The 1 rrace Standard, Wednesday, November 23, 199-4 - A7

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[HOW LONG MUST JUSTICE WAIT? ]
> OUR WORLD HAS CHANGED. THE COLLAPSE OF

THE USSR. BLACK MAJORITY RULE IN SOUTH
AFRICA. THE BLOSSOMING OF A MARKET
ECONOMY IN CHINA. > IN CANADA TOO: FIRST
NATIONS PEOPLE IN QUEBEC, YUKON AND THE
NORTHWEST TERRITORIES HAVE SETTLED LAND
CLAIMS. > BUT WE, THE NISGA’A PEOPLE OF
NORTHWESTERN 8.C., ARE STILL WAITING.
> DESPITE OUR PRECEDENT-SETTING 1973 CASE IN
THE SUPREME COURT, WHICH PROMPTED OTTAWA
TO SEEK TREATIES WITH OTHER FIRST NATIONS, A
GENERATION OF NISGA’A MEN AND WOMEN HAS
GROWN OLD AT THE NEGOTIATING TABLE. IT WAS
NOT UNTIL 1990 — AFTER A CENTURY OF REFUSAL
— THAT VICTORIA JOINED THE TALKS AND A
TREATY BECAME A REAL POSSIBILITY. > NOW,
WITH AN AGREEMENT-IN-PRINCIPLE WITHIN
REACH, A BACKLASH HAS BEGUN. A CAMPAIGN OF
FEAR-MONGERING AND DISINFORMATION —
BACKED BY POWERFUL INTERESTS — IS TRYING
TO INTIMIDATE POLITICIANS INTO SCUTTLING A
SETTLEMENT. THEY DON’T WANT YOU TO KNOW
THE TRUTH ABOUT A_ NISGA’A TREATY.
[A NISGA’A TREATY WILL BENEFIT
ALL BRITISH COLUMBIANS] > sociaL
STABILITY. INCREASED INVESTMENT. LONG-RANGE
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. THESE ARE THE
RECOGNIZED BENEFITS OF RESOLVING OUR LAND -
QUESTION. >NO ONE — NATIVE OR NON-NATIVE —
SUPPORTS THE ALTERNATIVE: THE MILLIONS OF
TAXPAYERS’ DOLLARS SPENT ANNUALLY TO KEEP
US BEGGARS IN OUR OWN LANDS. > WHAT WE
SEEK IS SIMPLE AND STRAIGHTFORWARD. WE
WANT TO NEGOTIATE OUR WAY INTO THE
ECONOMY — NOT TAKE IT OVER. > WE WILL NOT
TAKE AWAY TITLE TO ANYONE'S HOME. WE SIMPLY
WANT TO SHARE IN THE OWNERSHIP OF THE
FORESTS, FISH AND MINERALS OF THE NASS RIVER
VALLEY, THE PLACE WHERE OUR ANCESTORS HAVE
LIVED FOR THOUSANDS OF YEARS. > ONE DAY, WE
WILL SIGN A TREATY. OF THAT WE ARE CERTAIN.
> WE NOW HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO PUT A
CENTURY AND A HALF OF UNCERTAINTY AND
INJUSTICE BEHIND US. >BUT IT WILL NOT HAPPEN
IF OUR ELECTED REPRESENTATIVES ARE COWED
BY THE VOICES OF FEAR AND IGNORANCE INTO
PUTTING OFF A SETTLEMENT OF THIS MATTER
UNTIL NEXT YEAR, OR EVEN LEAVING IT FOR YET
ANOTHER GENERATION. > PLEASE TELL YOUR MLA
OR MP YOU SUPPORT A NISGA’A TREATY. PHONE
OR WRITE AND SAY THAT JUSTICE FOR THE
NISGA’A CAN NO LONGER BE DENIED. > THE
NISGA’A IS THE ONLY FIRST NATION IN B.C.
CURRENTLY IN FORMAL NEGOTIATIONS WITH THE
FEDERAL AND PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENTS. FOR A
FREE FACT BOOK PHONE (604) 633-2601.

[JUSTICE WILL NOT BE DENIED]