Copyright © 2000 NLThomas
All Rights Reserved

Burnt Church, N.B. - The Supreme Court of Canada decided some months ago, in its landmark ruling that has come to be called, "the Marshall Decision" that the Miq'maw, Maliseet & Penobscot Nations have never lost their rights as Nations to fish whatever, whenever they want to or need to on their ancestral fishing grounds in order to "earn a moderate living." The same Supreme Court's "Sparrow Decision" (Pacific coast, Musqeum Band of the great Sto:lo Nation) found that First Nation people in what is temporarily called 'Canada' are *not* bound by federal or provincial fishing laws anywhere, anytime, *except for those occasions when conservation of the stock concerned may be jeopardized by such activity.* That is, if Parliament officially declares that the species being fished is a "species at risk" or "endangered" and *only then* can Canada's government interfere with the rights of the true-proprietors of this land to fish as they please.

Commercial non-Native fishermen, however, have with the assistance of the RCMP have illegally destroyed fishing lines, lobster catches at low tide, sabotaged boats and arrested the Native fishermen when they have attempted to exercise their legitimate treaty rights. The raid "before last" saw one man cuffed and beaten, per Frank Thomas, in a manner similar to "Rodney King". We are "not going to back down" the "people are hurt and there are tears in their eyes".

Unemployment runs between 40-80%..fishing IS their livelihood..it feeds their children and elders. Some chiefs beholden to the Canadian system of government have caved into fisheries demands betraying their own people. the people never agreed to give up their inherent rights to hunt and fish. They would like to call for a boycott of Canada at the UN level for this genocidal treatment of their people.

Chief Reggie Malone states, "We will fish!"

Frank Thomas says," We need numbers. We stand strong to fight to the end. We will never surrender."

The people are calling for support, they are calling for people to come, stand strong with them in defense of their families, in defense of their right to exist.

For further information contact, Frank Thomas, Miq'maw War Chief,
phone: 1-902-448-1605.