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dam-l PCN reply to Manitoba Gov't Director of Communications (fwd)
----- Forwarded message from William_J_Braun@mail.mcc.org -----
From William_J_Braun@mail.mcc.org Mon May 1 22:41:30 2000
From: William_J_Braun@mail.mcc.org
X-Lotus-FromDomain: MCC
Date: Mon, 1 May 2000 21:40:43 -0500
Subject: PCN reply to Manitoba Gov't Director of Communications
To: Aboriginal Coalition
From: Will Braun
Date: 5/1/2000 9:36:26 PM
Subj: PCN reply to Manitoba Gov't Director of Communications
A Reply to the Director of Communications, Government of Manitoba
Manitoba Hydro's and the Government of Manitoba's boreal hydro mega-project --
"a moral and ecological catastrophe"
The "new" New Democratic Party (NDP) government of Manitoba will only be
credible when its actions begin to match its words -- and are commensurate to
the catastrophe that the government and its Hydro corporation have caused.
Sadly, while it professes good intentions, it continues to engage in denial,
fails to address the ongoing disaster -- and now promises to compound it through
more dams, river diversions, flooding of boreal forests and electricity exports.
Government spokesperson (and senior aide to the Manitoba Premier) Donne Flanagan
disseminates: "In the decades old dispute between Hydro and the Cree of Cross
Lake it's been hard to figure out just who is responsible for what." Actually,
this is not hard at all. All of the key players, and numerous independent
parties, appear to be "of one mind", on the key issues. Manitoba Hydro built the
Lake Winnipeg and Churchill, Nelson Rivers mega project. It diverted and dammed
huge rivers, conscripted or created lakes (by flooding) as reservoirs, and
regulates an entire continental river-basin to its own ends.
Mr Flanagan is not telling Americans that Manitoba Hydro (and the governments of
Manitoba and Canada) formally acknowledged in 1997 that as a result of the
mega-project, "the water regime of certain waters, rivers, lakes and streams has
been, or will be modified" and that:
"As a result of the modification of the water regime, adverse effects have
occurred, and may continue to occur, on the lands, pursuits, activities and
lifestyles, of the residents, individually and collectively, of the Reserves of
Cross Lake, Nelson House, Norway House, Split Lake and York Landing."
Likewise, Mr Flanagan is not telling that the federal Royal Commission on
Aboriginal Peoples concluded twenty years later in 1996 that the mega-project:
"has subsequently become well known for its massive scale and detrimental
effects on the northern Manitoba environment and the Aboriginal peoples who live
there. Although the project directly affected the lands and livelihood of five
treaty communities... and one non-treaty community, they were not consulted, nor
did they give approval for the undertaking... Reserve and community lands were
either flooded or affected by dramatic changes to levels in surrounding lakes
and rivers, and traditional land-use areas were damaged or rendered
inaccessible."
Likewise, the government of Manitoba is not telling Americans that a1999
Canadian Inter-Church Inquiry into northern flooding in Manitoba concluded that
the Manitoba Hydro project has been a "moral and ecological catastrophe for
northern Manitoba and its indigenous peoples". (See Mennonite Central Committee
http://www.mccm.mb.ca/cldams.html web-site.) Significantly, the Chairman of the
Board of Manitoba Hydro admitted publicly -- at a recent Minnesota energy and
human rights conference -- that his corporation does not contest this Church
inquiry conclusion.
Neither are Americans being told that Judge Ferg ruled in 1982 (in ordering
Manitoba Hydro to build an ice-hockey arena to begin to replace the Crees'
devastated natural recreational amenities) that Manitoba Hydro's project
"drastically altered" the Cross Lake Crees' environment and "almost turned the
[eco-]system upside down from a state of nature". The 1991 Manitoba Aboriginal
Justice Inquiry (chaired by a Chief Justice) reported similarly.
The leadership of another affected aboriginal Nation recently stated that the
"massive" Hydro Project:
"...has caused adverse impacts of tragic proportions to our land, lives, and
livelihood. Our traditional lands and a way of life have been devastated and
desecrated by the adverse impacts of the Hydro Project."
