Canada's Indigenous People Under Siege
5/8/96
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** Topic: CANADA4S INDIGENOUS PEOPLE UNDER SI **
** Written 1:36 PM May 8, 1996 by nn:rogols in cdp:taiga.news **
INDIGENOUS PEOPLE UNDER SIEGE
/From Taiga News no 17/
Canada considers itself a democracy. It is a wealthy land of beauty and
natural resources. The fact that the opposite is already or fast
becoming true is not yet widely known. Those most directly affected by
the degradation of all of the above are the people of the boreal
forest, Canada's indigenous people.
It is the beauty and natural resources on and from which the First
Nations live that is being ruthlessly exploited by transnational
companies. The beauty is fast turning into devastated landscapes of
clearcuts and mining. The traditional livelihoods are destroyed, the
natural resources exhausted. The wealth generated by the massive
resource utilization does not benefit the original owners of the land.
In fact, they typically live in third world conditions grinding
poverty, over 80% unemployment, overcrowded and substandard housing,
high rates of illness, infant mortality, illiteracy, suicide and a life
expectancy 10 years shorter than non-indigenous Canadians.
Democracy has not been granted to the indigenous people. By subverting
indigenous land rights and/or undermining indigenous leadership, the
Canadian government has helped to clear the way for the companies
wanting access to the trees and the oil. In addition to this, democracy
is being challenged by transnational companies in the courts and the
government is once again assisting by remaining silent.
In what is commonly know as SLAPPS - Strategic Lawsuits Against Public
Participation - environmentalist activists are being stripped of their
constitutional right to free speech and protest. SLAPPS are law suits
filed by powerful corporations which are not based on legitimate legal
complaints and are rarely won in court. Nevertheless, they achieve
their intended purpose by engaging citizen activists in lengthy court
cases which intimidate them, exhaust their limited resources and keep
them from exercising their democratic rights while the trial is in
process. Currently the Friends of the Lubicon in Toronto and a member
of the TRN International Reference Group, John Mcinnis, are embroiled
in nasty and lengthy lawsuits.
In 1992, at the founding meeting of Taiga Rescue Network, two acute
First Nation situations, the Lubicon Cree in Alberta and the Algonquins
of Barriere Lake, in Quebec, were classified as Hot Spots. Hot Spots
are areas requiring immediate attention and support and both the
Lubicon and Algonquins were already at that point in such a state.
Unfortunately, both these cases are today in an even worse situation
than they were four years ago. This issue of Taiga News is dedicated to
updating our readers on these Hot Spots and to raise awareness of the
disgraceful activities occurring not to just a few of the First Nations
in Canada.
This issue is not intended just as background information but as an
urgent appeal for your help. We ask that all Taiga News readers make
special note of the case studies here and the To Do sections that
follow each article. One of the main goals of the network is to ensure
that those involved in boreal forest destruction, particularly when it
involves the devastation of indigenous peoples, be made aware and
accountable of their actions. We hope this will lead to positive
changes in the boreal forests and for those that live in and of them.
Thanks for acting.
ANNE JANSSEN
INTERNATIONAL COORDINATOR, TRN