And now:Ish <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes: NETWARRIORS FRONTLINE REPORTS 17th WGIP 7/29/99 ____________________________ Indigenous Relatives and Supporters: COMMISSION ON HUMAN RIGHTS S*b-Commission on Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities Working Group on Indigenous Populations, 17th Session, July 28 1999 Agenda Item 5: Land Oral Intervention by Billy Two Rivers Council of Elders, Assembly of First Nations Watkwanonera:ton Sewakwkon. Madam Chair: In addressing the land issue, I will first bring forward a message from an Indigenous people in who are struggling against the Canadas denial of their land rights. Chief David Luggi of the Stellaten First Nation -- a community of Dakelh people (Carrier Nation) in northern British Columbia -- believes that the Government of Canada is promoting the destruction of his peoples lands and of his nation by continuing to promote rapacious resource extraction by non-Indigenous people on his territory. Beyond this legal and moral violation of the Stellaten peoples rights within their unsurrendered and un-treatied lands, the Government of Canada also denies the Stellaten access to any revenues from among the hundreds of millions of dollars worth of timber resources taken annually from their territory. Even as Canadas own high court (in Delgamuukw v. The Queen) recognizes the right of Indigenous peoples to be consulted and compensated for infringements of their Aboriginal Title to traditional lands, Canada presses on with its policy of promoting ignorance and greed. The Stellaten people would like the international community to know that there are no genuine efforts to re-direct Canadian policy from its old objective of posessing and destroying the lands that are the bases of free and independent Indigenous nations. Madam Chair: The example I just gave illustrates how Canada is claiming to resolve the Indigenous land question, but is in reality hypocritically stonewalling the process of achieving justice for our peoples. Our land is the foundation of our rights, and the Government of Canadas glossy propaganda and shiny new promises cant hide the fact that they are trying to eliminate our land and our rights, and in the process, eliminate our nations. Madam Chair: Our peoples are being driven to despair because of the continuing attack on our the integrity of our nation. It seems that the Government of Canada will not be satisfied until we are landless fodder for assimilation to the Canadian mainstream. How much longer can Canada and other hard-line countries continue to obstruct our path to equality and justice? Madam Chair: I pray that we resolve this issue soon so that our peoples can begin to live in peace, and so that you and I can retire satisfied that we have achieved something after all the years we have given to this process. Niawenkowa. Reprinted under the Fair Use http://www4.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.html doctrine of international copyright law. &&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&& Tsonkwadiyonrat (We are ONE Spirit) Unenh onhwa' Awayaton http://www.tdi.net/ishgooda/ UPDATES: CAMP JUSTICE http://shell.webbernet.net/~ishgooda/oglala/ &&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
