The Cadre, Oct. 7, i975, page 6 
     
    
   
   
    
     Conud 
     
    
   
   
    
     INTRODUCTION 8. 
     
     l. A cry for justice 
     
    
   
   
    
     ’ and their way of life 
     
    
   
   
    
     rings out today 
     
    

    
     from the Native Peoples , 
     
     who inhabit. the Canadian North. 
     
     Dramatically, . 
     
    

    
     on a massive scale 
     
    

    
     the Native Peoples of the North 
     
     find themselves 
     
    
   
   
    
     being threatened 
     
    

    
     by the headlong search 
     
     for new energy sources 
     
     on this continent. 9 
     
    
   
   
    
     . At the same time, 
     
    
   
   
    
     other voices are raising serious 
     
     ethical questions about 
     
    

    
     the enormous demands for energy 
     
     required to maintain 
     
    

    
     high standards of wealth and comfort 
     
     in industrial somety. _ 
     
    

    
     A variety of public .nterest groups 
     
     are calling for 
     
    

    
     greater care of the environment 
     
     and responsible stewardship 
     
    

    
     of the energy resources 
     
    

    
     in this country. 
     
    
   
   
    
     . We, Catholic bishops of Canada, 
     
    
   
   
    
     want to echo these cries for justice 
     
    

    
     and demands for stewardship 
     
    

    
     in the Canadian North. 
     
    

    
     They tell us much 
     
    

    
     , - about ourselves as citizens and consumers, , 
     
     — about the industrial society of North America, 
     
     — about the Native Peoples of the North. 10 
     
    

    
     As Christians, , 
     
    

    
     we cannot ignore the pressing 
     
    

    
     ethical issues of northern development. 
     
    

    
     For the living God 
     
    

    
     the God we worship, 
     
    

    
     is the Lord of Creation 
     
    

    
     and Justice. 
     
    
   
   
    
     . We wish to share with you, 
     
    
   
   
    
     fellow citizens, 
     
    

    
     some reflections and judgements 
     
    

    
     on the ethical problems 
     
    

    
     posed b the industrial development 
     
    

    
     of the anadian North. (1) ' 
     
    

    
     We hope that these reflections and judgements 
     
     will contribute to more public debate 
     
    

    
     and stimulate alternative policies 
     
    

    
     regarding the future development 
     
    

    
     of the North. . 
     
    

    
     We also ask that these expressed concerns 
     
     be tested in the public arena ’ 
     
     along with other points of view. 
     
    
   
   
    
     THE NORTHERN DILEMMA 
     
    
   
   
    
     r: 
     
    
   
   
    
     is 
     
    
   
   
    
     Since “time beyond memory", 
     
     the vast land mass that covers 
     
     the northern tips of our provinces 
     
     and the sub-Arctic regions 
     
     has been the home for many 
     
     of t. :is country's Native Peoples: 
     
     Indians, 
     
     Inuit, 
     
    
   
   
    
     ' Metis. 
     
    

    
     Through time, these Native Peoples 
     
    

    
     developed seeial, cultural economic, , v m- 
     
     and re igious patterns of ife ' . . , 
     
     which were in harmony With 
     
    

    
     the rhythms of the land itself. (2) 
     
    
   
   
    
     . This land has been the source of livelihood 
     
    
   
   
    
     for a si it'icant portion 
     
    

    
     of Nor em Native Peotples 
     
     along with a number 0 early 
     
     white settlers. , 
     
     it has been the basis of their traditional economy 
     
    

    
     ~ hunting. , 
     
    

    
     - fishing, 
     
    

    
     - trap in . a - - 
     
     For the heave Peoples _ . ‘ ‘ g 
     
     the land is more than simply , , , 
     
     asourceoffoodor‘ _ .~“'" *  
     
     The land itself constitutes . , , . 
     
     a rmanentsenss ',_, "  f, g, 
     
     0 security. well-being;an "‘ ' 
     
    
   
   
    
          
     
    
   
   
    
     12. 
     