The government of Manitoba owns Manitoba Hydro and is of course thus very keen
that Americans, who buy more than a third of the power produced by this "moral
and ecological catastrophe" remain unaware (or mollified or confused) about the
plain facts: that the present hydro project is a vast, unmitigated environmental
and social catastrophe, and that proposals to expand it to export more power to
the United States will inevitably compound the damage.
A few technical errors in environmentalists' handouts are inconsequential. We
who live in the middle of this nightmare know that the Sierra Clubs of Canada
and the U.S. were correct to conclude that:
"hydroelectric development of this magnitude and type is not clean, benign or
renewable: it devastates land, water, species and their habitats, and the people
who live with this environment, and it often displaces truly renewable energy
alternatives and conservation measures." The Sierrans urged "all [American]
utilities to divert expenditures form this type of harmful hydropower to
development and use of cleaner, renewable alternatives such as wind and solar
power, and to conservation programs."
The NDP government of Manitoba is promising Americans that it will now behave
differently to the environment and aboriginal inhabitants of the boreal forest
than its predecessors (including NDP governments) have for the last 30 years.
The Pimicikamak Crees (who live at Cross Lake) and many Canadians hope that this
will be true. But they remember that it was an NDP government that conceived
and built the mega-project; that was inactive while it was in power for many
years through the 1980's as the environmental and social conditions in boreal
Manitoba worsened; and that conceived a governmental scheme during the 1980's to
destroy the aboriginal peoples' ability to defend their environmental and treaty
rights in the face of this catastrophe.
Manitoba Hydro has belatedly just begun to address its 1977 promises to clean up
the entire area of the environmental slum it created in the early 1970's. (See
the photographs below.) But more than six months after this "new" government
was elected, progress is glacial at best. At the present rate, this
critically-required cleanup of the existing damage to shorelines and lake areas
in this part of boreal North America will take a hundred or more years.
The U.S. (and Canadian) environmental, religious and human rights organisations
that are beginning to question Americans' purchase and transmission of this
hydro power, are to be commended. We know that their motives and actions will
be challenged by those with vested interests in this destructive trade. But we
also know they are acting in the best interests of our common environment, which
knows no borders. We Pimicikamak Crees are deeply grateful.
William Osborne Deputy Chief Member of the Executive Council responsible for
Communications Pimicikamak Cree Nation (Manitoba, Canada)
[Pictures included in attachment above.]
Picture 1: Flooded boreal forest, ruined shoreline habitat and waters, as far as
the eye can see. (Jenpeg forebay near Cross Lake, one of many Project forebays
like it. This is a 1999 picture. The government of Manitoba and Manitoba
solemly promised in a 1977 treaty "to ensure that, in the event that standing
trees become a navigation problem now or in the future, clearing action is
performed; [and] to remove debris of any nature which results from the actual
construction or from the flooding of land or by diversion of waters in the total
area encompassed by the overall Project.") <Picture> Picture 2: Slumping
shorelines and continuing erosion caused by artificial water fluctuations and
flows. The land is inaccessible from the water and vice versa to animals and
man, and the water is made turbid and contaminated. (Jenpeg forebay, 1999.)
______________________________
[Below is the message of Donne Flanagan to which Vice Chief Osborne replies
above:]
Hi, all.
My name is Donne Flanagan. I am the communications director for the
Government of Manitoba and a senior aide to the new Premier of
Manitoba, Gary Doer.
Since coming into office six months ago, we have become increasingly
aware of the campaign, particularly in Minnesota, on behalf of
Pimicikamak Cree Nation (Cross Lake Band) to put pressure on Northern
States Power to, in turn, put pressure on Manitoba Hydro and the
Government of Manitoba -- stemming from PCN's long history of major
grievances against the province and Hydro.
At a fundamental level, we in the new New Democratic Party government
(as opposed to the former Conservative government, which had been in
office since 1988) don't disagree with PCN's main points and
outstanding issues.
In fact, the Cross Lake community has consistently and overwhelmingly
supported the NDP over the years because we do take Aboriginal issues
seriously. We have represented the area politically for decades. The
current MLA for the area and now Minister of Conservation, Oscar
Lathlin, is a former chief himself of another northern Manitoba First
Nation -- Opaskwayak Cree Nation at The Pas, Manitoba. As well, the
MLA for Rupertsland, Eric Robinson, is in fact a member of the
Pimicikamak Cree Nation and is now the Minister of Aboriginal and
Northern Affairs in the government of Premier Gary Doer.
