Emergency appeal on behalf of Canadian Indians

[Louis Proyect <lnp3@xxxxxxxxx>]

From: Zoltan Grossman <mtn@xxxxxxx>

For background, see Midwest Treaty Network

http://www.alphacdc.com/treaty/mi'kmaq.html


URGENT - HELP NEEDED - URGENT
*****************************

TO: ALL ALLIES
FROM:   Coalition for a Public Inquiry into Ipperwash

The Coalition has just recieved a emergency call for support from the AFN
re: Burnt Church. From the vantage point of our work in the Ipperwash
Coalition we know too well that this can have a tragic ending that will
have repercussions for many years to come.

I have attempted the calls they request (see below). The P.M.'s line does
not answer at night; I left messages at the #'s given for Dhaliwal and
Nault, and the number for Wayne Wouters (as I discovered!) is his home - so
I got to speak with him; he had had a FEW calls already.

You can also communicate by email, as follows:
Minister Herb Dhaliwal: min@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Prime Minister Jean Chretien: pm@xxxxxxxx
Nault: minister@xxxxxxxxxx

Please let Jean LaRose at the AFN know what you have done: JLarose@xxxxxx

In solidarity,
Ann Pohl
Spokesperson
Coalition for a Public Inquiry into Ipperwash
t: 416-537-3520
f: 416-538-2559
e: annpohl@xxxxxxxxxxxx

****************
Date: Wed, 20 Sep 2000 18:50:48 -0400
Importance: high
Return-Receipt-To: JLaRose <JLarose@xxxxxx>

Hi everyone,

We have just learned that the situation in Burnt Church has deteriorated.
The federal government has refused to discuss any of the issues
notwithstanding the goodwill displayed by the community to make the
mediation process work. Current reports state that the mediator, Bob Rae,
has or will quit due to the federal intransigence. Of greater concern to
all of us are the reports that major, very major enforcement action
including the DFO, RCMP and possible military assistance will be undertaken
tonight or early tomorrow. This will lead to a serious confrontation with
possible, if not probable, injuries to our citizens. You are all urged to
call the various federal players in this dispute and strongly voice your
concern about the government's actions.

The phone numbers are:
Prime Minister:
(613) 992-4211 phone
(613) 941-6900 fax

Minister Dhaliwal:
(613) 995-7052 phone
(613) 995-2962 fax

Wayne Wouters:
(613) 236-5265 phone  (Note from AP: this is a home DM at DFO

Minister Nault:
(819) 994-7617 phone
(819) 953-4941 fax

Please call now and relay this message (with cc's to me, if you would) to
all your contacts.

The situation is critical.

Thanks.
Jean LaRose
Media Relations / Relations avec les médias
Assembly of First Nations / Assemblée des Premières Nations
(613) 241-6789, ext. / poste 251 (office / bureau)
(613) 241-6333 fax / télécopieur (office / bureau)
(613) 795-9664 cell / cellulaire
(613) 834-1481 home / résidence
(613) 834-3055 home fax / télécopieur résidence
jlarose@xxxxxx <mailto:jlarose@xxxxxx>  email / courriel

********************
AND THIS FROM ARMAND MCKENZIE, INNU NATION LEGAL COUNSEL

Here is another number where you can send your letters:
Shawn Murdoch
Asst. to Minister Dhaliwal
Parliamentary Liaison
and Heather Bala
Communication Director for the Minister
cell: 613-794-9203
Please flood her answering machine
613-992-3474
DFO
613-947-7082

As a representative for a non-governmental organization in consultative
status at the U.N. We have already phoned at Minister Nault's office and at
Herb Dhaliwal's office. We have already sent letters of support to Mr.
Dedam's office and are sending letters stating our concerns to various
federal officials and human rights organizations in Canada and at the
United Nations.

Armand McKenzie, Lawyer
Innu Nation / Innu Council of Nitassinan

(From here I reached Heather Bala on her cell and got busy numbers at the
others - will keep trying - AP / CPI)

*********************************************


Sep 20 2000 5:56 PM EDT

Tension increases in fishing dispute

BURNT CHURCH, N.B. - The agreement mediator Bob Rae reached Tuesday night
with leaders of the Burnt Church reserve has yet to proceed, and that has
commercial fishermen edgy.

Natives and federal fisheries officials were to have held a joint count of
lobster traps in Miramichi Bay and all untagged traps would be removed. As
of late Wednesday, however, now counting had taken place.

That has commercial fishermen angry. Tuesday night dozens of them gathered
at the wharf in Neguac as federal fisheries officials prepared to conduct
another raid on the native traps. The situation was volatile, and RCMP
officers were called in. The fisheries people decided not to inflame the
situation, so they cancelled the raid and police escorted them away from
the wharf.