    
   
   
    
     )l‘ eneratlons this land > ' 
     
    
   
   
    
     as eflned the hosts at who: 
     
     the natives are as a people. 
     
     I . their own words. 
     
    
   
   
    
     \ . 
     
    
   
   
    
     four land is our life." (8) 
     
    
   
   
    
     A f‘ier countless generations 
     
    
   
   
    
     0, 
     
     ti- 
     
     ii- 
     
     0. 
     
    
   
   
    
     V‘ ' :le some no 
     
    
   
   
    
     If 
     
     ox“ 
     
     th 
     
     to 
     
    
   
   
    
     Fr 
     
    
   
   
    
     C 
     
    
   
   
    
     n 
     
    
   
   
    
     O! 
     
    
   
   
    
     :ccupation. use and care 
     
     . Native Peo lee of the North 
     
     me come to c aim their rights 
     
     :nese lands. (4) 
     
     _ .  natives 
     
     - giving u their life 
     
     xuntin , ishing, and tra ping 
     
     5e lan s remain essentialJ 
     
     .ieir future economic development. 
     
     these northern lands 
     
     min a natural storehouse 
     
     me of the most valuable resources 
     
     us continent ‘ _ 
     
     :(Jtt'ntlal reserves of oil and natural gas, 
     
     ~owerful river systems and _ 
     
     lCh mineral deposits, 
     
    
   
   
    
     - unta ped 
     
    
   
   
    
     .which we ofleu 
     
     ' only in 
     
    
   
   
    
     But now the “energy crisis" 
     
    

    
     in the industrial world 
     
    

    
     is posing a serious challenge 
     
    

    
     to the people and resources, 
     
    

    
     of the northern lands. . 
     
    

    
     The search for new supplies of 
     
     - Ol , 
     
    
   
   
    
     - as, 
     
     — electricity 
     
     on this continent 
     
     is largely focussed on the 
     
     energy resources of 
     
     orth. 
     
    
   
   
    
     the anadian 
     
    
   
   
    
     . In recent (ears, N 
     
    
   
   
    
     provincia governments, 
     
     crown corporations and 
     
     rivate com ames 
     
     have been p anning 
     
     large scale rejects - ' 
     
     to harness e power potential 
     
     of the northern rivers. 
     
     - Dams, 
     
     - power plants, 
     
     - railroads, 
     
     - highways _ 
     
     are now under construction 
     
     in several provmces: . 
     
     0 the James Bay hydro project 
     
     in northern Quebec; _ 
     
     0 the Churchill-Nelson hydro develcnment 
     
     in northern Manitoba; . I a , 
     
     0 the Churchill Falls hydro prOJec 
     
     in Labrador; 
     
     0 the hydro electric plants . 
     
     in northwest British Columbia. 
     
    
   
   
    
     . Simultaneousl 
     
    
   
   
    
     the Canadian North has been sighted 
     
     as a major region 
     
     for potential reserves 
     
     of OIl and gas. ' 
     
     Assisted by the federal government, 
     
     the giants of the oil industry 
     
     - xxon, 
     
     - Shell, 
     
     - Gulfz 
     
     -— Mobil, 
     
     - Sunoco, 
     
     - and others 
     
     have led the way, . g . . . . 
     
     through their Canadian subSidiaries, 
     
     in ma ing discoveries . _. 
     
     and initiating plans to billld. V _ I 
     
     several major industrial {rejectst (5)" ' 
     
     0 the Mackenzie Va ley pipeline 
     
     in the Northwest Territories 
     
     to bring natural gas _ . 
     
     from A aska and the Canadian Arctic 
     
     to Southern Canada and the United States; 
     
     0 the Polar Gas pipeline 
     
     designed to bring 
     
     natural gas from the . _ _ 
     
     high Arctic to the Maritimes ‘ 
     
     and the United States; 
     
     0 the Syncrude project 
     
     to develogi 
     
     the Atha aska tarsands 
     
     in northern Alberta. 
     
