From nfnena@igc.org Mon Aug 4 12:09:53 1997 Received: from athens.achilles.net (athens.achilles.net [198.53.206.14]) by lox.sandelman.ottawa.on.ca (8.7.5/8.7.3) with SMTP id MAA03963 for ; Mon, 4 Aug 1997 12:08:39 -0400 (EDT) Received: (qmail 19483 invoked from network); 4 Aug 1997 14:38:37 -0000 Received: from igcb.igc.apc.org (HELO igcb.igc.org) (192.82.108.46) by nic.achilles.net with SMTP; 4 Aug 1997 14:38:37 -0000 Received: from igc3.igc.apc.org (igc3.igc.apc.org [192.82.108.33]) by igcb.igc.org (8.8.5/8.8.5) with ESMTP id JAA13289; Mon, 4 Aug 1997 09:01:29 -0700 (PDT) Received: from [198.94.6.36] (nfnena@ppp44.igc.org [198.94.6.44]) by igc3.igc.apc.org (8.8.5/8.8.5) with SMTP id IAA00241; Mon, 4 Aug 1997 08:54:21 -0700 (PDT) Message-Id: Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Date: Mon, 4 Aug 1997 11:08:47 -0600 To: econet@igc.apc.org, ien@igc.pac.org, iitc@igc.apc.org, foefitzroy@peg.apc.org, dianne@sandelman.ottawa.on.ca, billw@echonyc.com, taiga-urgent@igc.apc.org, moonlight@igc.apc.org From: nfnena@igc.org (Native Forest Network) Subject: CREES WILL FIGHT HYDRO-QUEBEC Sender: nfnena@igc.org Status: OR >From: briant@sun.goddard.edu (Brian Tokar) >From: Jean-Marc Pelletier > >THE CREES OF WHAPMAGOOSTUI (GREAT WHALE > RIVER) VOW TO CONTINUE TO FIGHT FOR THEIR RIVER > WHICH IS STILL THE TARGET OF HYDRO-QUEBEC IN ITS > PLANS TO UPGRADE ITS EXISTING INSTALLATIONS AT > LA GRANDE > > WHAPMAGOOSTUI, Quebec, July 31 /CNW/ via Individual Inc. -- >The Crees of Whapmagoostui (Great > Whale River) held a referendum on Hydro-Quebec,s proposal to >divert the Great Whale River into the > existing reservoirs of La Grand Complex. Ninety-two percent >(92%) of the electorate who cast their votes on > Wednesday, July 29, 1997 are in favour of a continued >opposition to any development project having to do > with an alteration of the Great Whale River on which their >community is situated. > > ``This is a very strong mandate for the Cree leadership,'' >said Chief Matthew Mukash, who has been > reelected for a third term as leader of the Cree community >of Great Whale River, in an election that took > place at the end of June l997. ``My people are determined to >stand up against any project having to do with > the destruction of land, water and other resources that have >sustained us as a people since time immemorial, > and I am very happy about that. No amount of money in the >world can replace the type of destruction that > took place at La Grande, and this is not going to happen >here'', he added. > > The community was concerned with media reports in June which >seemed to say that the Crees are ready to > negotiate with Hydro-Quebec and the Government of Quebec on >future development projects. According to > Chief Mukash, there have been hordes of calls from >supporters from practically all over the world asking > what is going on. ``We are greatly concerned about what the >media reports have done.'' > > ``Everybody seems to be thinking that we are ready to sit >down with Hydro-Quebec and the government of > Quebec and let them build dams as they please'', said David >Masty, the community's Executive Director and > spokesman. ``That is a notion that shouldn't be in the mind >of anybody, and we are going to do something > about it. This project will not be discussed by the Crees >with Hydro-Quebec.'' > > ``Whapmagoostui had decided to launch a campaign against the >proposed diversion of the Great Whale River, > although the plan by Hydro-Quebec is at a very preliminary >stage,'' said the town's Deputy Chief, George > Masty. ``It's better to attack the idea before it >materializes any further and much money is spent on it. We are > planning to go all out by any means we can as a community to >prevent the destruction of the land, water and > our way of life. Our future generations and other people >will need this land for healing, because there aren't > many wilderness areas in the world for this purpose.'' > > Local older Andrew Natachequan, whose trapline would be >affected by HQ's diversion plan, is concerned > with the fact that the diversion of the river to the La >Grande will necessarily flood all of Lake Bienville, the > head waters of the Great Whale River. ``This is >unacceptable,'' he said. ``Lake Bienville is a sacred area. It is > the heart of the land. Its huge water area contains all >kinds of fish that has sustained the Eeyouch. It is the > central calving ground for the inland caribou. Bird and >animals of all kinds have used and continue to use this > area as a sanctuary. It just cannot be touched by man. Any >alteration to it will bring bad luck to the > perpetrator because it is a sacred area.'' > > /For further information: Chief Matthew Mukash: Tel. >819-929-3484 (office) or 929-3718 (after 5:00 p.m.), > David Masty, WFN Executive Director: Tel. 819-929-3494 or >3367 (after 5:00 p.m.), or George Masty, > WFN Deputy Chief: Tel. 819-929-3484/ > > [Canada Newswire] >-- >Jean-Marc Pelletier >pelletie@francomedia.qc.ca >