”
In a statement, the Syilx Okanagan Nation clarified that the document was not issued by their Nation and expressed concerns about the authenticity of the signature resembling the name of Manitoban Premier Wab Kinew. The Nation strongly condemned any entity exploiting their name or authority for personal gain. The farm’s representative, Katie Pasitney, daughter of co-owner Esperen, claimed that the Syilx and a “signatory Indian tribe” had sent the letter to protect the farm’s land and ostriches.
The farm, owned by David Bilinski and Karen Espersen, has garnered support, including from individuals associated with the Freedom Convoy movement, who view the CFIA cull order as government interference. Hayden King, executive director of the Indigenous-led Yellowhead Institute at Toronto Metropolitan University, highlighted how non-Indigenous groups like the Freedom Convoy and Canadian Q-Anon use Indigenous values to lend credibility to their causes. King emphasized that while some Indigenous individuals may align with such movements, they are a minority, and genuine solidarity differs from appropriation and tokenism. He noted a growing trend of non-Indigenous groups appropriating Indigenous language and tactics for their agendas.
The claim of the “Secwepemc Signatory Tribe” mentioned in the cease and desist letter could not be verified by CBC Indigenous. The Shuswap Nation Tribal Council in British Columbia consists of nine Secwepemc communities, including Adams Lake Indian Band, Bonaparte First Nation, Neskonlith Indian Band, Shuswap Indian Band, Simpcw First Nation, Skeetchestn Indian Band, Splatsín First Nation, Tk’emlúps te Secwepemc, and Whispering Pines/Clinton Indian Band. CBC Indigenous attempted to contact the Shuswap Nation Tribal Council for a response but did not receive one before publication.
Katie Pasitney maintains that there is Indigenous support for the farm’s ostriches. Despite the Syilx leadership’s denial of involvement in the cease and desist letter, Pasitney disputed this claim and mentioned her lawyer would provide the First Nation’s positions, without specifying which First Nation she was referring to.