By Dionne Phillips, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter Esk’etemc First Nation is celebrating a victory more than two decades in the making, after receiving a $147-million settlement from “Canada” for the loss of water rights in Tsqewt more than a century ago. The Secwépemc community — located about 50 km south of Williams Lake — held an event Aug. 6 to mark the success of its specific claim. Tsqewt is a 1,100-acre parcel of land located above the “Fraser River,” one of Esk’etemc’s 19 reserves that make up a total of approximately 3,800 hectares in Esk’etemculucw. “After the celebration … I really get a sense that we’re coming back together,” Kúkwpi7 Fred Robbins told IndigiNews after the event. He said the community has spent many years proving its rights were violated…
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