Tension in the Fraser Canyon area between the Sto:lo Nation and the Yale First Nation could ratchet up early next year.

That’s when the Sto:lo expect the House of Commons to take up the ratification of a treaty that would give the small Yale band control over what the Sto:lo claim are their traditional fishing, burial, and cultural sites.

According to Joe Hall, president of the Sto:lo Nation, Parliament may table the treaty in late January or early February. The accord was ratified by the B.C. legislative assembly last June.

Hall had just returned from Ottawa—where he and other Sto:lo leaders held talks with House and Senate members—when he spoke to the Straight about the treaty. He specifically referred to the so-called Five Mile Fishery between Yale and Sawmill Creek.

“We support Yale receiving a treaty, but they need to take off that Five Mile area there because it’s the location of sacred sites,” Hall said by phone. “There’s six cemeteries in that area. There’s fishing sites. There’s [salmon] dry-rack sites. There’s an incredible amount of culture and history in that area. That should be taken out of the treaty and set aside until there’s a shared-territory agreement negotiated with the Yale First Nation, which is a Sto:lo community.”

Yale chief Robert Hope dismissed any chance of this happening. “That’s wishful thinking on their part,” Hope told the Straight by phone.

Hall recalled that 66 of the 125 or so members of the Yale band approved the treaty that could deny 10,000 Sto:lo people access to their sacred grounds.

The Sto:lo has already summoned its “war council”, Hall said. “Our community members are not going to sit by much longer if they don’t see any resolution.”

Hope countered: “That’s very close to a gang, you know a war council and a gang. I wouldn’t encourage anybody to take part in a gang.”