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403-436-5652
FAX: 403-437-0719
October 14, 1992
Attached for your information is a copy of a resolution on the plight of
the Lubicon passed by the participants of an International Boreal Forest
Conference held in Jokkmokk, Sweden on October 2-4, 1992. The resolution
is modeled after a similar resolution passed by an International
Aboriginal Rights Conference held in Genoa, Italy on July 25, 1992.
The Jokkmokk Conference was attended by representatives of environmental
organizations, human rights organizations, journalists, scientists and
aboriginal peoples from Australia, Canada, Columbia, Denmark, Estonia,
Finland, Germany, Group of Independent States, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania,
Netherlands, Norway, Romania, South Korea, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand,
United Kingdom and the United States of America.
Among the environmental, scientific and media organizations attending the
Jokkmokk Conference were "Last Chance" (Norway), Greenpeace International
(Netherlands), Grims Scientific Station (Sweden), Students for Nature
Protection (Estonia), The Ecologist Youth of Romania, Swedish Society for
Nature Conservation, Tahoe/Baikal Institute (USA), Environmental
Education Association (USA), Green Weekly (Finland), Earth First
(England), Earth Island Institute (USA), Lithuanian Fund for nature,
Finlands TV/Milj nytt-Radio 2, Domnposten Magazine (Sweden), Pro
Regenwald (Germany), WWF International (Switzerland), Robin Wood
(Germany), Taiga Task Force (USA), Pacific Energy and Resources (USA),
Ecological Project Center (Russia), Magazin Skogeiren (Norway),
Greenpeace Quebec, Socio-Ecological Union (Russia), Swedish National
Radio, Suomen Luonto Magazine (Finland), Wilderness Movement Finland,
Temperate Forest Campaign (England), Gaia Foundation (England), Norwegian
Ornithological Society, WWF - U.K., Swedish Youth Association for
Environmental Studies and Conservation, Domn Skog (Sweden), Swedish
Environmental Protection Agency, Saminuorrra-Swedish Sami Youth, FFRI
Rovaniemi (Finland), Friends of the Forest (Canada), RIVM (Netherlands),
Natural Resources Defense Council (USA), Sveriges Natur Magazine
(Sweden), BBC Radio Scotland, Rainforest Information Centre (Australia),
The Environmental Committee of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences,
Greenpeace-Canada, Canadian Future Forest Alliance, Norwegian Society for
the Conservation of Nature, The Scottish Office, WWF-Sweden, WBMG
(England), JATAN - FoE Japan, FURA (Sweden), Women's Environmental
Network (U.K.), Swedish NGO Secretariate on Acide Rain, Greenpeace
Sweden, IWGIA (Denmark), Mets hallitus Per -Polyolan (Finland), The Green
Web (Canada), WWF-Sweden, FoE-England and Wales, WWF-Latvia, World Watch
Institute (USA), FoE-Sweden, Greenpeace Germany, Radio Pasvik FNF
(Norway), Ymperist Ja Kehitys Ry (Finland), Alaska Boreal Forest Group
(USA), Amazone Network/Gaia Foundation (Columbia), Kachemak Bay Citizens
Coalition (USA), Lithuania Green Movement, Netherlands National Committee
for IUCN, EYFA/A/ SEED (Netherlands), Union for the Conservation of
Nature (Norway), Reforesting Scotland, Project Down Angara River Movement
(Russia), Big Mountain Aktionsgruppe (Germany), Citizens Coalition for
Economic Justice (South Korea).
The platform adopted by the Jokkmokk Conference makes reference to the
frontline role of aboriginal people in defense of the boreal forests of
the world and identifies "hot spots" around the world where action must
be taken and international attention focused. The current stand-off
between Daishowa and the Lubicons is specifically mentioned as one such
"hot spot". The attached resolution outlines the action contemplated.