    
   
   
    
     Inthisway ‘- f _ ‘i‘ 
     
     the Canadian North is“ fast becoming i I"  
     
     acentrestage ‘   ‘. " ' 
     
     in a continentalstruggle to gain control 
     
     of new ener sources. . 
     
     The critica issue , 
     
     is how thee northern energy resources 
     
     are to be develo ed . 
     
    

    
     - by whom an for whom. 
     
     We are es cially concerned 
     
     that the ture of the North 
     
     not be determmed by 
     
     colonial patterns of development, 
     
     wherein a powerful few ' 
     
     end uslcontrolling 
     
     both e people and the resources. 
     
    
   
   
    
     ".1" MC 
     
    
   
   
    
       
     
       
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     Some present exanijil 1:11,  r 
     
     of industrial plenum  - ’ 
     
     ve us cause for grave'concern: V,  r. 
     
     or what weseeeme’trfiing " g  _.  M 4 
     
     intheCaaadianNo . ~ '1- y 1  ’ 
     
     are forms of explanation 
     
     . assume happen 
     
     Third World countries;  _ 
     
    
   
   
    
     a serious abuse of both 
     
     the Nagive Peoples 
     
     m . 
     
    
   
   
    
     m. are? ' ~ 
     
     0 e o . . 
     
     Herein lies the Northern dilemma. :33,- ' 
     
     What has been described as; ‘ ' ’ -.  
     
     thil‘i‘hlidildoiiiéielfithisiationi 74%   « - 
     
     i e o ‘n '  ' - - 
     
     nliay become our own “Third World.” ' 
     
    
   
   
    
          
     
    
   
   
    
     DEMANDS FOR JUSTICE 
     
    
   
   
    
     13. Our first pastoral concern 
     
    
   
   
    
     is that ustice be done 
     
    

    
     in the uture industrial development 
     
     of the Canadian North. 
     
    

    
     In various arts of the northern lands 
     
     the Native Peoples" protests 
     
    

    
     have drawn attention to 
     
    

    
     a serieaof. Mastic??? . .   > . ., , 
     
    
   
   
    
     ion. Catholic Bishops   A.  
     
    
   
   
    
     (i) 
     
    
   
   
    
     (ii) 
     
    
   
   
    
     I 
     
    
   
   
    
     g In, Message on 
     
    
   
   
    
     In several cases, _ Lacy, ., 
     
     governments and co rations.  
     
     ave secret] plann , = . _, 
     
     and sudden y announced « ' _ 
     
     the construction oflarge‘ ,  ' .,_  .l _ 
     
     industrial projects I . “ -  V, 
     
     Without prior consultation ' 
     
     with the people who Will be 
     
     most directly affected. (8) 
     
     As a result, ' -. v i 
     
     the future lives of these Native Peoples 
     
     and their cemmunities ' . 
     
     tend to be planned for them 
     
     by Southern interests. 
     
    
   
   
    
     The plans for these industrial projects 
     
     are usually finalized and implemented 
     
     before land claim settlements 
     
    

    
     ave een reached ‘ 
     
     With the Native People of the region. (9) 
     
     Yet for people whose land is their life, 
     
      who Wish to secure control over 
     
     their future economic development, 
     
    
   
   
    
        
     
    
   
   
    
     . a just settlement of their land claims 
     
    
   
   
    
     (iii) 
     
    
   
   
    
     lies ‘at the very heart of their struggle 
     
     for justice. . 
     
    
   
   
    
     The construction of these industrial projec 
     
     has sometimes proceeded r 
     
     Without an adequate assessment of 
     
    

    
     their environmental and social consequences. 
     
     In several instances, the building of 
     
    

    
     power plants and hydro ams ' 
     
     Will cause the fl .ing . 
     