Some non-native fishermen had earlier warning mediator Rae that there could
be bloodshed if the dispute wasn't settled soon.

--------

Hi everyone,

We have just learned that the situation in Burnt Church has deteriorated.
The federal government has refused to discuss any of the issues
notwithstanding the goodwill displayed by the community to make the
mediation process work.

Current reports state that the mediator, Bob Rae, has or will quit due to
the federal intransigence. Of greater concern to all of us are the reports
that major, very major enforcement action including the DFO, RCMP and
possible military assistance will be undertaken tonight or early tomorrow.

This will lead to a serious confrontation with possible, if not probable,
injuries to our citizens.

You are all urged to call the various federal players in this dispute and
strongly voice your concern about the government's actions.

The phone numbers are:

Prime Minister:(613) 992-4211 phone (613) 941-6900 fax

Minister Dhaliwal:(613) 995-7052 phone  (613) 995-2962 fax

Wayne Wouters:  (613) 236-5265 phone
DM at DFO

Minister Nault:(819) 994-7617 phone (819) 953-4941 fax

Please call now and relay this message (with cc's to me, if you would) to
all your contacts.

The situation is critical.

Thanks.
Jean LaRose
Media Relations / Relations avec les médias
Assembly of First Nations / Assemblée des Premières Nations
(613) 241-6789, ext. / poste 251 (office / bureau)
(613) 241-6333 fax / télécopieur (office / bureau)
(613) 795-9664 cell / cellulaire
(613) 834-1481 home / résidence
(613) 834-3055 home fax / télécopieur résidence
jlarose@xxxxxx email / courriel

---------

Burnt Church braces for violence as mediation in lobster dispute stalls

CHRIS MORRIS


BURNT CHURCH, N.B. (CP) - This Mi'kmaq community braced for more violence
on the water as talks aimed at settling a native fishing dispute dissolved
Wednesday into confusion and bitterness.

After a day of negotiations, Chief Wilbur Dedam announced that mediation
was "in limbo" and it appeared inevitable the band's lobster traps would be
seized by fisheries officers again.

"It's not going anywhere," Dedam said of mediation. "Two parties have to
agree, but the willingness isn't there on the part of government.

"Mr. Dhaliwal hasn't budged at all."

Ovide Mercredi, former chief of the Assembly of First Nations, was on the
reserve and delivered an emotional appeal for peace.

He said the answer was in prayer.

"I'm calling on the Canadian people to pray for this community and for
their politicians so they use reason, not violence," he said.

Mercredi said support for the Burnt Church cause was growing across the
country. The assembly had contacted chiefs for support.

"They're on standby from the AFN for non-violent political action across
the country."

Mercredi's bleak assessment came as non-native fishermen revealed the
federal government had proposed paying them to stay out of the volatile
dispute in northeastern New Brunswick.

Several commercial fishermen said federal officials floated an offer
through their union of from $10,000 to $12,000 a person to not haul native
traps from Miramichi Bay.

The fishermen rejected it.

"It's a joke," said Danny Noel, a fisherman from Val-Comeau, N.B.

"Why don't they give $10,000 to everyone on the reserve to stop them
fishing?"

Another fisherman told ATV News: "We're not that poor yet. We still got
something to eat."

Non-native fishermen warned they would take matters into their own hands
within a week unless Ottawa stopped the native fishing immediately.

"The traps have to be out of there and no more fishing," said Robert Breau,
a commercial fisherman from Tabusintac, N.B.

"The rules are there. The Indians have to follow them."

Dedam said he was tiring of threats from non-natives.

"They have already earned their livelihood. They should just leave us
alone," he said.

The Department of Fisheries and Oceans couldn't be reached to confirm the
payment offer, which came as all sides in the lobster dispute met
separately all day to discuss their next move.

Late Tuesday, mediator Bob Rae, a former Ontario premier, said native
leaders had proposed that the band and federal officials conduct a joint
count of native traps in the bay.

He said the band also offered to remove some traps in the water, a move he
called a "significant development."

The natives agreed to do the joint count with the RCMP but wanted the
Fisheries Department to first return several boats seized during earlier
raids.

The natives said DFO refused that request and the count never took place.

In Ottawa, federal Fisheries Minister Herb Dhaliwal said his patience was
wearing thin and warned he would take action if a settlement isn't reached
soon.

"I've made every effort but I can tell you my patience is at an end and I
think that if we don't have this resolved very quickly, I said I'll take
action and I will," he said.

Dhaliwal called the native proposal to reduce the number of traps in the
water "progress," but said "we have to watch to make sure this is followed
up by action."

Commercial fishermen maintain a native fall lobster fishery when no one
else is permitted to fish could destroy lucrative stocks.

