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DIBAUDJIMOH
by fax
BRINGING NEWS OF THE SAUGEEN OJIBWAY BY FAX MARCH 10,1994
Fax: 519-534-2130 Phone: 519-534-5133
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Why By Fax?
Over the past couple of years, the Saugeen Ojibway have had a
number of significant advances in protecting their rights and their
lands:
* Vigil in Owen Sound that resulted in the recognition and
return of unsurrendered burial ground lands.
* Major court victory (Jones-Nadjiwon, 1993) in which Saugeen
Ojibway commercial fishing rights were recognized and MNR
regulations found unconstitutional.
* The broadening support of non-Native organizations in actively
supporting Saugeen Ojibway rights.
* Moving aggressively to assert rights and consolidate court and
public relations victories.
The Saugeen Ojibway feel obliged to share their experiences with
other First Nations as much as possible and we are beginning to do
this with Dibaudjimoh.
But as the name for our land claims building suggests:
ktaamgwendaagwad kendasswin (knowledge is power). That building is
one of the houses we successfully removed from our burial ground
lands in Owen Sound. It is now being used to plan for the
return of more of our rights and lands.
There is a great need for First Nations to share knowledge and
information with one an-other. The government, and others, make
good use of our lack of timely information of one another's
victories and difficulties. In this fax, you will find news that
affects all First Nations in Ontario.
This issue and the next few will contain information we have that
you might be able to use. However, we intend to include information
that you supply us too. We cannot deal with issues in depth in a
fax, but we will publish short summaries of facts and include
contacts so you can follow up those items that interest your First
Nation.
When you get this, let us know what you think and send us what you
know. It's time to share the power!
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Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters Make Native Rights a
Top Priority in 1994
The OFAH has been battling the recognition of Native rights and
First Nations' rightful claims to natural resources in Ontario for
at least the past three years. Here is a brief guide to its
activities on Native issues:
* In Feb. 1992, the OFAH assisted in the organization of a major
sportsmen's rally in Pembroke Ontario "The Allocation of Natural
Resources to Natives" in general and to protest the Golden Lake
claim to Algonquin Park in particular.
* In 1992, then President Davison Ankney, in a presentation to
the Aboriginal Circle on the Constitution appropriated the Native
connection to the environment in claiming non-Natives also have a
"right" to fish and hunt.
* Also in March 1992 the OFAH prominently displayed, at its
booth at the Outdoor Show, a series of articles claiming Natives
abuse fish and game resources.
* In 1992, Davison Ankney wrote to MNR Minister Bud Wildman
urging charges be laid against the Delaware of the Thames for their
traditional practice of fishing walleye during the Spring run.
* Similar complaints against other First Nations (such as the
Cree of James Bay, Tyendenaga, the Saugeen Ojibway, Caldwell for
the 1993 deer cull at Rondeau Park) have been reported in OFAH
literature.
* OFAH presentations on Native use of the resources consistently
refuse to recognized the prior right of First Nations to the use of
natural resources, and insist Natives should be regulated under the
"same law" for all Ontarians.
* In 1993 OFAH central sponsored ads in Mclean's publications
and on a country music radio station in Toronto to protest a
"secret deal" between the MNR and the bands of the United Indian
Councils to equalize those bands ability to harvest fish and game
with other First Nations. The OFAH lobby scuttled the agreement.
We see this campaign as being the single biggest roadblock to the
recognition of First Nations' rights to and jurisdiction over the
natural resources in our traditional territories.
Members of the Saugeen Ojibway have joined the OFAH in order to
combat the mis-information put out by the head office of the OFAH
in Peterborough. We make a distinction between the mis-information
coming from OFAH central in Peterborough and that coming from local
sportsmen clubs for three reasons:
1. The anti-Native rights campaign is being orchestrated from
Peterborough and often the only information local clubs take the
time to get comes from OFAH central.
2. First Nations may, one day, have to work with local sportsmen
clubs to manage the re-sources in traditional territories.
