For the last two weeks Federally-owned Crown corporation Petro Canada
has shut down oilwells in the traditional Lubicon lands in Northern
Alberta. This move came after a letter written by Chief Bernard
Ominayak to the Prime Minister outlined conditions under which the
Lubicon Nation would allow Petro Canada to extract Lubicon resources
from Lubicon land (refer to previous topic OMINAYAK TO MULRONEY).
Rather than meet the conditions, like obtaining operating permits
from and paying royalties to the Lubicon Nation, the Federally-owned
Crown corporation decided to stop resource extraction.

In the last two weeks Petro Canada has failed to extract about half a
million dollars worth of oil from Lubicon land. And while one can
doubt that corporations like Petro Canada would understand the value
and principles of Human Rights or Native Rights or Aboriginal Rights
one can also be sure that Petro Canada, and by extension the Federal
Government, understands the value and principles of profit or the
loss of it.

A special Royal Canadian Mounted Police detachment of 15 men and
three vehicles has been moved into the area to protect "the
environment, property, and life". At the same time witnesses tell
about spotting 10 RCMP vehicles on a ten mile stretch of road near
Little Buffalo, the Lubicon's village. Questioned by the media an
RCMP officer claimed the increase in vehicles and officers was due to
comrades from other detachments "visiting".
The Lubicon people, after last year being subjected to a raid
involving RCMP helicopters, attack dogs, silenced sub-machine guns,
and all the other paraphernalia SWAT teams like to play with, are
sceptical about the "visiting" claim.

The Lubicon people believe that the RCMP has  many more men in the
traditional Lubicon lands to reconnoitre the area, spy on the people,
and then move in on Lubicon territory and people in a manner similar
to last year's attack. To give the impression that everything is calm
and under control five RCMP officers of the 15 men detachment were
supposedly removed.

The Lubicon people believe that this artificially created atmosphere
of calm is a ploy to lull Lubicon supporters and ask that we stay
vigilant. To really make an impact the Lubicon people ask that
letters should be sent to the Prime Minister as the person
responsible for the continued suffering of Lubicon men, women and
children ( refer to REQUEST FOR SUPPORT earlier in this conference).


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 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