Development

cross the Canadian North .

7' relative Peoples groups have begun to articulate a common program for lusuce- $14) . , Their cal is greater control over eir own economic development.

The key is a Just settlement . of their land claims. ecen years, I gave ups have been taking the langribsue into the courtrooms to establish their traditional rights to these lands. «

.The living God ls on us

fg'respond to these demands for justice. ,7 . Chritian love of neighbour and justice .

cannot be separated in the development of people.

“For love im lies

an absolute cmand for justice, namely a recognition of the dignitfi and rights on one’s neighbour. ' (l )

EMANDS Foe STEWARDSHIP

9. A second pastoral concern is the demandTor responsible stewardship of ener y resources in the evelopment of the Canadian North. Throughout this country, publicinterest groups are raismgserious questions about our highly industrialized society and the current exploitation of northern energy resources.

(i) The scramble for northern energy continues without adequate measures to regulate the patterns of relentless consumption in this country. In the last 25 years alone, Canada’s consumption I of Oil, gas. and eleittricity, _ , , ,“, .. . . . has multiplied ;three§tirfiesoyer.fl63uh ‘;t' 3; ' This extravagant consumption ' of energy , . . generates increasing demands for e rapid development of northern resources. (11) Northern development is also continuing without full public discussion of future energy needs. Governments and industries firedict that Canada's energy needs will ave to multiply four more times by the end of this centur ' to maintain “a high quality of life". (17) But what is this “quality of life" and who determines what these future energy needs should be?

(In) The reasons'for rapidly developing, , northern energy resources on such a massive scale lat thisltime 1 ' t - ave a so been serious y uestion’éd. 18 While the sale of these regources ( ) ‘ Will reap large profits ‘ for the energy industry now, it may also cause the rapid depletion of non-renewable. supplies of Oil and gas ’ , required for the fiiture.

(W) .In several casesythis en 18 ing rapidly deve the mdus‘tria 0 theUnited 9'» there are ms

now.»-

3:11: 212’. .

e ‘ {orb-sic ._ , ., 20. The United seas; i“; L " ’ '

seam. .strsem' een , s - n: firmachines wehtiv‘ghl1,1113:'seiinumber.~ ii‘ixiiinm‘hm“ :31 . _ » . It is 1135333313533? m" gamma? I

that given the amo fl . unt of muscular ower requll'ed to do the work p

of ass machines each North American

as the e uivalent of 400 “ener working or him. (21m. -' gy

V _ slaves’f

iiii‘lz.’" .

.gem't-fiisd-Wémv .,

' Tatum";"""""s

21.

22.

23.

24.

NORTHERN ALTERNATIVES 25.

s

The maximization of consum tion,

.L, , ,. ‘

r

The Cadre, Oct. 7, 1975, page 7

28.‘We contend, therefore, that there are better wa . s of developing the Cana' ian North. What is required today . . I is a public search for alternative policies for northern development. This search is already under way through the actiVities . . of Native Peoples and public'interest groups across the country. (28)

29. We find ourselves in solidarity with many of these initiatives. _ . Based on the ethical prinCiples of social justice _ and responsible stewardship, we believe . . that the following conditions must be met before any final decisions are made to proceed with specific projects for northern development: -

We North Americans _ ~ _ have created a highly industrialized soc1ety that places exhor itant demands

on limited supplies of energy.

pro it, power ' has become the operating principle of this society. . These are the driving forces behind the present -. continental struggle to gain control of northern energy'resources. (22) These are the idols \ which turn many from service of man and world and, thus, from the living God.

