yacinfo@mars.ark.com (ernie yacub) writes:
> ---------- Forwarded message ----------
> Date: Mon, 24 Jun 1996 22:18:04 -0800
> From: Friends of Clayoquot Sound <focs@web.apc.org>
> To: yacinfo@mars.ark.com
> Subject: Clayoquot Blockade
>
> After two and one-half days of blockading logging operations in
> Clayoquot Sound, the Friends of Clayoquot Sound and Greenpeace have agreed
> to temporarily suspend the blockades pending the outcome of talks between
> all parties.
It is imperative that people understand that this agreement to suspend came
only after the Nuu-chah-nulth Central Region objected to and requested that
the blockade be taken down. The Central Region felt that there was a
blatant breach of protocol that has been in existence since the blockades of
1993.
Basically, the protocol dictates that prior to any activities such as a
blockade in our traditional territories, the group or groups are required to
first meet with the Central Region First Nations to discuss the actions and
a decision over whether or not our support or permission would be granted.
This was not followed, thus the Region felt compelled to ask that the
blockade be taken down.
> Our position has not changed from that which led to the setting up of
> the blockades and we must be ready to resume them at any time.
This statement is a primary example of why we are extemely concerned with
the manner in which groups take great latitude with our gestures of "good
will." We take offense to this statement as it becomes clearer that there
is no intention of entering into our meeting of July 6, 1996 with an
"openness" and "willingness" to work with other groups to find real
solutions. This makes it clear that they have one agenda and only one and
we find it reprehensible that this attitude will be taken into our meeting.
> We need your help for this. Let us known if you could support the
> resumption of the blockades.
This is totally irresponsible as the group is calling upon reinforcements
prior to giving the process (meeting of July 6, 1996) a fair and honest
opportunity to prove that it can work. We issue a further challenge to
those who have received the original mail that you give First Nations an
opportunity to do our job as "facilitators" to get people to work together
to find solutions to the issues that reignited the blockade.
> FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
> ACTIVISTS BLOCKADE LOGGING OPERATION IN CLAYOQUOT SOUND
> Protest Highlights Ongoing Destruction of Temperate Rainforest
IT IS VERY IMPORTANT THAT THE READER UNDERSTAND THAT THIS STATEMENT WAS
FILED AND SENT BY THE GROUPS AND IS NOT AN ACCURATE REFLECTION NOR SHOULD IT
BE MISINTERPRETED AS HAVING REPRESENTED THE CENTRAL REGION FIRST NATIONS.
WE ACCEPT AND TAKE NO RESPONSIBILITY FOR THIS STATEMENT!!!!! BUT WE OFFER
OUR PERSPECTIVES TO SOME OF THE
STATEMENTS MADE.
> (TOFINO, B.C.) Thursday, 20 June, 1996 - Activists from Greenpeace and the
> Friends of Clayoquot Sound today are blockading a logging operation in
> Clayoquot Sound, using the Greenpeace vessel MV Moby Dick and inflatable
> boats. Three activists are chained to the log loader, which is used to load
> logs onto trucks to be taken out of Clayoquot.
>
> The blockade occurs almost one year after the Science Panel's
> recommendations for Clayoquot were adopted by the B.C. government. The
> protest is designed to highlight ongoing destructive logging by both
> International Forest Products (Interfor) and MacMillan Bloedel. Contrary to
> recommendations by the Science Panel, MacBlo has already begun clearcutting
> one of Clayoquot's pristine valleys.
Indeed, this comes one year after the Government's adoption of the report
but based upon our involvement we have seen many efforts taken by the
Central Region First Nations, Government and Industry to give effect to
those recommendations despite the fact that they are yet to be declared
(via legislation) into law.
It is the objective of the Central Region First Nations to get the various
groups to generate their energies to solution building on how the
implementation can be fast tracked. That is the purpose and objective of
the July 6, 1996 meeting. There are processes already underway that have
taken government people at least six months to a year to develop on an
implementation strategy for the Science Panel requirements. As a matter of
fact, our First Nations, through the Clayoquot Sound Central Region Board
instigated this initiative shortly after the Government's announcement on
the acceptance by "drafting" an implementation plan and the Government's
response to this has been the work done for the past year. In addition, we
have committed ourselves to participate in the Planning Framework process
established by Government to give effect to the Scientific Panel requirements
and it is through there we will push to have significant change to the manner
in which companies carry on business.
