[ This article is a continuation of the one relayed by Roland yesterday.
That article was terminated prematurely, due, I suppose, to a technical
problem. --Gary ]
PRESS STATEMENT BY CHIEF BERNARD OMINAYAK, LUBICON LAKE INDIAN
NATION, September 11, 1991, 2:00 P.M. -- FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
TOKYO, JAPAN
On September 6, 1991, the National Christian Council in Japan
requested a meeting between Daishowa Paper Mfg. Co., Ltd., and
representatives of the Lubicon Lake Indian Nation. That request
was curtly denied by Daishowa's Tokyo office in a brief letter
stating that clear-cut logging of unceded Lubicon territory by
Daishowa's Canadian subsidiary is somehow not a matter concerning
Daishowa Paper Mfg. Co. but only between the Lubicon people and
the Government of Canada.
Consequently I have addressed the following letter to Mr.
Kiminori Saito, President of Daishowa Paper Mfg. Co., Ltd:
Letter to President Kiminori Saito from Chief Bernard Ominayak:
I write to request a meeting to discuss the expressed intention
of your Canadian subsidiary to conduct unauthorized clear-cut
logging on Lubicon territory this fall contrary to an agreement
made with the Lubicon people on March 7, 1988. Such unauthorized
clear-cut logging by your Canadian subsidiary on our unceded
traditional territory will result in a dangerous and potentially
violent confrontation between your people and ours -- a situation
which we would like to avoid and hope that you would like to
avoid as well.
The purpose of the requested meeting would be to advise you of
our unfortunate experience with your Canadian subsidiary so that
you won't have to rely solely on the information of people whom
we know from personal experience cannot be relied upon to tell
the truth. Should you decline our request we will be forced to
conclude that the people working for your Canadian subsidiary lie
and break agreements on your instruction.
Hopefully, it will be possible for us to meet with you on
September 18, 1991, at 1 p.m. If a meeting at this time and
place is not possible for you, we will seek to communicate our
position on this matter to you in a variety of other ways open to
us.
Sincerely,
Bernard Ominayak
Chief, Lubicon Lake Indian Nation
Response to this letter will determine whether Daishowa Paper
Mfg. Co. wants to avoid a dangerous and potentially violent
confrontation with the Lubicon people or is merely a modern
version of the old imperial, colonial Japan which in the past
brought such disgrace, dishonor and disaster upon the Japanese
and Asian peoples.
For more information phone 403-436-5652