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 January 21, 1994 Enclosed for your information is a copy of a press release and related news coverage regarding the continuing boycott of Daishowa paper products. * * * * * Attachment #1: January 13, 1994, Friends of the Lubicon (Toronto) Press Release WOOLWORTH SURRENDERS TO DAISHOWA BOYCOTT PRESSURE Toronto paper supplier, Omniplast, Inc. loses its biggest contract Succumbing to intense public pressure, the over 1,600 stores of Woolworth Canada Inc. have swelled the ranks of the international boycott of Daishowa-Marubeni paper products in support of the Lubicon Cree Nation of northern Alberta to over 4,300 stores. With the Woolworth decision, Toronto area paper bag distributor, Omniplast Inc., has been hurt by the loss of its biggest contract. Marc Robitaille of Omniplast Inc., verified to the Friends of the Lubicon (Toronto) that the contract for the Daishowa paper bags which they were supplying to Woolworth has lapsed and that Woolworth is seeking an alternate bag source. The Omniplast statement confirms the contents of a letter obtained earlier in the week by Friends of the Lubicon (Toronto). Paul George, a founder of the Western Canada Wilderness Committee, received word from Dwight Scudder, a Woolworth VP, that "stores in the Woolworth family will be switching over (to another supplier) when current supplies run out." The Woolworth decision comes after over a half year of public action organized by the Lubicon solidarity network of which Friends of the Lubicon (Toronto) is a part. Actions have included store front pickets, protest phone-ins, fax attacks, a mail campaign, boycott information dissemination and "anything else we could think of to kick their asses". Lubicon supporters count the Woolworth decision as their biggest victory to date in their battle to help prevent the resumption of clearcut logging on unceded Lubicon land by Daishowa. Nationwide, 43 companies, including KFC, A&W, the LCBO, Pizza Pizza, Country Style Donuts ..., have been persuaded to stop purchasing their paper bags from Daishowa. Since the boycott began in November of `91, Daishowa has reacted to the global public pressure by steering clear of Lubicon land. However, Daishowa still holds the leases to almost the entire unceded 10,000 sq. km. of Lubicon territory and they have publicly stated that they won't stay out indefinitely. Recently, there has been ominous talk by Daishowa of putting in a logging road in the area of Lubicon Chief Ominayak's trapline. As such, the boycott of Daishowa- Marubeni Inc. will remain in effect until Daishowa makes a clear, unequivocal and public commitment not to log or buy wood from unceded Lubicon land until a land rights settlement and a timber harvesting agreement are negotiated. On the horizon, the Roots and Club Monaco clothing chains have expressed their sympathetic intentions to join the boycott and written confirmation are hoped for in the near future. For more information contact: Elaine Gortier, lawyer, Woolworth Canada Inc. 416-742-3590 ext. 5740 Tom Hamaoka, VP, Daishowa-Marubeni Canada Inc. 604-688-1818 Stephen Kenda, spokesperson, Friends of the Lubicon 416-763-7490 Dwight Scudder, VP, Woolworth Canada Inc. 416-742-3590 ext. 5766 * * * * * Attachment #2: Transcript from CKLN 88.1 FM Toronto "Word of Mouth" News, January 13, 1994 Woolworths is the latest company to succumb to public pressure by joining the international boycott of Daishowa-Marubeni paper products in support of the Lubicon Cree Nation of northern Alberta. Woolworths' decision comes after close to a year of public action and store front pickets, organized by the Lubicon Solidarity Network, which includes Friends of the Lubicon in Toronto. Now that Woolworths has quit Daishowa, Toronto area paper bag distributor, Omniplast Inc., will be in the bag by losing its biggest contract. Since the boycott began in November 1991, Daishowa has steered clear of land claimed by the Lubicon, but the company still holds leases to almost all of the 10,000 square kilometres of that territory. Daishowa has stated they won't stay out indefinitely. They have talked of putting in a logging road in the area of Lubicon Chief Ominayak's trapline. The boycott remains in effect until Daishowa makes a commitment not to log or buy wood cut from land claimed by the Lubicon until a land rights settlement and a timber harvesting agreement are negotiated. * * * * * Attachment #3: ALBERTA NATIVE NEWS, January 1994 WOOLWORTH JOINS DAISHOWA BOYCOTT Succumbing to intense public pressure, the over 1,600 stores of Woolworth Canada Inc. have swelled the ranks of the international boycott of Daishowa-Marubeni paper products in support of the Lubicon Cree Nation of northern Alberta to over 4,300 stores. With the Woolworth decision, Toronto area paper bag distributor, Omniplast Inc., has been hurt by the loss of its biggest contract. Marc Robitaille of Omniplast Inc., verified to the Friends of the Lubicon (Toronto) that the contract for the Daishowa paper bags which they were supplying to Woolworth has lapsed and that Woolworth is seeking an alternate bag source. The Omniplast statement confirms the contents of a letter obtained earlier in the week by Friends of the Lubicon (Toronto). Paul George, a founder of the Western Canada Wilderness Committee, received word from Dwight Scudder, a Woolworth VP, that "stores in the Woolworth family will be switching over (to another supplier) when current supplies run out." The Woolworth decision comes after over a half year of public action organized by the Lubicon solidarity network of which Friends of the Lubicon (Toronto) is a part. Actions have included store front pickets, protest phone-ins, fax attacks, a mail campaign and boycott information dissemination. Lubicon supporters count the Woolworth decision as their biggest victory to date in their battle to help prevent the resumption of clearcut logging on unceded Lubicon land by Daishowa. Nationwide, 43 companies, including KFC, A&W, the LCBO, Pizza Pizza, Country Style Donuts ..., have been persuaded to stop purchasing their paper bags from Daishowa. Since the boycott began in November of `91, Daishowa has reacted to the global public pressure by steering clear of Lubicon land. However, Daishowa still holds the leases to almost the entire unceded 10,000 sq. km. of Lubicon territory and they have publicly stated that they won't stay out indefinitely. Recently, there has been ominous talk by Daishowa of putting in a logging road in the area of Lubicon Chief Ominayak's trapline. As such, the boycott of Daishowa- Marubeni Inc. will remain in effect until Daishowa makes a clear, unequivocal and public commitment not to log or buy wood from unceded Lubicon land until a land rights settlement and a timber harvesting agreement are negotiated. On the horizon, the Roots and Club Monaco clothing chains have expressed their sympathetic intentions to join the boycott and written confirmations could be forthcoming.