> "Canadians have a right to know that Clayoquot Sound's rainforests are
> still being destroyed. A year after the Science Panel, the pristine areas
> remain on the chopping block," said Karen Mahon of Greenpeace. "The
> band-aid solutions that have been tried in Clayoquot have not worked. We
> need to protect the rainforest valleys before we lose them forever."
These band-aid solutions? What are they? It would be interesting to see
what it is that the group considers band-aid solutions! What solutions have
the groups themselves submitted that could contribute to the process of
solution building? That is the challenge issued to all groups for the
meeting of July 6, 1996. If the efforts that have been taken over the past
are considered band-aid, then we look forward to the group's contribution
on what they consider "concrete" solutions. Quite evident is the perception
that the efforts we and many others have taken are looked upon only as
"band-aid" solutions, thus, the meeting of July 6, 1996 should be very
productive in that the group(s) will put forward "concrete" solutions.
> Greenpeace and the Friends of Clayoquot Sound are calling for full
> protection of all the remaining pristine rainforest areas in Clayoquot
> Sound. MacMillan Bloedel is currently logging in the Bulson watershed in
> Clayoquot Sound, an area that government reports consider pristine.
> According to the Science Panel, no logging should occur in the pristine
> areas.
Again, this an identified objective of the meeting of July 6, 1996 and that
is "how are we going to manage pristine watersheds." We feel that there is
a general common principle amongst all groups that no pristine watersheds
should be accessed without having completed a thorough inventory and
evaluated that inventory that would assist in the management. It is
imperative that this process of identifying "how" we can do this on July 6,
1996 be given a fair opportunity to prove itself before condemning it. We
know that we can spend alot of time and energy spinning our wheels over
"definition" of pristine, but that is not necessarily the objective of July
6, 1996. We will focus in on how we will manage the pristine watersheds.
> "Logging has slowed down in Clayoquot Sound, but the companies are still
> doing extreme damage as they creep silently into the pristine watershed of
> the Bulson," said Valerie Langer of the Friends of Clayoquot Sound. "Its
> time to get our priorities straight and restore salmon habitat instead of
> destroying it."
Absolutely, if we all got our priorities straight then we would collectively
work together to find workable solutions to giving effect to the Science
Panel requirements but unfortunately that is not how the world turns is it?
It really is unfortunate that we spend a lot of energy debating over first of
all "whether or not the Science Panel was asked the right question" then now
we spend alot of time debating over "definitions and interpretations." It
is time to get on with the work of developing effective implementation plans
that put into action the Science Panel requirements and that again is the
challenge we all must face beginning July 6, 1996. On July 6, 1996 all our
priorities must be straight, we must leave our own personal agendas out the
door so that we can begin the process of solution building!
> "The ongoing destruction of Clayoquot Sound revealed today is an
> international scandal," said Tzeporah Berman of Greenpeace International.
> "The industry and government have led the world to believe that the
> controversy is solved. We will ensure that customers in Europe and the U.S.
> are informed of the continued threat to Clayoquot's remaining pristine
> rainforests."
How is reducing the cut in Clayoquot Sound from 900,000 cubic metres
annually to just over 100,000 cubic metres scandalous? How is reducing the
workforce in Clayoquot Sound from 175 crewpersons to 17 scandalous? All of
this within the past three years since the infamous blockades of 1993!
How is the implementation of the Clayoquot Sound Central Region Board and
its decision making powers scandalous? How is it scandalous that First
Nations have a direct say in the overall management of all resources within
Clayoquot Sound through the Clayoquot Sound Central Region Board scandalous?
