1. WRITE LETTERS TO EACH OF THE 177 FEDERAL LIBERAL MP's.
2. SUPPORTERS TO PHONE LOCAL LIBERAL CONSTITUENCY OFFICE'S
all day, MONDAY, APRIL 11.
The federal Liberal caucus meets again in Ottawa on Monday, April 11, 1994.
All 176 Liberal Members of Parliament could be in attendance.
The next few weeks are critical to the Innu and the Earth.
Tell the MP's you are very upset Canadian Forces Base Goose Bay, Labrador
was not one of the Bases designated to be closed in the recent Liberal
budget.
This is a human rights and native rights issue because it concerns the Innu
people of Labrador and Quebec. Are Liberals really committed to a new
partnership with Canada's native peoples?
This is a peace and disarmament issue. Continued low-level military flight
training (LLMFT) from Goose Bay by German, Dutch and British Air Forces
remains an offensive practice for war. Do Liberals agree the Cold War is
over?
This is an environmental issue because militarism is destroying the pristine
wilderness of Nitassinan (Innu for "our land") in Labrador and Quebec.
The federal Liberal Party will soon make a decision that will affect the
Innu and the Earth for generations to come. Make sure they understand their
responsibilities to the Innu and the Earth.
In 1980, a Liberal government allowed LLMFT'ing to start. Tories wanted to
establish the first NATO Base ever in North America at Goose Bay. NATO
cancelled those plans on May 22, 1990. Will the current Liberal government
sign the agreements to extend LLMFT'ing until next century?
Urge the federal Liberals to do the right thing and cancel continued
LLMFT'ing. This issue links all issues from disarmament and peace to ecology
to human and native rights.
We must respond this week. Or we may be working on this issue for the next
10 years. By that time, the destruction of Innu culture could be complete.
Innu are land-based people. Many no longer go into the bush as their
ancestors have for over 6,000 years for fear of being overflown by the
military jets. Daniel Ashini, Director of Innu Rights and Environment often
has stated there will either be continued low-level military flight
training or there will be protection for people, animals and the
environment.
The current bilateral agreements with the German, Dutch and British Air
Forces expire March 31, 1996. Demand they now be cancelled and that new
agreements are not renegotiated. Canada's Department of National Defence is
working hard to extend military flight training beyond 1996. Already, DND
has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the German Airforce extending
LLMFT'ing to the year 2003!
Our appeal is urgent! It is critically important that we all write a letter
of protest against continued low-level military flight training and in
solidarity with the Innu and the Earth.
Please write your letter on your organization's letterhead stationery.
Explain who you are and the number of individuals and other groups you
represent. Address it to "Dear Liberal MP".
Make 177 copies of your letter. Mail one to each of the 177 federal Liberal
MP's (we include Jag Bhadurian since he still considers himself a Liberal).
Get a list of all Liberal MP's from your local federal constituency office,
whether it's Liberal or not, they can provide it. Address each envelope to
the specific MP, House of Commons, Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0A6. No postage
required.
Please encourage other local groups to write a letter. If necessary, copy it
for them and stuff it in your envelope to save them the time of addressing
177 envelopes themselves. Please help facilitate the greatest number of
responses to this urgent appeal. Your letter need not be long; even one or
two paragraphs is sufficient. Most importantly, please just send it so that
it is received by April 11 or soon there after!
Please get your members to flood the local Liberal constituency office with
phone calls in support of the Innu and the Earth on Monday, April 11.
Please make sure that all Liberal MP's know about your concern. What do you
think they will be talking about in that caucus meeting on April 11 in
Ottawa after they have received dozens of letters and phone calls, including
yours?
Your contribution could help tip the balance in favour of peace and
disarmament, ecology and human and native rights in this country. Thank
you.
TOGETHER WE WILL MAKE THE DIFFERENCE FOR THE INNU AND THE EARTH.
ps. please send a copy of your letter to the International Campaign for the
Innu and the Earth (ICIE), 736 Bathurst Street, Toronto Ontario M5S 2R4. Fax
it to (416) 531-5850. Phone us at (905) 849-5501, (416) 531-6154, (519)
767-1781, (416) 537-9343 or (514) 844-0484. The Innu Nation can be reached
at (709) 497-8794 or by fax at (709) 497-8396.
pps. The Innu will be occupying the Minipi Lake bombing range sometime on or
around April 11. Elizabeth Penashue is leading this campaign.