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T H O M P S O N R I V E R S U N I V E R S I T Y ' S I N D E P E N D E N T S T U D E N T N E W S PA P E R
VOLUME 27 · ISSUE 08 · OCTOBER 25, 2017
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AFFORDABLE HOUSING DISCUSSED
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HALLOWEEN LAUGHS WITH THE SLIPS
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WOLFPACK WOMEN MISS PLAYOFFS
Water defenders: we must “join together to work for the defense of our earth” Kirsten Folvik CONTRIBUTOR Ω Female Indigenous leaders from both B.C. and Peru spoke out on Thursday, Oct. 19, about the importance of defending our water from resource extraction operations. Their message was one of unity in protecting what one speaker called “our most precious resource.” Speakers to the crowd gathered at the Brown Family House of Learning included Kamloops’ Tk’emlúp te
Secwe̓p emc councillors Jeanette Jules, Viola Thomas, former Xeni Gwet’in chief Marilyn Baptiste and Peru’s Mari Luz Canaquiri Marayari, the president of the Kukama Woman’s Federation. Each woman told stories of resilience in combating corporate activities that endangered the environment of their homelands. Mari Luz Canaquiri Marayari spoke through a translator, film-maker Stephanie Boyd, to tell a harrowing story about the dangers faced by her people in Peru. Marayari and Boyd said that in the past 20 years,
there were 190 reported oil spills in Peru which have decimated fish populations in the Amazon and left the river water unsafe to drink – a disaster for the Kumama people who have traditionally lived off the river and its banks. According to Marayari, oil companies have done little to clean up the spills, and without intervention, it’s only going to get worse.
See WATER DEFENDER Page 3
Catalans of TRU share their thoughts on independence
TRU students past and present talk about what they see as the future of Catalonia independence supporters. “I guess I’m pro-independence Wade Tomko because I want things to change,” CONTRIBUTING EDITOR Ω Morales said. “I don’t mind being Spanish. I know I have my own After nearly a month of proculture and my own things, but testing following Catalonia’s how things are going now, I want overwhelmingly vote to separate Catalonia to be its own country.” from Spain on Oct. 1, the Spanish Morales, her family and many government has now moved to fully Catalans like her, feel that the lack suspend Catalonia’s autonomy. On of dialogue between the Spanish Oct. 28, the Spanish government and Catalan governments has will impose direct rule on the led to a breaking point. They see region. the only solution as a separation Catalan president Carles referendum. Puigdemont has so far rejected “I feel like the decision, we have been sparking more trying to do protests over the “During International things right weekend and Days at TRU, I would for a long time prompting the always say I was from and the answer Spanish GovBarcelona. I wouldn’t say of the Spanish ernment to strip Spanish, but I wouldn’t government Puigdemont go with Catalan either,” has been, and his regional Oriol Salvador ‘No, no, no,’” executive of TRU journalism alumni Morales said. their positions. “Maybe it’s While Europea little bit an media claims rushed, but we that Catalonia’s have no other fight for indeway to do it. We want to talk about pendence has sunk Spain into its this and they don’t.” worst constitutional crisis since the In spite of the massive protests restoration of democracy in 1977, in recent days over the arrest of the the Catalans have a long history of separatist leaders, Jordi Sànchez opposing Spanish rule. and Jordi Cuixart, there are some Clara Morales is a third-year Catalans who are against secession. journalism student at TRU, a Currently living and working in Catalan from Barcelona and a the UK, Oriol Salvador is a TRU joursupporter of the independence nalism school alumni and expat movement. Morales said that she Catalan and anti-separatist. and her family have been long-time
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Juan Cabrejo/The Omega
“I have never been pro-independence. My perfect future is a European one with less borders,” Salvador said. “For me, borders are more limitation than anything.” While Salvador says he didn’t always identify with Spanish values, he identified with his city, Barcelona, more than anything else. “During International Days at TRU, I would always say I was from Barcelona. I wouldn’t say Spanish, but I wouldn’t go with Catalan either,” he said. “Everyone knows Barcelona. I found it easy to identify with my city, because I’m
more of a city boy and that is where I’m from.” Salvador also believes that the independence movement is getting too polarized, dividing Catalonia into those for and against secession and with no room in between. “You are either a believer in independence or you aren’t. I use the word believer very intentionally because no one really knows what will happen when it comes to Catalan independence. Like my family was making fun of me for worrying about my savings in the bank, but I’m legitimately worried about that because nobody knows
what will happen.” Though Morales’ and Salvador’s opinions on separation differ, both are concerned about the level of violence police have used on protesters. “I had a friend who wasn’t directly hit by a rubber bullet, but it was so close to her head that she was freaking out,” Morales said. “My parents are really mad right now. There are all these people saying that we are going back 50 years to Franco’s time.” “There was just no need for violence,” Salvador said. “It’s dumb to think that it would fix anything.”