3. The major concerns of Ontario anglers as revealed in a 1990
survey are pollution and destruction of wildlife habitat, not First
Nation's rights.
Members of our OFAH Club attended the OFAH's annual convention in
Windsor (Feb. 24-27, 1994). There we learned that:
* The OFAH spent $144,172 in 1993 on an intervention at the
Supreme Court in the Howard Case (a review of William's Treaty
rights).
* The single most expensive activity (in terms of direct costs
and staff time) for OFAH central in 1994 was its on-going battle
against the recognition of Native rights in Ontario.
* OFAH has hired an "expert" on Native rights, Chris Brousseau
who left his MNR position as District Manager at Moosonee to join
the OFAH.
* The OFAH is circulating its own "fact sheets" on Native land
claims. The one on the Saugeen Ojibway was full of errors and
misrepresentations.
* On the bright side, a club from Guelph circulated a motion it
drafted calling on OFAH central to cease its anti-Native lobby.
Phone or fax us if you want more information or to discover how you
can help our counter campaign against OFAH mis-information.
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Hampton and OFAH Invite Canadians to Fish for Free in Ontario on
July 8th Weekend
One of the more distressing sights at an OFAH convention is the
degree to which senior officials of the MNR "report" to the OFAH.
In fact, the MNR annual report to OFAH is billed, in the OFAH
program, as the "Natural Resources Accountability Panel." This
year's panel included Minister Hampton, Ray Riley (ADM Operations),
and David Balsillie (ADM Policy).
During his speech, Hampton revealed:
* MNR staff are reviewing every court decision in Canada
concerning Native hunting and fishing rights.
* The MNR believes the Jones-Nadjiwon case which recognized
Saugeen Ojibway commercial fishing rights leaves the government in
solid control of the Bruce Peninsula fishery and Ontario's
jurisdiction there undiminished.
* The MNR is working on a definition on conservation which will
undoubtedly find its way into legislation. The danger here is it
could be used to restrict First Nations' use of resources.
* The MNR has acted on an idea from Rick Morgan, Executive Vice
President of the OFAH to open all of Ontario to all of Canada for
an orgy of fishing on the weekend of July 8, 9 and 10. Anyone from
anywhere in Canada can fish in Ontario, no licence required.
We feel this is offensive on a number of levels:
* It amounts to an uncontrolled abuse of the resource on a
Province-wide scale.
* It is particularly offensive coming from an organization (the
OFAH) whose top priority for 1994 is to frustrate First Nations
rights to natural resources.
* It is particularly offensive because it is being put in place
by the government agency most responsible for restricting Native
rights and criminalizing those who insisted on practicing their
rights.
* It holds in contempt the Native right to fish for food and
ceremony without a licence.
We will be protesting this July fish-in. We urge you to protest as
well. If you want to join forces, please call or fax us.
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Chiapas Alert
As you know, Natives in Mexico stand to lose a lot with the
ratification of the North American Free Trade Agreement (not the
least of which are their traditional lands). In fact, there are
concerns about Native land in the US and whether Crown land in
Canada will remain available for settling land claims here under
NAFTA.
HONOR (a pro-Native rights group in the US) has a lot of good
information - phone 414-963-1324.
For those of you who are concerned enough about the brutal
suppression of the Maya in Mexico to do something, the Turtle
Island Support Group is working on a number of actions in Toronto.
Contact Ann Pohl, at 416-537-3520.
DIBAUDJIMOH by fax
March 10, 1994
Published periodically by the Communications Department Saugeen
Ojibway Nations
Chippewas of Nawash
RR5 Wiarton Ontario N0H 2T0
PH: 519-534-1689 FX: 519-534-2130
Chippewas of Saugeen
RR1 Southampton Ontario N0H 2L0
PH: 519-797-2781 FX: 519-797-2978
Send comments, queries, letters, donations to:
Eric Johnston or
David McLaren
c/o Chippewas of Nawash
RR5 Wiarton Ontario N0H 2T0
PH: 519-534-5133 FX: 519-534-2130
Please copy and distribute this fax freely.