In the matter of Regina vs Bradley Gerald Bob

Title

Description

In July 1978, the Federal Fisheries Department imposed a 2-day closure on fishing in the Lillooet area due to low salmon count in the Fraser River. The Lillooet Band asserted their right to fish for food, arguing they should not be made scapegoats of fisheries and commercial fishing mismanagement. Fishery officers enforced the ban, charging several individuals including Bradley Bob. Upon request of the Lillooet Tribal Council, The Union of British Columbia Indian Chiefs formed The Legal Fish Committee and a defense council of Louise Mandell and Stuart Rush to defend him in court. They gathered witnesses, maps, documents, and charted fishing patterns and river resource use in preparation for the trial. Their legal argument was based in part on the exclusive hereditary right of Indigenous peoples to fish granted by the Royal Commission in 1881. The trial of Bradley Bob vs. the Queen was held at Thunderbird Hall on the Lillooet Reserve on April 17, 1978. A sentence was reached on August 2, 1979, with the judge finding Bradley Bob guilty according to the letter of the law but giving him an absolute discharge. Despite the decision, the historic trial recognized in law the right of Indigenous peoples to fish for food.

Date

July 1978 – August 2, 1979

Spatial Coverage

Lillooet (B.C.)

Names

Bob, Bradley Gerald

Mandell, Louise

Rush, Stuart

Legal Fish Committee

Union of British Columbia Indian Chiefs

First Nations Digital Document Source

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