Mailing address:
3536 - 106 Street
Edmonton, AB T6J 1A4
403-436-5652
Fax: 403-437-0719
February 10, 1993
Enclosed for your information is a copy of a good letter to
Canadian Federal Indian Affairs Minister Tom Siddon on the
Lubicon situation.
* * * * *
February 05, 1993, letter to Federal Indian Affairs Minister Tom
Siddon from William F. Phipps, Executive Secretary, Alberta and
Northwest Conference, United Church of Canada
Dear Mr. Siddon:
Re: Lubicon Lake Nation
I was interested in your comments on CBC Prime Time News on
Wednesday, February 3, with respect to the Native communities in
Northern Alberta and Newfoundland/Labrador. You expanded your
comments about those communities in talking about such
settlements across Canada in general.
You said that what really is needed is viable economic
development which looks to the future and is not based on old
ways. The United Church of Canada and many groups throughout
Canada are in full agreement with this and have been promoting
the necessity for viable local economic development in Native
communities for years.
It was enlightening to hear you say this yourself. If this is
what you believe, why do you continue to reject the proposal of
the Lubicon Lake Nation? Their proposal is based upon this
analysis. They propose a variety of small scale local economic
development projects which would provide employment for the local
community with strong possibilities of developing small
businesses which would provide an economic base into the future.
The proposals of the federal government fall far short of this
and are not based upon such an analysis.
When one considers the amount of money both private business and
the government of Alberta have taken out of traditional lands
(over one billion dollars in royalties alone) the amount of money
claimed in compensation for the destruction of their community is
extremely small indeed. In fact, according to your own analysis
of the necessity for economic development, the amount claimed by
the Lubicon people is a small investment in such a future.
I am interested to know why you are not following your own
analysis and advice in the case of the Lubicon settlement. I
might add that the Moderator of the United Church of Canada, The
Right Rev. Stan McKay, and myself just returned from another
visit to Little Buffalo. We are convinced that it is even more
necessary than before that the settlement of that land claim
happen as soon as possible. The proposals they have made are
exactly the kinds of things you seemed to endorse on the CBC
television program, and are exactly the kinds of things which
will help that community come back from the brink of total
disaster.
I look forward to your specific response to these comments. I do
not need your `standard mail out' with respect to the Lubicon
situation, but I would like a direct response to these particular
concerns.
Peace,
William F. Phipps