    

    
     of vast areas of land, 
     
    

    
     damage to the vegetation and wildlife, 
     
    

    
     and the relocation , 
     
    

    
     of whole communities of pea le ‘ 
     
     whose lives have traditional y depended on 
     
    
   
   
    
     , hunting, fishing, and trapping. (10) 
     
    
   
   
    
     (iV) 
     
    
   
   
    
     14. 
     
    
   
   
    
     15. 
     
    
   
   
    
     7 of the Native Peoples 
     
    
   
   
    
     The promise of jobs 
     
    

    
     in the construction 
     
    

    
     of theseindustrial projects 
     
     has offered ‘no real alternative 
     
    
   
   
    
     way of life. . 
     
    

    
     For most of the Native People, 
     
    

    
     these jobs are tem orary, 
     
     ying relatively ow wa es 
     
    

    
     or'low skilled labour. (11 I 
     
    
   
   
    
     As a result, more and more , ‘ . 
     
     Native People are; compelled. to, .- .~_,* 
     
     give up their ilandvbase ‘economy‘ . . ‘  .- 
     
     and move into the urban centres ’ ' 
     
     where alcoholism and welfarism 
     
    

    
     have become prevalent for many. 
     
    

    
     While compensation may be offered, 
     
    

    
     money can hardly replace ‘ 
     
    

    
     the loss of land A , 
     
     and what it means "" 
     
    

    
     to the lives ofthe Native People 
     
    

    
     and their future economic development. 
     
    
   
   
    
     A sense of justice, 
     
    

    
     coming from the living‘God, 
     
     tells us there are better ways 
     
     of developin the resources 
     
     of the Cana ian North. ' 
     
     The Lord of Creation 
     
    

    
     has given mankind 
     
    

    
     the res nsibility . _ 
     
    

    
     to deve op the resources 
     
    

    
     of Nature ' ‘ - 
     
     so as to make possible 
     
    

    
     a fuller human life 
     
     forall peoples. ‘(12 , 
     
     This coinCides wi the beliefs 
     
     who have traditionally 
     
    

    
     called for ' g I 
     
     a “_communal sharing" of the land 
     
     which belongs to the Creator. 
     
    
   
   
    
     18. To develop the resources 
     
    
   
   
    
     IV 
     
    
   
   
    
     1)" the I fiuNorth - ‘  
     
     “a _:‘,r,>.. x 
     
     tobe ain'er bug . 
     
    
   
   
    
             
     
    
   
   
    
         
     
    
   
   
    
     'thisres . , 
     
    

    
     3m. Jam.  » 
     
     ‘ a eir - . 
     
     himhgr'ih'"  '~'  
     
     0 one an .   , 
     
     j'...Wea;oawch£fii"”';_"_'  'z‘m-zi 
     
     m um!"- u‘j’i 33:53 win-m Bilill‘amfluflfiofl 
     
    
   
   
    
     '1’. 7;, ' 
     
    

    
     M" 'W ;" - w fife’uosqa'hhnw ad: to 
     
    

    
      E I,"  J i‘r' mods omuasmo 
     
     ift-d‘ur mm  131.9?” adjgn 
     
     . P . ‘ mg» Jamar; lgufifo 
     
    

    
     is subordinated earths my)“, fl, m. 
     
     ’ am It: ' > v. 
     
    
   
   
    
       
     
    
   
   
    
       
     
    
   
   
    
     profit-oriented priorities . in, _ 
     
    

    
     of the American multinationals; ‘ 
     
    

    
     . . . the Native People are saying  
     
    

    
     we must haves large  ’ . . ,v 
     
    

    
     degree of control over ’ " ’ air 
     
    

    
     on; own economic development. 
     
    

    
     Without control ‘ , 
     
    

    
     age will end up ' w 
     
    

    
     like our brothers arid sisters ' 
     
    

    
     on the reserves in the South: 
     
    

    
     continually werless 
     
    

    
     _ t reatened . a Iv ’   
     
    

    
     and unpoverighed.”(13    ‘