August 17, 2000
"Eric Tusz-King" <ericking@nbnet.nb.ca>

United Church of Canada resolution

This morning, at the 37th General Council of The United Church of Canada, in Toronto Ontario, the following resolution was overwhelmingly passed by the commissioners.  For more information you may contact
 
Rt. Rev. Bill Phipps, Moderator, The United Church of Canada, or
Rev. Leslie Jay, Co-President of Maritime Conference, The United Church of Canada, 
via Mary-Frances Denis or Jean Bethune at the Newsroom, 37th General Council Office 416-736-5607 or 416-736-5283
 or
 Eric Tusz-King, Conference Minister for Outreach, Stewardship and Mission Support, Maritime Conference, The United Church of Canada 506-536-1334
 
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WHEREAS the 36th General Council called on the Government of Canada to take seriously the recommendations of the Royal Commission on Aboriginal People, entitled People to People, Nation to Nation, whereby negotiations between First Nations peoples and the Canadian government should be conducted on a nation-to-nation basis;

WHEREAS the Supreme Court of Canada Sparrow Decision has recognized the First Nations right to a fishery for food and ceremonial purposes in Canada;

Whereas the Supreme Court of Canada Marshall Decision has recognized the First Nations' right to a moderate livelihood from the fishery in Atlantic Canada;

WHEREAS the Canadian fishery policy currently being enforced by the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) in Atlantic Canada neither acknowledges or respects these decisions;

WHEREAS the DFO is making offers of fishery agreements to the First Nations community of Esgenoopetitj (Burnt Church, New Brunswick) which do not respect the Sparrow and Marshall decisions;

WHEREAS Esgenoopetitj has created and has begun to fish under a viable fisheries management plan, consistent with the 
guidelines developed by the Mik'Maq Fish and Wildlife Commission, which conserves the resource;

WHEREAS the community of Esgenoopetitj voted in a recent referendum 306 to 28 in favour of their own fisheries management plan, rather than signing an agreement with DFO;

WHEREAS the DFO has refused to recognize, meet or work with the community of Esgenoopetitj with respect to this management plan;

WHEREAS the DFO has, this week, refused an offer from the federal Department of Indian and Northern Affairs of a mediator to assist dialogue between DFO and Esgenoopetitj;

WHEREAS the DFO is currently confiscating all lobster traps set under this plan in the waters off Esgenoopetitj;

WHEREAS the DFO is using threats, brute force, taunting and drawn weapons to provoke the people of Esgenoopetitj, confiscate their fishing equipment, and arrest their people;

WHEREAS the Canadian media are using biased terms such as "defy" and "illegal" to misrepresent the First Nations' role;

WHEREAS no peaceful community deserves such treatment by the Canadian government or the Canadian media;


THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the 37th General Council of The United Church of Canada:

1.    Condemn the use of threats, brute force, taunting and drawn weapons by the Department of Fisheries and Oceans personnel active in Esgenoopetitj;

2.    Exhort the Government of Canada to sit down respectfully, Nation to First Nation, and develop fishery policy which 
acknowledges the Sparrow and Marshall Supreme Court decisions, and the rights of both Nations to a fishery     in Atlantic Canada;

3.    Challenge the media to work harder at bringing correct, unbiased information to the attention of the Canadian public; and

4.    Express our regret and shame that the Government of Canada has caused fear and insecurity in the community of 
Esgenoopetitj.