The Haida Nation says it has seized a large quantity of cut timber from Weyerhaeuser. The Haida claim that Weyerhaeuser has violated provisions of a 2002 accord between the Haida, forestry workers and Weyerhaeuser. The Haida have seized several barges and other timber still awaiting sorting, said Guujaaw, president of the Council of the Haida Nation.

VIRTUAL MEDIA SILENCE ON BIGGEST STORY IN BRITISH COLUMBIA

On November 18, 2004 the Supreme Court of Canada ruled 7-0 that the Government of British Columbia has a moral and legal duty to negotiate with aboriginal groups before permitting logging, mining or other disruptive activities to take place on disputed land. Haida Nation had won their challenge against the American Logging Giant Weyerhaeuser and responsibility was put squarely on the shoulder of the BC Government to negotiate meaningfully even if they have no intention to actually reach an agreement. Haida blocked all roads on Haida Gwaii to logging trucks on March 22, 2005 which led to a solidarity agreement with workers who refused to cross the blockades. Then on March 29 Haida Nation seized several barges full of logs from Weyerhaeuser and are now holding them.

BIG STORY OR WHAT? Watching TV News, listening to the Radio, and reading the mainstream print media resulted in very little information about the situation on Haida Gwaii. I was able to search out A FEW ARTICLES WHICH SHED SOME LIGHT ON THE SITUATION:

Volunteers are needed to be part of this all-Islands action. Please contact

Melinda Pick 559-8834 or cbl...@haidagwaii.net to find out what you can do.

Information is also available at:
http://www.haidanation.ca/islands/islands.html

Keep checking the web site for updates.

‘HAIDA NATION SEIZES LOGS DURING PROTEST’

By James Vassallo
The Prince Rupert Daily News

Wednesday, March 30, 2005

The Haida Nation is understood to have seized what locals estimate to be more than $50 million in timber from Weyerhaeuser for alleged breach of contract.

"We hope we can use this money to get hospitals here ... [and] all our schools are in debt because they've been funded like everywhere else in the province," said Guujaaw, president of the Council of the Haida Nation. "We will support language and youth programs and help out recreational programs.

"After all the years and billions of dollars there's been nothing left by that company. If they want to challenge it, it will tie it up a bit ... but that's how we're going to spend that money."

The seized timber is a result of the Haida claim that Weyerhaeuser has violated five of the six provisions they agreed to in a 2002 accord between the Haida, forestry workers and Weyerhaeuser.

"Weyerhaeuser was going in and grabbing whatever they could on their way out the door," said Guujaaw. "We had a contract with them and they broke it."

The Haida allege the company has violated the Six-Point Plan by high grading timber and using mechanical harvesters. At the time of the agreement there was one mechanical harvester on Haida Gwaii, but now there are three despite a promise that no additional harvesters would be introduced without discussions.

"They agreed they would log the profile, harvesting the percentage of cedar in the forest and the percentage of pulp," he said. "They didn't do that."

Instead they've been taking only the best logs, several barges worth of which - including cypress, cedar and hemlock - have now been seized.

In light of these issues, the Haida leader took issue with Skeena MLA Roger Harris', Minister of State for Forestry, suggestion that the company was not causing harm to the island and that the B.C. Government had made an effort to consult with them.

"Most of the things they've offered are pretty Mickey Mouse," said Guujaaw of the province's so-called attempts at consultation and accommodation.

The offer of 200,000 hectares of land fee simple was a terrible deal for the Haida, he said.

"They offered us 20 per cent of our land [and] fee simple land is not ownership at all," he said. "You have to realize the people of our villages are buried in every corner of this land and there is no part we can give up."

The Haida wouldn't have even been able to afford the taxes on the deal, he said.

And in the case of a second deal, $1.8 million and an allocation of 125,000 cubic metres, the Haida were essentially being told to harvest areas that they felt should be protected to earn the money.

"The offer was, we get all the protected areas and if we want money, log them," said Guujaaw. "[But] the real hitch was they wanted us to stand aside and let them do what they want with the rest of it.

"We had to accept all the decisions they made. The history of their management isn't one that we trust."

It also would have required the Haida to agree to the province's consultation process, which the courts had determined were not useful.

"That's why they added the accommodation part," he said. "The province had reduced consultation to 'here's what we're going to do and thank you very much for your support.'"

The offer was also not a legitimate treaty offer as it had no federal involvement.

The province has also been derelict with their involvement in the Land Use Plan, he said. The Haida Land Use Vision (HLUV) was adopted as the basis for land use on the Queen Charlotte Islands, however the Ministry of Forests allowed cutblocks in those areas to continue to receive approvals.

The creation of Gwaii Hanaas National Park Reserve was also far from a testament to cooperation between the province and the Haida, he said.

"The province fought us vehemently there," said Guujaaw. "They went along kicking and screaming."

And contrary to what the Minister might think, Haida Gwaii does not belong to British Columbia, but to the Haida, he said. A major issue in the Haida's forthcoming Supreme Court title case is that the Haida were never conquered, nor have they ever ceded their land to the British, the province or the federal government. While they have never turned anyone away, it doesn't mean they've given their land up, he said.

"In our mind it's Haida country and that will never change," said Guujaaw. "The people that live beside us here have no problem accepting that's the way it is."

Just because the province has placed their mark on the land, doesn't mean they've taken possession, he insists.

"Just because they've come here and done a lot of damage, it doesn't mean they own it," he said. "We don't have any place to go, this is our planet here."Sent: Tuesday,

March 22, 2005 2:00 PM
Subject: Haida Gwaii Action 2

http://www.haidanation.ca/islands/islands.html for more information

ISLANDS BULLETIN NO.2
March 22, 2005

To all Islands people,

GWAII SGAANAWAAY SIIGAA IJAA
ISLANDS SPIRIT RISING

WHAT HAS HAPPENED?
Logging and barges have been stopped today. Individuals are standing together in Queen Charlotte and on the road by East Yakoun, near Juskatla. The action is taking place as Weyerhaeuser is poised to sell off the Tree Farm License to Brascan. The slogans on the road say it all - Enough is Enough.

Weyerhaeuser and the Ministry of Forests have shown complete disregard for our communities' needs and wishes. This was shown when the BC government
compromised the Land Use Plan by approving cutting in areas that the Islands
community had designated protected. The Land Use Plan was designed by all
Island communities to ensure a sustainable future for Haida Gwaii.

The action on the road at both ends of the Island is taking place to address these serious issues that affect us all. If we don't move forward together the opportunities for change and a stable economy will no longer exist for us. These are first steps towards tackling issues, the forest companies, and the province of BC. The Islands community is serious about change - the future is now!

Volunteers are needed to be part of this all-Islands action. Please contact

Melinda Pick 559-8834 or cbl...@haidagwaii.net to find out what you can do.

Information is also available at www.haidanation.ca/islands/islands.html

Keep checking the web site for updates.