Fw: Fwd: letter to globe (fine for posting)

----- Original Message -----
From: guujaaw <guujaaw@...>
To: Don Bain
Sent: Sat Nov 28 01:19:18 2009
Subject: Fwd: letter to globe (fine for posting)

Globe and Mail
Re: yesterday's story by Mark Hume entitled "Wind Project Fuels Divisive
Debate Amongst Haida"

Editor Sir,

"Divisive"?

We are people who have not only witnessed the ravages of industry, but also
stood up to do something about it. We stood up to bring the forest industry
under control. We went out in little boats to protect the herring from the
department of Fisheries. We went up against a gold mine to prevented methyl
mercury from going into our food chain. In the face of billions of dollars
and a corrupt economic system, we managed to keep oil rigs out of the Hecate
Straits... so far. Today we are allied with all of the Coastal First Nations
and like-minded people to stop the proposed pipeline from the Alberta Oil
Sands to this coast and into Super Tankers, putting our life source and
cultures in harm's way

Over the past few years our people worked with the island community and
provincial government to produce a land use plan that would balance
environmental, cultural and economic interests. This plan has set out the
protection of grounds -- including cultural and spiritual areas, cedar,
medicinal plants, salmon streams and wildlife habitat. Today, forty coastal
seabird colonies and two thousand miles of ocean shores and beaches are
protected, as are thousands of hectares of inland nesting habitat used by
seabirds and other birds. Through the efforts of the Haida Nation, more than
half of Haida Gwaii will remain in its natural condition and other lands
restored. Where there will be logging, it will be managed in ways that
respect natural values that have been neglected up to now.

In spite of all the riches that have left our shores, we have no swimming
pools, we have no skating rinks, in fact, through a one hundred year old
design, we live in a state of chronic dependancy -- yet at no time have our
people put money above the well-being of our land, waters or our culture

Haida Gwaii is known for the pristine qualities that have given us our lives
and culture. Yet we, the Haida people, are amongst the worst polluters on
earth. Our communities are powered primarily by burning diesel, adding in no
small way to global warming. Over the past few years, the Haida Nation has
had a good look at other potential sources of electricity such as run of the
river, tidal, waste burning and small scale wind projects, and each proposal
has been found to be inadequate for one reason or another and all will have
environmental issues. We want to do more with less wood, and for that we
need energy. We also want to break the cycle of dependancy; wind energy may
well be the best solution

Mark Hume's story contributes to the effort to demonize the project. We have
people suggesting that twenty million birds will be mangled in their blades,
that the windmills are going to kill off our seafood and marine life, and
the Haida Nation will be bankrupted in the process. All Haidas care deeply
about Haida Gwaii and our food, and anybody hearing these things is bound to
be concerned.

There are individuals from every Clan, who have already made up their minds
about the project, and there are others who will wait until all the
information is in to make a more measured decision. You can be sure that
there is nobody who would allow any project if it even comes close to what
the nay sayers are suggesting. We expect to make our decisions in regard to
our relationship to this project collectively and with the facts in front of
us. As a people we will have our opinions, and have the capacity to work
things out internally, and we have been through tougher issues then this

There are three separate Environmental assessments in play - Federal,
Provincial and Haida - and there are existing wind farms around the world to
look to. We can say without a doubt, that the far greater threat to crabs
and other marine life is over-fishing; we also know that cats, cars and
windows are a bigger threat to birds than windmills

This ol' world is facing some of the greatest troubles humanity has ever had
to face; all that we love and care for is already being affected and could
be lost through changes in climate. We might have little to say about the
rest of the world, but in looking after our small part of the earth, we can
do our part and show that it is possible to live on this planet without
spoiling it.

Guujaaw
President of the Haida Nation