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Halfway River First Nation Prevents Access Along North Road to Protect Sacred Hunting Areas

At 12 noon today, Chief Bernie Metecheah of the Halfway River First Nation ordered that access be prevented along the North Road, adjacent to the main hunting camp that lays directly in the path of the proposed Petro Canada pipeline. The Chief made this serious decision with the consent of the entire Halfway Community.

For years, the Halfway River First Nation has been frustrated by attempts to negotiate with government and industry regarding exploding resource developments on their traditional lands. Hundreds of letters have been sent and many meetings have been attended. To date, they have been a waste of time - nothing has come out of these actions.

Chief Metecheah states: "Out Treaty 8, signed in 1899, constitutionally guarantees us the right to enjoy our traditional rights, without interference by resource developers authorized by the Province of British Columbia. We had hoped that the Province and resource companies would have learned a lesson from our well known legal challenge that led to the successful Halfway Court Decision against the Province. We are now ready to prove our rights again by all available means ..."

At a community meeting last Friday, the Halfway people expressed concern that the traditional lands, especially the hunting grounds along North Road were "dying a death of a thousand cuts", with the on-going clearance of the Petro Canada pipeline work - combined with the 30 other companies wanting pieces of Halfway traditional lands for natural gas developments They felt that the immediate concern is the specter of the 23 km long proposed Petro Canada pipeline poised to destroy 4 out of 7 hunting camps along the North Road that have been continuously used for generations.

If built, elders fear that the Petro Canada pipeline will open up the area with more lateral or 'feeder' pipelines, roads and gas wells and establish access for non-native hunters on ATVs.

From a conservation biology stand-point, the fastest way to destroy traplines, driving away fur-bearing animals and destroying habitats for elk, moose and deer is to fragment the forest environment. Historically that is what oil and gas activities do.

Elder Edward Achla sums up the importance of the North Road hunting areas to the Beaver People of the Halfway River First Nation: "This hunting camp is one of our most sacred areas and is dear to our people. It is our 'food basket' for elk, deer and moose.'

Support for the actions of Halfway is pouring in from First Nations in Alberta and British Columbia. A letter of support from Cold Lake First Nation pledges strong support and the intervention of an UN team examing conditions and environmental problems in the Cold Lake area.

At a Chiefs meeting, at the protest camps, along the North Road on Saturday, Chief Stewart Phillips, President of the powerful Union of BC Indian Chiefs, offered the unlimited support of the Union, honouring the goals and actions of the Halfway River First Nation . . . "your struggle in our struggle. We must fight together to enforce our rights and protect our traditional lands for future generations", said Chief Phillips.

In conclusion, the demands of the Halfway River First Nation are as follows:

1. A total moratorium on all resource developments on Halfway First Nation's traditional lands, until an independent and comprehensive cumulative environmental impact assessment (EIA) be completed, with First Nation's involvement.

2. A demand that the Federal Government, live up to its fiduciary responsibility and negotiate the interpretation and implementation of our treaty rights.

3. All resource developers immediately agree to negiotiate agreements with the First Nation relating to proper consultations, avoidance of interference with Treaty rights, mitigation and compensation for damages and guarantees of socio-economic benefits to the First Nation.

4. A stop to the proposed Petro Canada pipeline.