Lubicons attract foreign media

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Local media less enthused

While the foreign media may have opened the eyes of the world to the struggle of the Lubicon band, the home town press seemed less enthusiastic about bringing the Cree band's message to Canadians during the Olympic boycott, says band advisor Fred Lennarson.

"We had far more inquiries and interviews from the international media then from the Canadian media."

But the media wasn't the only way to bring attention to the Lubicon land claim, the Olympic torch relay run was protested by supporters in every province. Lennarson feels this represents "a fair amount of education and information (being given) on an issue regarding a small band."

But he expresses disappointment with the coverage given to the Lubicon supporters during the arrival of the torch in Edmonton. Demonstrators jeered the arrival of torch runners and greeted Premier Getty with a chorus of boo's.

But the next day "there were news reports in Edmonton that 10,000 enthusiastic supporters welcomed the flame. I think it was a kind of self-censorship related to emotional, patriotic kinds of stuff."

Despite the lack of attention by domestic media he says the boycott was a huge success in terms of educating people about the Lubicon's situation.

"I don't see how anybody can deny that.

"They sought to inform people around the world about their plight and problems they face as a result of the way they've been treated by the Alberta government and the oil companies."

While the Olympics went on in Calgary a mini-media Olympics was taking place in Little Buffalo, 600 km from the host city.

In the past three weeks the Cree band in Little Buffalo has been visited by two German documentary TV crews, one Swedish crew and another from France. They have also been major articles written in the German magazine Stern, as well as Italian, Austrian and French publications and the Washington Post is currently "working on a major piece."

The Japanese, Swiss and Dutch have also aired special on the band.

Overall, Lennarson believes the Lubicon Indians were "spectacularily successful in educating people about their plight and the people responsible for their plight."