Lubicon Lake Indian Nation Little Buffalo Lake, AB 403-629-3945 FAX: 403-629-3939 Mailing address: 3536 - 106 Street Edmonton, AB T6J 1A4 403-436-5652 FAX: 403-437-0719 October 28, 1989 The Hon. B. Mulroney Prime Minister Government of Canada Ottawa, ONT Dear Mr. Prime Minister: Your Government has exclusive constitutional responsibility in Canada for negotiating a settlement of unceded Lubicon land rights. It also owns an oil company operating in unceded Lubicon territory called Petro-Canada. People across Canada and around the world know that your Government has never engaged in serious, good-faith negotiation of unceded Lubicon land rights. Rather it has only used the pretense of serious negotiations to set the stage for a deceitful propaganda campaign designed to publicly discredit the Lubicon people, and for an on-the-ground political campaign designed to tear Lubicon society apart. In addition to Canadian Government efforts to publicly discredit the Lubicon people and tear Lubicon society apart, Federally-owned Petro-Canada -- operating both on its own and in conjunction with other oil companies -- has been conducting illegitimate oil development activities on unceded Lubicon land. These illegitimate oil development activities have been proceeding without the consent of the Lubicon people, and have caused great and irreparable damage to the traditional Lubicon economy and way of life. Moreover these illegitimate oil development activities both violate and undermine rightful Lubicon jurisdiction over unceded Lubicon territory. There's of course nothing that the Lubicon people can do to force you or your Government to conduct Canadian affairs of state with decency, honour and integrity. However, if we can't protect our legitimate aboriginal land rights through a negotiated settlement with the Government of Canada, there are things which we can and will do to enforce our rightful jurisdiction over our unceded traditional territory -- starting with illegitimate oil development activity in our unceded traditional territory being conducted by Petro-Canada and other oil companies working in conjunction with Petro-Canada. Effective November 01, 1989, Federally-owned Petro-Canada, and other oil companies working in conjunction with Federally-owned Petro-Canada on unceded Lubicon land, have thirty (30) days to obtain retroactive operating permits and leases from the Lubicon people, and to make arrangements for the payment of royalties on resources extracted -- both past and future. Approval of such retroactive operating permits and leases will be subject to compliance with Lubicon environmental protection and wildlife management laws, as determined by an appropriate Lubicon regulation agency established for that purpose, and may be cancelled for violation of said laws. Failure to meet any of these conditions will make involved projects subject to removal as unauthorized developments on unceded Lubicon territory. Sincerely, Bernard Ominayak, Chief Lubicon Lake Indian Nation cc: Mr. W.H. Hopper, Petro-Canada Board Chairman and Chief Executive Officer The Hon. Getty, Premier, Government of Alberta The Hon. J. Turner, Leader, Federal Official Opposition The Hon. E. Broadbent, Leader, Federal New Democratic Party Ms. Ethel Blondin, M.P., Liberal Aboriginal Affairs Critic Mr. Robert Skelly, M.P., NDP Aboriginal Affairs Critic Mr. R. Martin, M.L.A., Leader, New Democratic Official Opposition Mr. L. Decore, M.L.A., Leader, Alberta Liberals Mr. B. Hawkesworth, M.L.A., ND Aboriginal Affairs Critic Mr. N. Taylor, M.L.A., Liberal Aboriginal Affairs Critic Mr. G. Erasmus, National Chief, Assembly of First Nations Mr. John Amagoalik, Inuit Committee on Native Issues Mr. Zebedee Nungak, Inuit Committee on Native Issues Mr. Donald Rojas, Vice-President, World Council of Indigenous Peoples Mr. Jim Sinclair, President, Metis National Council President, Native Council of Canada Leaders of Provincial Aboriginal Associations All Chiefs of Alberta All Signatories to Treaty Alliance of North American Aboriginal Nations For more information contact web:car by e-mail or in writing Aboriginal Rights Support Group Committee Against Racism P.O. Box 3085, Station B Calgary, Alberta T2M 4L6