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---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Mon, 24 Feb 1997 00:15:32 -0800 (PST)
Subject: release solidarity Mi'gmaq
LISTUGUJ MI'GMAQ FIRST NATION GOVERNMENT
Gespe'gewaq (The People Of The Last Land.)
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
DATE:February 21, 1997
FREE THE MESSENGER AND DEAL WITH THE MESSAGE
(Listuguj Mi'gmaq Territory) The scruffy judicial conviction of Dr. Bruce
Clark clearly indicates the desperation of the British Columbia court
system. It takes out from up its sleeves to deal with the jurisdiction
issue on unceded Indian Territory; arrogance, thugness and the
presumptuous assumption that they are, by definition, the holder of the
absolute truth.
Dr. Bruce Clark is persecuted by the RCMP and the judiciary who continue
to try to humiliate him by labeling him as a radical, by smearing his rep-
utation by trying to have him disbarred, by publicly pretending that he is
a threat to the Canadian people. And they claim this is all in the name of
"justice" at the same time that they are refusing to address the law that
proves he is right.
The lucrative legal industry of defending Indian rights has a long list of
Natives and non-Native lawyers obediently walking inside the parameters
crafted by unilateral governmental policies. Their role in advancing
Aboriginal development is defeated because they look the other way when
clients bring the central issue of Aboriginal Sovereignty to their elegant
offices. In the search for justice, very few of them refuse to bend the
truth or dare to cross the line set by the Canadian government. Dr. Bruce
Clark is the one who will not let the truth be subordinated. Despite the
professional and economical consequences for him and his family, he had
the courage and integrity to stand up for justice and truth.
Now representatives of the judicial system, in an attempt to diminish a
legitimate legal right, with disdain, label our position "Indian
extremism" and we and Dr. Clark are called "radicals", giving them the
justification to jail him and us. But that doesn't silence him and it
doesn't silence us.
Dr. Bruce Clark is working with us, the Listuguj Mi'gmaq community, to
make clear our position on sovereignty before the Canadian Judicial system
and the Canadian people. We urge the Canadian government to admit that
their control in unceded Indian territory is illegal on the grounds that
we never surrendered, sold, gave away or abdicated our jurisdiction. And
we have never been conquered. We also urge the Canadian government to join
with us to convene an independent, impartial, third party court in order
to settle our jurisdictional disputes.
Ignoring our position will not stop our determination to assert our
jurisdiction. We know what is on the road: more confrontations, more
accusations of contempt and obstruction of justice, more people in jail
and more cost in public taxes and no solution to the problem. Ignoring
this issue is like keeping a self-inflicted wound open, pretending it
doesn't exist. Healing will never take place this way. Our children know
that we hope, as much as the ordinary Canadian people, that the healing
takes place in our relationship soon.
If our position is not defensible in point of law, why does the Canadian
justice system choose to try to bury it? Our suspicions and the suspicions
of our ancestors are articulated by Dr. Bruce Clark and we echo his words:
"We accuse your court of fraud, treason and genocide". We are also ready
to go to jail in defence of the truth and to stop the genocide of our
people.
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For further information, contact:
Gary Metallic, Listuguj Mi'gmaq First Nation Government
Hereditary Chief, Grand Council of Mi'gmaq's
Peace and Friendship Through Unity and Diversity For Prosperity and Progress
P.O. Box 298 Listuguj, Que GOC 2RO Tel.(418) 788-2186 Fax (418) 788-2058