How is it scandalous that companies are now paying attention to and giving
adequate protection for First Nations interests in all aspects of forest
management? How is it scandalous that the Government provided the Clayoquot
Sound Central Region Board and the Central Region First Nations the
opportunity for the first time to amend the Tree Farm License Agreement with
M & B? How is it scandalous that the Government not just once but twice
signed an Interim Measures Agreement with the Central Region First Nations
giving protection to the First Nations interests until a modern day treaty
has been negotiated?
How is it scandalous that the companies have agreed to set aside specific
blocks out of their Tree Farm License for a symposium on alternative
silviculture systems proposed by panelists recommended from all groups
(including environment groups)? How is it scandalous that out of that
symposium Catherine Mater of Mater Engineering has been approached to
contract her services for these sites? How is it scandalous that Dean Berg
(presentor) has also been approached to do work on the engineering of the
symposium sites that would implement the alternative silvicultural system
proposed by his company? How is it scandalous that the companies have
agreed with the First Nations to conduct a complete inventory throughout all
of Clayoquot Sound on Culturally Modified Trees, medicinal plants and sacred
sites?
Naturally all of the above are just a small sample of initiative that the
Central Region First Nations have been involved in. They are small steps
but they are steps indeed being taken to give change to the manner in which
companies think and how they carry out business in Clayoquot Sound. People
must appreciate, all of the above are samples of "change" and are easy for
us to measure because we come from a position of where we had no involvement
period. For others who have had the ability to affect change and be involved
in processes that bring about change then of course we can understand why it
is more difficult for you to see that things are changing.
Granted it may not be at the pace some people desire but we all fall within
that frustration! We have watched the groups move at a "snail's pace" to
come into the process and work with government, companies and labour to
implement changes! We are still waiting for the groups to sit under one
roof and hold a productive discussion on how business can move ahead. We,
as First Nations, have waited tirelessly for the governments to negotiate a
process that would make us feel included and that we were being taken
seriously! We have that process now through our IMA and through the Central
Region Board! It is not perfect and there are times it is not moving to our
satisfaction but instead of barking over the "snail's pace," we have chosen
to work with our Board to initiate changes. It is happening and we will
continue to function in that capacity.
> For more information:
> Karen Mahon onboard the MV Moby Dick: 011 872 130 2403
> After 2:00 Valerie Langer, Tzeporah Berman or Karen Mahon in Tofino: 725-4218
> Tamara Stark in Vancouver: 253-7701
>
> * Note to Editors: An MoF report by Alan Chapman lists the Bulson watershed
> as only 1.1% impacted. The Science Panel defines a watershed as pristine as
> less than 2% impacted.
>
>
>
> FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
>
> JOINT STATEMENT OF THE NUU-CHAH-NULTH FIRST NATIONS, GREENPEACE, AND THE
> FRIENDS OF CLAYOQUOT SOUND.
>
> (CLAYOQUOT SOUND) Saturday 22 June, 1996 - Greenpeace and the Friends of
> Clayoquot Sound agreed today to a temporary suspension of the blockades in
> Clayoquot Sound.
>
> Greenpeace and the Friends of Clayoquot Sound acknowledge our breach of
> protocol for not discussing our activities with the chiefs of the
> Nuu-Chah-Nulth Central Region prior to the protest.
>
> The NCN First Nations commit to facilitate a meeting with all parties in
> two weeks to address the concerns of the protesters and work towards
> finding a solution to the issues that led to this conflict.
>
> All three parties view the activities this week as a warning to government
> and industry that change needs to happen faster in Clayoquot Sound.
>
> The Greenpeace ship, the MV Moby Dick, has been invited to remain in
> Clayoquot Sound to tour the area.
>
> For more information: Tzeporah Berman on board the MV Moby Dick
> 011-872-130-2403
> Mary MacNutt at Greenpeace Vancouver 253-7701
> Valerie Langer at the Friends of Clayoquot Sound (604) 725-4218 or
> (604) 725-2600
> Chief Councilor Francis Frank (604) 725-3233 (tlaoquia@island.net)
> Nelson Keitlah, Co-chair of the Nuu-Chah-Nulth Tribal Council (604) 724-5757