Subject: Innu People Under Siege
>From nonviolence Fri Dec 4 13:45:40 1992
For Immediate Release Media Contact:
Traprock Peace Center
(413) 773-7427
INNU PEOPLE UNDER SIEGE
Quebec Provincial Police forces are amassed on the borders of the
Maliotenam Reserve of the Innu People on the Quebec-Labrador
Peninsula. The Quebec government has stated publicly that it
intends to eliminate the traditional leadership of the Innu and
has placed an injunction upon them forbidding any movement off
the reserve or even conversations about the situation that is
daily heating up. At issue is the traditional Innu's refusal to
accept an $800 million Hydro-Quebec offer to relinquish title to
their ancestral lands.
The Innu are the original inhabitants of the land they call
Nitassinan. This area is 1,040,000 square miles of rivers and
sub-arctic forests. The mega-utility Hydro-Quebec wants to build
a series of dams on the land, similar to their infamous James Bay
projects to the West. However, their $800 million offer was
turned down by traditional leaders and tow public referendums
held on the issues resulted in 80% of the Native People rejecting
the offer. Unwilling to take no for an answer, Hydro-Quebec has
apparently gotten the Quebec government to do its bidding under
the auspices of the Department of Indian Affairs (D.I.A.). The
Department oversees administration of the Native reserves and
resources and, as such, has given the Innu until December 15th to
accept Hydro-Quebec's offer. In preparation for that deadline
the Quebec Provincial Police (S.Q.) have amassed their troops on
the Nitassinan border. They have said they will enter the
reserve by December 7th, ostensibly to enforce their demands and
"bring peace to the reserve".
On December 10th a Peace March will be headed toward Montreal
from New York, calling for an end to the siege on Nitassinan.
The international peace group Peace Brigades International
(P.B.I.) has been approached about sending a delegation into Innu
territory as witness to events unfolding there. Dostou, speaking
for the Innu Elders, welcomes people to come and stand with them.
"We are asking all people who love Mother Earth to join us in
defending her and the Native People of this land".
Please let the following people know of your support for the Innu
people's right to self-determination:
Mr. Christos Sirros
Secretary of Indian Affairs
875 Grande Allee Est.
Building H, 2nd floor
Quebec, QUEBEC G1R 4Y8
Robert Bourassa
Prime Minister of Quebec
855 Grand Allee Est.
Quebec, QUEBEC G1A 1A2
President & CEO
Hydro-Quebec
75 Bouldvard Rene Levesque
Montreal, QUEBEC HZ2 1A4
Prime Minister Brian Mulroney
House of Commons
Ottawa, ONTARIO
Robert Lavigne
Chief of Provincial Police
1701 Parthenais
Montreal, QUEBEC H2l 4K7
Tom Siddon, Minister of Indian Affairs
Ministry of Indian Affairs
Ottawa, ONTARIO K1A 0H4