AFN makes conservation plea at UN assembly

Page 4

Canada's national Native organization made its plea for the preservation of the world's timber resources during the opening day session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York City Sept. 19.

Assembly of First Nations (AFN) environment spokesman Joe Norton told a corps of international media outside the UN building that Indians in Canada are opposed to the industrialization of Third World countries at the risk of destroying Aboriginal culture.

Norton, grand chief of the Mohawk Council of Kahnawake, was part of an international delegation calling for a moratorium on forestry development around the globe.

He represented the AFN as a member of the newly established World Rainforest Movement made up of groups from more than 10 countries.

During a three minute presentation, made on the steps of the UN building, Norton read a resolution passed by the AFN in 1987 opposing industrialization of the world's rainforests.

He said it called for a halt to all development aid for Third World countries that have large Aboriginal populations which would be affected by deforestation.

Norton also spoke about the development going on throughout Canada that is having an impact on Native culture.

He said the main purpose of the outdoor conference, sponsored by the newly established World Rainforest Movement, was to put an emphasis on the devastating effects logging and

industrialization has on the earth's heritage.

The gathering "was held to demand that these projects, which are funded by the world bank and other financial agencies, be halted," he said.

"It's good to put monies toward these kinds of things to help economic development of impoverished countries. But in the meantime they're detrimental to the environment."

He noted that 75 per cent of Canada's vast territories remain unsettled by society and are still inhabited by Natives who need the forests to sustain their lives and livelihoods.

The World Rainforest Movement (WRM), made up of environment groups from more than 10 countries, had representatives at the press gala who echoed those statements.

Sean Cosgrove, director of the Alberta Rainforest Action Group in Calgary, said the six month old movement was organized to give the world's Native people a united voice in determining how

their environment will be affected by the industrial onslaught.

"Alberta has the richest, untapped timber resource areas in the world. It's good our Natives are a part of it. It's good to have a united front in an effort to halt the detrimental development,

ranching and commercial logging that is destroying the world's timber resources," he said.

The WRM was represented at the UN gathering y delegates from countries in Asia, South America and Europe.

International money-leading groups including the World Band and International Monetary Fund are campaigning to alleviate the growing debt of poverty stricken, Third World nations by sparking economic development in their poorest regions.