Protest greets Prime Minister at Clayoquot celebration

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On a chilly, grey morning more than 100 Tla-o-qui-aht members and their supporters gathered at the entrance of Esowista reserve lands to begin their march of protest over the transfer of the Tofino Airport lands to the city's municipal district.

Tla-o-qui-aht First Nation leaders chose May 5 for the protest because that was the day Prime Minister Jean Chretien arrived in Tofino to join in the UNESCO designation celebrations of the Clayoquot Sound Biosphere Reserve, an area of 350,000 hectares set aside for the study of sustainable development, protection and research of human and environmental interaction.

Days earlier Tla-o-qui-aht served notice it was withdrawing its support of the biosphere designation because of the way the Tofino Airport land transfer was handled. Tla-o-qui-aht had expressed interest in the airport lands early in their land selection negotiations with the federal government, land the Tla-o-qui-aht say was loaned to the federal government more than 50 years ago for the war effort.

"With the interest of all Canadians at heart, Tla-o-qui-aht First Nations lent ancestral lands to the Canadian government for war purposes. It was agreed the lands would be returned to us after the war 59 years later we are still asking for those lands back,' reads an information flyer distributed at the protest.

Rather than return the land to the Tla-o-qui-aht, Transport Canada chose to sign the lands over to the regional district of Tofino/Ucluelet, despite ongoing treaty negotiations with the Tla-o-qui-aht people.

Tla-o-qui-aht has two reserves: Esowista, located on Long Beach, and Opitsaht on Meares Island. According to chief councillor Moses Martin, both reserves are filled to capacity and there are in excess of 100 families waiting for homes. Further, Esowista is hemmed in by Pacific Rim National Park and by new development in Tofino.

Leaders say they have no assurances from the other governments that more of their traditional territories will not be in danger by biosphere designation. It is because of this uncertainty that Tla-o-qui-aht withdrew its support and its traditional territories from the UNESCO Clayoquot Sound Biosphere designation. Hesquiaht chief negotiator, Richard Lucas, announced his nation will also withdraw its support and traditional territories from the biosphere designation.

At 8 a.m., protesters marched down one lane of the highway carrying their placards and singing traditional songs. The march ended at the entrance to the Tofino Airport where traffic was blocked in both directions until shortly after noon.

Protesters moved to one side of the road shortly after 10:30 a.m. to allow the Prime Minister's motorcade through without incident.

A short time later a small delegation of Ahousaht hereditary and elected leaders approached Tla-o-qui-aht leadership to request permission to pass through the blockade with their elementary school students. The students were scheduled to perform traditional songs and dances at the biosphere celebration.

Ahousaht chief councillor, Anne Atleo, explained that while Ahousaht supports Tla-o-qui-aht in their position on land issues, it wished to remain a party to the biosphere designation and take part in the celebration. Permission was granted.

It was at this point that the long lines of vehicles were allowed to slowly pass through the blockade. Information flyers were handed to each of the passing cars, explaining why there was a blockade and giving history about the Tofino Airport lands. On the cover of each flyer was a plea for support: "Please help us stop bad faith negotiations. Demand the Canadian federal government represent you with honor in land negotiations at treaty tables in British Columbia!"

When asked what Tla-o-qui-aht intends to do next, Chief Moses Martin said "We'll do whatever we have to do in order to meet the needs of our people."