The Council of the Haida Nation has appealed to the governor-general of Canada, Adrienne Clarkson, for help in its struggle to get the provincial government to heed November's Supreme Court ruling. Text of the letter sent Sunday:
March 20, 2005
Her Excellency the Right Honourable Adrienne Clarkson,
We respectfully request your attention in the matter of the Honour of the
Crown.
The history of the Haida Nation will show that for more than a century we have attempted to resolve the longstanding issues of Title dispute through diplomacy, negotiations, and appeals to your highest Court.
Likewise, we have attempted to resolve the immediate issues of the use and exploitation of the resources of these lands vis-a-vis the Province of British Columbia.
We have also worked diligently with our neighbours to design the conditions which would provide for the well-being of these islands as is necessary for a continuing culture and a sustainable economy.
While Courts have made efforts to compel the Federal and Provincial Governments to sit down and resolve these matters through a fair process of reconciliation, British Columbia has responded with attempts to absolve itself of that responsibility.
While we sought legal guidance through the Courts, British Columbia enacted legislation to divest itself of the legal authority and public duty to regulate the forests, and practically eliminated every public mechanism to oversee industrial and environmental accountability.
The Province has always put economic interests before the well-being of the land, and continues that pattern.
We note that the Supreme Court of Canada in its wisdom had opted for moral persuasion as the potential solution, and we agree, Honour should lead to the resolutions of this dispute.
On the basis of the moral authority of your office and the sovereign responsibilities vested in you, we formally request your intervention in the delivery of the Honour of the Crown.
Respectfully,
Guujaaw,
President of the Haida Nation