Violence flared around Burnt Church last fall when non-natives destroyed
hundreds of traps set by natives after the Supreme Court of Canada ruled
that natives have the right to earn a moderate livelihood from fishing.

About 200 commercial fishermen who fish in Miramichi Bay during the
regulated season, which runs from late April to end of June.

--------

CKNW RADIO NEWS  Wednesday, September 20, 2000

11:03 a.m.  "The Union of BC Indian Chiefs has reaffirmed its support for
natives in Burnt Church, New Brunswick"  Meeting in Vancouver, the BC
chiefs have decided on an emergency fundraising campaign to support their
counterparts on the east coast.

--------

From: "Maqtewekpaqtism" <maqtewekpaqtism@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>

Burnt Church Braces For Confrontation

WebPosted Wed Sep 20 23:21:43 2000

BURNT CHURCH, N.B. - The fragile talks in the dispute over New Brunswick's
lobster fishery have fallen apart. Burnt Church is on the brink of violence
as federal authorities prepare to seize native traps and commercial fishers
threaten to take matters into their own hands.

The RCMP have increased their presence around the reserve, and dozens of
native warriors continue to patrol the area. There is speculation federal
fisheries officials and the RCMP are preparing to seize native traps
overnight or on Thursday. Mediator Bob Rae left Burnt Church Wednesday
saying the parties "are too far apart for mediation." He was returning to
Toronto.

The mediation breakdown happened just one day after a supposed
breakthrough. On Tuesday, fisheries officials and native fishers agreed to
a joint count of native lobster traps in Miramichi Bay.

But the two sides could not agree on the details of the count. The Burnt
Church band refused to remove traps with native tags. The government does
not recognize those markings and has threatened to seize the traps.

Commercial fishers tired of waiting The natives' defiance has angered
commercial non-native fishers who are tired of waiting for a solution to
the conflict. They are threatening to take native traps out of the water if
nothing is done soon.

The commercial fishers also say Ottawa offered them $10,000 to $12,000 each
to stay away from the native traps. But they rejected that proposal.

"They want to offer $10,000 but we don't want it," one commercial fisher
said. "We don't need it. Why give the native people the right to fish and
do what they want?"

There's been no confirmation of the offer from the Department of Fisheries
and Oceans.

But Fisheries Minister Herb Dhaliwal made it clear his patience is running
out.

"I think that if we don't have this resolved very quickly, I said I'll take
action and I will," he said Wednesday.

Interpretations differ over Marshall ruling The conflict has been ongoing
since the Supreme Court of Canada affirmed the native right to fish based
on centuries-old treaties.

There are conflicting interpretations of the so-called Marshall decision.
The Mi'kmaq say they'll keep setting lobster traps because the ruling
allows them to fish how and when they choose.

But the federal government says it retains the right to regulate all
fisheries. And non-native fishermen say there has to be one set of rules
for everyone.

On the reserve Wednesday, Ovide Mercredi, former chief of the Assembly of
First Nations, made an emotional appeal for peace.

"I'm calling on the Canadian people to pray for this community and for
their politicians so they use reason, not violence," he said.

A vigil was held Wednesday night on the wharf at Burnt Church, as people
watch and wait to see if the violence that flared last fall between native
and non-native fishers will appear again.

http://cbc.ca/news


ELMÍKNIK
=
Míkmaq Net - http://www.mikmaq.net/
MíkmaqMail.com - http://www.mikmaqmail.com/
Mawiómi - http://www.mawiomi.com/
Awókejit - http://www.awokejit.com/

-----------

DFO demonstration

IMPORTANT NOTICE

DEMONSTRATION
RALLY & MARCH

FROM:  GRANDVIEW PARK ON COMMERCIAL DRIVE

TO:  FISHERIES AND OCEANS CANADA
PACIFIC REGIONAL DIRECTOR'S OFFICE

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2000

TO DEMONSTRATE NON-CONFIDENCE
IN HERB DHALIWAHL AS FISHERIES MINISTER
IN HIS FIDUCIARY ROLE
TO PROTECT THE ABORIGINAL FISHERS
OF CANADA AND UPHOLD THE HONOUR OF THE CROWN.

STOP FRONTAL MILITARY ATTACKS
ON MEMBERS OF BURNT CHURCH
AND OTHER FIRST NATIONS
IN THEIR LEGAL ACCESS TO THE FISHES
IN THEIR RESPECTIVE TERRITORIES.

Please come out and show your support for Canada's First Peoples in their
struggle to achieve equality of justice in Canada.

ORGANIZED BY:
P.A.R.C.C.
(PROTECTING ABORIGINAL RIGHTS FROM COAST TO COAST)
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:

UNN at 604-688-1821 or Cheam Band Office at 604-794-7924
-------


Louis Proyect
The Marxism mailing-list: http://www.marxmail.org