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[OPIRG-EVENTS] Tues.May 27 - lunch hour - Join Lubicon Supporters on Parliament Hill
Join us on Parliament Hill -
any time between 11am and 1pm
on Tuesday, May 27
Lubicon Cree Elder in Ottawa to Commemorate Prime Minister
Chrétien's 10-year Old Commitment to Justice for the Lubicon Cree
On May 27 it will be exactly ten years since then Leader of the
Official Opposition Jean Chrétien wrote to Friends of the Lubicon
expressing his support for a swift settlement of the Lubicon Lake
Indian Nation's land rights.
To commemorate Mr. Chrétien's 10-year old commitment, and to
remind the Prime Minister that the remedy for this injustice is now
within his grasp, Lubicon elder Reinie Jobin will join Lubicon
supporters in hosting a public information session on Parliament Hill
from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm on Tuesday, May 27.
Outaouais Lubicon Solidarity (OLS) invites everyone to join
us on Parliament Hill for updates on the Lubicon situation, and for
more information on the "Countdown to Justice: Unfinished
Business" campaign, including how to participate. Free campaign
posters will be available. All visitors will also be welcome and
encouraged to include their own message to the Prime Minister on a
giant letter.
For more information please see our web site at
http://www.lubiconsolidarity.ca
or contact Ed. Bianchi at 613.235.9956
______________________________________________________
Countdown to Justice: Unfinished Business
In 1993, as Leader of the Opposition, Jean Chrétien wrote a letter
expressing his support for a settlement of the Lubicon Lake Indian
Nation's land rights.
He wrote that "time is wasting" and that it was "time for action,"
and that he "consider[ed] the Lubicon claim to be a priority."
These were welcome words for the Lubicon, who had been waiting
since 1939 for the Government of Canada to fulfill its promise of
reserve lands. For this small Aboriginal society in northern Alberta,
the years had brought social and economic collapse-the result of
resource exploitation that destroyed their traditional hunting and
trapping economy. For the oil and logging companies that moved
into Lubicon territory with the sanction of the Government of Alberta,
the years were profitable: oil and gas revenues, for example,
reached $500 million per year.
Nine years have passed since Chrétien wrote his words of support
for the Lubicons. There is still no settlement of Lubicon land rights.
It's our hope that Prime Minister Chrétien will fulfill his promise
before leaving office in February 2004. A settlement is certainly
possible within that time: the issues are well defined and the
relevant technical work has been done. What seems to be missing
is the drive to conclude a fair settlement. With Mr. Chrétien's
personal involvement, direction and willpower, Lubicon land rights
could, at long last, be resolved.
Chrétien has made clear that he is looking to leave behind a proud
legacy when he finishes his many years of service as Prime
Minister. To fulfill the promise of a fair Lubicon settlement after so
many years would be a tangible legacy that would win acclaim, not
only from Canadians, but from the many people around the world
who have expressed concern over this long-standing human rights
tragedy.
More importantly, it would provide the Lubicon people with the
means to survive on their now-devastated land.
http://www.lubiconsolidarity.ca/
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