NAFTA listens to Indigenous groups

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Treaty 3-Native and environmental groups from across the country have finally been given standing by NAFTA on the softwood lumber issue this month. Among them, the Grand Council of Treaty 3, a member of the Indigenous Network of Economies and Trade (INET), and Nishnawbe-Aski Nation (Treaty 9) have made presentations before both NAFTA and the World Trade Organization (WTO) on the issue. Western First Nations in INET, along with the Sierra Club of B.C. and the Dogwood Initiative, also based in B.C., are part of the protest wave too.

A NAFTA tribunal has accepted their submissions regarding softwood lumber countervailing duties. In January this year, the WTO accepted similar submissions.

Aboriginal people and the environmentalists got involved in the ongoing softwood lumber international trade fight because they say the government is ignoring Aboriginal title and is not living up to its commitment on environmental protection on traditional territories.

But the recognition by the international trade organizations gives them some hope their rights will be taken seriously.

Treaty 3's Grand Chief Leon Jordain, said, "Our peoples are very proud of the acceptance of our submissions, which shows that Aboriginal proprietary interests and environmental concerns are taken seriously by international trade tribunals, where national governments often fail to take them into account or implement them.

The Dogwood Initiative's Will Horter, speaking on behalf of separate public interest groups and Aboriginal peoples, said, "It is important our voices are heard, because Canada is trying to pass their administrative stumpage system that exploits the forest resource off as a competitive market system to the detriment of conservation and the overall economy."