This is an unprecedented level of Aboriginal representation in the
government of Manitoba.
What troubles us, however, is that this message of change and new
hope for northern Manitoba doesn't seem to be coming across in the
information that is being disseminated in the U.S. This worry, I
understand, is shared to a great degree by the other four Cree First
Nations who along with PCN were signatories to the Northern Flood
Agreement in the 1970s -- most notably, the Split Lake Cree Nation.
In the interests of full and open debate, we want Minnesotans and
other concerned Americans to receive as much of the full story as
possible.
As a first step, I am forwarding the following -- a recently prepared
fact sheet that outlines a few basics on the new government's views
on PCN and Manitoba Hydro situation.
I look forward to your feedback.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
----------
FACT SHEET
A Government of Manitoba Perspective on
Manitoba Hydro and Pimicikamak Cree Nation (Cross Lake Band)
The provincial election on September 21, 1999 resulted in a change of
government in Manitoba with Premier Gary Doer officially taking
office on October 5, 1999.
The new government has a clear mandate to work with Manitoba First
Nations to improve the quality of life for Aboriginal People. This
government has launched major new initiatives to expand and improve
First Nations___'_ participation in the justice system, child welfare
agencies, and new economic opportunities.
Northern Manitobans and First Nations now have strong representation
in the provincial government for the first time in a long time.
Two of the new government___'_s cabinet ministers are from First
Nations:
Eric Robinson, a member of Pimicikamak Cree Nation, is Minister of
Aboriginal and Northern Affairs, and Oscar Lathlin, former chief of
Opaskwayak Cree Nation, is Minister of Conservation. In fact, all
members of the Manitoba Legislature who represent the northern parts
of the province are members of the government caucus.
The government is committed to acting on this strong mandate to find
satisfactory solutions to the outstanding issues arising from the
hydroelectric development a quarter of a century ago that affected
Pimicikamak Cree Nation. These are some recent steps taken towards
those solutions:
1) Within days of being elected to government, Minister Robinson met
with representatives of Pimicikamak Cree Nation to address issues
relating to Hydro development and social conditions in the Cross Lake
community.
2) The province has initiated discussions with the Government of
Canada with a view to making a new invitation to Pimicikamak Cree
Nation to resume negotiations on the outstanding issues relating to
Manitoba Hydro.
3) In March, 2000 the provincial government appointed a new Board of
Directors for Manitoba Hydro that includes three First Nations
members ___'_ one of whom served on the Inter-Church Task Force on
Northern Flooding.
4) Manitoba Hydro is meeting twice a month with representatives of
Pimicikamak Cree Nation to resolve issues under the existing Northern
Flood Agreement that was signed by five First Nations, including
Pimicikamak Cree Nation, in 1977.
5) The province recently announced the construction of a long-awaited
bridge for the Cross Lake community ___'_ a high priority for
Pimicikamak
Cree Nation.
6) Manitoba Hydro is undertaking a 10-year, $5 million brush-clearing
program, which will employ local citizens.
7) No new Hydro development is planned or contemplated for
Pimicikamak Cree Nation territory.
The new government has made the same commitment to partnership with
the four other northern flood communities ___'_ Nelson House Cree
Nation,
Norway House Cree Nation, York Factory Cree Nation and Split Lake
Cree Nation ___'_ which have successfully concluded comprehensive
agreements on their outstanding issues under the Northern Flood
Agreement.
The new government is fundamentally committed to forging a new
partnership with Pimicikamak Cree Nation, based on mutual respect and
cooperation.
APRIL 2000
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Information distributed by:
_______________________
Will Braun
Mennonite Central Committee
Energy Issues Coordinator
134 Plaza Dr.
WINNIPEG MB R3T 5K9
Ph (204) 261-6381
Fx (204) 269-9875
wjb@mennonitecc.ca
----- End of forwarded message from William_J_Braun@mail.mcc.org -----