(Vancouver, Coast Salish Territory/April 17, 2002) Chief Stewart Phillip, President of the Union of British Columbia Indian Chiefs expressed his outrage on learning that a white supremacy group is using the BC Treaty Referendum to recruit new members.

Vancouver, Coast Salish Territory/April 17, 2002) Chief Stewart Phillip, President of the Union of British Columbia Indian Chiefs expressed his outrage on learning that a white supremacy group is using the BC Treaty Referendum to recruit new members. "We stated from the outset of this immoral exercise that it would provide a forum for the public expression of racist views against First Nations. White Pride is stating that the referendum is ‘will go down in Canadian history as enabling the most fundamental symbolic expression of White unity since racial pride went out of style almost 40 years ago.’ This hate mongering dramatically proves our conjecture that the referendum is racist."

Chief Phillip continued to state, "The referendum is playing on the uninformed majority about the constitutionally enshrined and judicially recognized Aboriginal Title and Rights that exist in this province. Democracy is much more than ballots being burned in protest, democracy is the recognition that the rights of the minority cannot be subjected to the majority in a ‘amateurish’ and clumsy process based on ambiguous questions with a preconceived outcome.

"We are working with the First Nations Summit, the United Native Nations and a growing coalition of political, labour, church and concerned citizens who adamantly oppose the referendum. We are collecting unsigned ballots throughout the province and will present them in protest to the provincial government at the conclusion of this immoral exercise" concluded Chief Phillip.

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:
Chief Stewart Phillip Office: (604) 684-0231
President, Union of British Columbia Indian Chiefs
http://www.ubcic.bc.ca/referendum.htm