October 31, 2012
Prime Minister Stephen Harper SENT VIA FAX
Office of the Prime Minister
80 Wellington Street
Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0A2
Fax: (613) 941-6900
Open Letter:
Dear Prime Minister Harper,
The Carrier Sekani Tribal Council (CSTC) is deeply concerned and opposed to the Foreign Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement (FIPPA) with China. You have put Canada and its fiduciary responsibility to First Nations under duress. Moreover, the CSTC membership communities have never signed a treaty with your government and we have never ceded our lands, resources or decision-making authority. Consequently, our lands and resources within our membership territories do not belong to Canada and cannot be negotiated, under any circumstances, with China.
Carrier Sekani peoples do not believe the FIPPA is good for First Nations or Canadians. Just as with the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) with the United States, First Nations were not adequately consulted nor accommodated fromthe large scale liquidation of our forests and resources. We know the FIPPA will only lead to further liquidation of forests, minerals and energy resources within CSTC territories. We cannot allow this to occur. The Enbridge Northern Gateway pipeline project is the prime example of what threatens the CSTC communities, and it’s backed by Chinese investment.
The CSTC’s membership joins all the other First Nation’s and Canadian citizens who oppose this agreement and call upon your office to protect our resources from foreign interests and to conserve our abundant assets for future generations.
Sincerely,
CARRIER SEKANI TRIBAL COUNCIL
Terry Teegee, RPF
Tribal Chief
cc: Chinese Embassy