update from canada available
cfuv@web.apc.org
Tue, 27 Jul 1993 18:24:00 PDT
THIS NOTE ABOUT AN AMAZING COLLECTION OF VIEWPOINTS FROM VARIOUS
INDIGENOUS NATIONS ACROSS CANADA.
PLEASE CONTACT CFUV RADIO FOR MORE INFORMATION.
PO BOX 3035/VICTORIA BC/V8W 3P3//604-721-8702//CFUV@SOL.UVIC.CA
================================================================
July 27, 1993
Dear
This being the Year of Indigenous PeopleS, and also a year
of the continuing resistance to ongoing colonialism in the
Americas, we have endeavoured to give voice to First Nations
spokespeople in Canada so their words may be heard uncensored and
unfiltered. Thus "Voices of Resistance."
We offer you over four hours of high-powered presentations
by various First Nations spokespeople across Canada. Each tape is
one hour in length, averaging two speakers per side. Again, the
programs are produced so as to convey the speakers' own message
and words. The following pages offer direct examples of some of
the speakers' words.
This project has taken many long days to complete, and is
the combined work of two CFUV volunteers. We have received
absolutely no funding for our work. In order to promote the
widest circulation possible, we offer each tape for the cost
price of $2.00 per cassette, plus postage. If you can afford
more, please donate to one of the organizations listed on the
following pages.
Please write back to us (enclosing a cheque, of course)
indicating how many tapes you would like, and, if possible, when
you will broadcast/publish them. If you can honestly not afford
this minimal price, we will attempt to send the tapes at no cost.
A full transcript is also available for $4.00, plus postage.
Due to limited time and resources, we were limited in the
extent of our interviews. We do welcome contacts with more First
Nations groups, if you care to let us know.
As a Haida Gwaii Elder said to us, "I really don't know what
one does unless the people of Canada become aware and support the
changes. We really need a lot of people to speak out."
In solidarity,
John Shafer and Chris Vance,
Project Co-ordinators
Spokesperson for the Indigenous League of Sovereign Nations, 280
Broadway, Room 316, New York, New York, 10007.
On the UN: "We see it as a social club for fascist-imperial
powers from 179 member states from around the world
...I can tell you 80-100 million indigenous peoples throughout
the western hemisphere allied into one great confederation will
be a power that they will be unable to dominate any longer."
Bernard Ominayak, Lubicon Lake Indian Nation, 3586-106 Street,
Edmonton, Alberta, T6S 1A4
"With the kind of damage that's been taking place to the
environment, to the wildlife, and everything and the way of life,
to have clearcut logging, that's disastrous under any
circumstances. For our people we really don't see any way out of
it if things continue the way they're going. I don't see how we
can survive clearcut logging after the damage that's already been
done."
Daniel Ashini, Innu Nation, PO Box 119 North West River,
Labrador, A0P 1M0.
"We're basically in the same situation as a lot of people are in.
We were apathetic, we felt that we were incapable of doing a lot
of damage to NATO, which is a big alliance out there. We didn't
think we'd put a big dent in this monster. We actually did it
with our own community of 1,000 people. I think it comes to show
that if you have it in yourself to fight back and to try to
assert what you believe is right, to be able to lend a helping
hand to who you feel is right. I think the more people who join
hands, the bigger the circle will be, the stronger the people
will be. This is the message we're trying to give people."
Peter Knighton, Qwa-Ba-Diwa, Independent State of Qwa-Ba-Diwa
Information Office, PO Box 35015, Victoria, BC, V8T 5G2
"I should say, perhaps, a thanks to the environmentalists who
have at least put the name "Carmanah" in print, for some people
to perhaps read about it, and maybe wonder about the issues that
go beyond the concern for trees, the ecosystem, and the
rainforest, because generally what's missing out of those
concerns voiced to the man in the street is the involvement of
the native people that are in that area."
Francis Laceese, Toosey-Chilcotin Nation, General Delivery, Riske
Creek, BC, V0L 1T0
"The military has been coming...into our back yard and playing
their war games... One of the biggest effects that it's having is
on the land itself, where they bring in all kinds of explosives.
It's really having a big impact on the wildlife there also. And
all our berries and medicinal plants. We have a lot of old...
sites in that area, some sacred sites, probably a lot of
graveyards and a lot of those places are getting damaged."
Bill Lightbown, Kootnai Nation, Traditional Court Elders'
Association, #202, 1766 Francis Street, Vancouver, BC, V5L 1Z6
"Our people ...[are] going to have to deal with that whole
question of whether they are going to continue to adopt a
colonization process and attempt to exercise their responsibility
and authority on the basis of foreign law or whether in fact they
are going to form it on the basis of their own law from their own
nation."
Lavina White, Haida Nation, also Traditional Elders' Court
Association
"I believe that Haida-Gwaii belongs to the Haida people and will
always belong to the Haida people--that we can't compromise even
an inch of it. We can talk about how we can live together from
there.
...I'm quite angry about what I'm seeing at home. We've got
nothing but stumps on our land. And they're still apprehending
our children..."
John Williams, Lil'Wat, Box 155, Mount Currie, BC, V0N 1K0
"We have never signed over our land, we have never signed an
agreement, we have never consented, we have never been conquered,
therefore we are sovereign nations.
"They want to log off all the old growth forest...They're
spraying them with DDT. They're spraying all around the lake
where we're picking berries...the animals have growths on
them...and we've stopped hunting..."
Milton Born-With-A-Tooth, Lonefighter National Communications
Network, Peigan, 2705 5th Ave. NE Bay B, Calgary, Alta, T2A 2L6
"This is the final leg of the position that the government wants
us to be in, that is to finally exterminate us once and for all.
...We have an enemy that has a billion dollar budget, and the
budget we have is our blood and guts."
Hariett Nahani, Pacheedaht
On Residential Schools: "They taught us a little ABC, a little of
that, but they trained us for servitude, to serve the white
people. We weren't trained for anything but servitude. This was
to make us dependent on the DIA...Churches came hand in hand with
genocide on their mind.
...Tourists are drawn here with the notion that we're still
living in teepees...
...Let's reclaim our backbone, our culture and put some pride in
our children."
Also, you can send cheques to:
The Leonard Peltier Defense Committee, PO Box 583, Lawrence
County, Kansas, 6604