* * * * *
INTERNATIONAL NGO-CONFERENCE, 1992
"THE BOREAL FORESTS OF THE WORLD"
Jokkmokk, Sweden
October 2-4, 1992
RESOLUTION ON THE LUBICON LAKE INDIAN NATION
WHEREAS in 1899 the Government of Canada made a treaty purporting to
extinguish aboriginal land rights with aboriginal peoples in the area
surrounding the traditional Lubicon territory;
AND WHEREAS traditional Lubicon lands were isolated, inaccessible and
geographically unknown to the Government of Canada at the time that the
Government of Canada made treaty with the aboriginal peoples in the area
surrounding the traditional Lubicon territory;
AND WHEREAS the Lubicon people were consequently missed by the Canadian
government treaty-making party, have never signed a treaty with the
Government of Canada even purporting to extinguish Lubicon ownership of
traditional Lubicon lands and therefore retain unceded aboriginal title
to traditional Lubicon lands;
AND WHEREAS in 1930 the Government of Canada purported to transfer
ownership of a large area which included the unceded traditional Lubicon
territory to the Alberta Provincial Government;
AND WHEREAS in February of 1988 the Alberta Provincial Government sold
the trees from a huge 45,000 sq.km area which completely blankets the
unceded 10,00 sq.km. traditional Lubicon territory to a Japanese forest
industry giant called Daishowa;
AND WHEREAS after a massive public outcry Daishowa agreed in March of
1988 to stay out of the unceded Lubicon territory at least until there is
a settlement of outstanding Lubicon land rights and an agreement
negotiated between Daishowa and the Lubicon people respecting Lubicon
wildlife and environmental concerns;
AND WHEREAS in the fall of 1990 Daishowa attempted to circumvent its
agreement with the Lubicon people by sending sub-contractors and a
wholly-owned subsidiary into the unceded Lubicon territory to clear-cut
Lubicon trees;
AND WHEREAS the Lubicon people have publicly made clear many times their
firm conviction that they will be rendered extinct as a people if they
allow the clear-cutting of the forest upon which they have historically
depended for their survival;
AND WHEREAS the logging camp of a Daishowa sub-contractor engaged in
clear-cutting unceded Lubicon lands was raided and destroyed, effectively
shutting down logging operations in the unceded Lubicon territory for the
winter of 1990-91;
AND WHEREAS thirteen Lubicons have been charged with destruction of the
logging camp of the Daishowa sub-contractor and now face criminal charges
which could send each of them to jail for terms of up to 50 years;
AND WHEREAS in the spring of 1991 Daishowa publicly announced that it had
stayed out of the unceded Lubicon territory for as long as possible and
would have to start clear-cutting Lubicon trees in the fall of 1991 or
face the shut-down of sub-contractors and its wholly-owned subsidiary who
are reputedly obligated under Provincial law to supply the Daishowa
bleached kraft pulp mill with trees from the unceded Lubicon territory;
AND WHEREAS Lubicon supporters across Canada, Europe, Australia and Japan
responded to the re-newed Daishowa threat to clear-cut Lubicon trees with
demonstrations, a letter writing campaign and an increasingly effective
boycott of Daishowa paper products;
AND WHEREAS a thereby besieged Daishowa reacted to the international STOP
DAISHOWA campaign of Lubicon supporters by again temporarily cancelling
plans to clear-cut unceded Lubicon territory and by publicly demanding
the Canadian Government take action to resolve the question of
outstanding Lubicon land rights;
AND WHEREAS the Canadian Federal Minister of Indian Affairs subsequently
contacted the Lubicons and proposed behind-closed-door negotiations which
in fact are going nowhere but which both levels of Canadian government
and Daishowa are publicly citing as evidence that progress is being made
and that therefore the STOP DAISHOWA campaign should be called off;
NOW THEREFORE the participants of the International NGO-Conference "The
Boreal Forests of the World" concerned with recognition and respect for
both the rights of Aboriginal societies and the urgency to protect the
worlds forests,
DO HEREBY RESOLVE:
1. That the participants of the founding meeting of the Taiga Rescue
Network hereby support the Lubicon Lake Indian Nation in their efforts to
achieve a fair and generous settlement of their land rights dispute with
the Canadian governments;
2. That the participants of this meeting call on the Governments of
Canada and Alberta to finally enter into meaningful negotiations with the
Lubicon Lake Indian Nation;
3. That Daishowa, the forestry company threatening the destruction of
the Lubicon's environment may desist from any logging activities in the
unceded Lubicon territory;
4. That the participants of this meeting will monitor the actions of
both the forestry company Daishowa and the Canadian governments regarding
the protection of the unceded Lubicon territory and will appropriate
actions against the Canadian governments and Daishowa as necessary to
ensure a future for the environment and the aboriginal people of the
Lubicon territory.
Passed: By consensus
Jokkmokk, Sweden, October 4th, 1992
Chairperson of the meeting:
Roger Olsson
Swedish Society for the Conservation of Nature