As a culture,

we have not faced up to the fact that the world God created

has its limits. ‘

Many voices now warn

that mankind has reached

a “turning point" in history: crucial decisions

must be made now

to stop plundering the Earth's non-renewable resources

before it is too late. (23)

Yet, this industrialized society treats the resources of the Earth as if theywere limitless.

a) sufficient public discussion and‘debate about groposed industrial projects, ased on independent studies of ‘ener needs and social costs of the proposed deve opments;

b) achievement of a just land settlement with the Native Peoples, includin hunting, fishing, and trapping rig ts and fair royalties in return for the extraction of

I“ "509!“ years, valuable resources from their land claims;

ublic interest groups ave been calling for responsible stewardship of northern energ resources. They are calling or more effective measures to reduce levels of consum tionand waste and preserve non-renewab e resources. These groups contend that future resource development, which is largely controlled today by ‘multi-national corporations must be made more accountable to the Canadian public.

c) effective particifation by the Native People in shaping the ind of regional development, beginning with effective control over their own future economic development;

d) adequate measures to protect the terrain, vegetation, wildlife and waters of northern areas, based on complete and independent studies of the regional environment to be affected by proposed developments;

e) adequate controls to regulate the extraction 0 energ resources from the North,

. . to prevent e rapi depletion of The hvmg GO'd - oil, gas, and other resources which calls us to a hie 0f ' are non-renewable. seizing, ‘ 30. It remains to be seen I n s aringy whether Canada’s “last frontier

will be develo ed according to of justice and stewards 1p. The next two years wi 1 be a crucial testingperiod. In some cases, _ _ final and irreversible decision have already been made. In other instances, there ma still be a chance to alter e course of develo merit. The Mackenzie Valley pipe ine proposals resentl bein reView . y the rger ommission and the National Energy Board could provide the real test.

31. As Christians, as citizens. ; I y 1 we have a responsibility

the limited resources of this planet. (24) This is no lon er w

e princi les simply a more imperative. It has also become a practical necessity

or the surVIval

of our common humanity. (25)

We readil acknowledge

that the atholic Church must also take a critical look, at itself.

We now see that,

coming from another culture,

the Church may have contributed to disruptive changes’rm Native culture . > I

while hel in to brin Christianit to th H . . - I 3

through the greative Efforts of misiionariees ‘0 mm“ thaUhe future development

xhgh have shared the hard lives of the people. ggfilfimogdmn North

the Clarifcmhehggkrtici ated with others social justice and responsible stewardship. in” the wealth and com ort AB responfilble ell-We!"

of an industrial society are we prepared to.

which places enormous demands a) uudy one or more 3? «in? “flasher eo le. of the mammal pm. pen ' p .p in the northern parts of our provinces I I or the Territories? V 28.Welwkwmepm I , b)activelysup rt III at “'0 Darla!!! » ' . Nsfiyel’aogg’ organizations and g m‘}? . » .;:‘ puicin groups ., .x. _. \ 1"“ . m «whim i: , ~ ' current stri ‘ . ’ .' . ' r a North __.,V , :1 ‘. ._ tovchanlgve megfiagggonam dsvdopmnt? . theai ‘ c l h. r ’ Eaton dioceses ) land cisl, _ i . . and locglncudhsuibsrs Mm; . _. -. ‘. .z m5!“ of ‘ f3": deve .mt'." w ’ lies unis iota- , ' a raise ethical titans “ ,_ .vrho " , $001M In Cllfldl- ) about involved in 27 1'. . I ’ northerlili amt. _ . ‘ .M, h ., , m y we”. on. “my _ . g . ~, ‘ in which Church institutions may have shares. ‘ i , mice In my, 33% e) seek a ’ust settlement As £3313 0‘ Bilbo?! rdelg I 8 specific church landhgldings l 9fij at are subiect to native claims. my in e f) des‘ edu ti transfiormam of the world to egminecgegdiilal “gig: les a 3' Ppetgtud and change the patterns 0 wasteful energy consumptiOi of them!) hing Dim“: Gomez in gurlhomest, churches, schools. armomérwo'm. . an paceso work. 9 of“? Chm?" ‘ ""53‘0" g) collaborate with the other

for the redefinition 0f the human. Canadian churches, in every way possible,

race - ' - and m liberation from we _ , > in a common Christian effort oppm‘w‘ .im‘iom” (27) '3’ , L to achieve the above obiectives?