ONBOARD THE MOBY DICK, Tamara Stark, Greenpeace Canada

June 12,1997

We're now on day seven of blockading International Forest Products (Interfor) from clearcutting the rainforests on Ista, a valley in the heart of the Great Bear Rainforest. We just heard last night that the Supreme Court of British Columbia has granted the logging giant an injunction to have the police try to remove us. No attempt to do so has yet been made, but it is likely that the police will move in soon. Despite this, the commitment to stay here, to continue to prevent the clearcutting, remains unflagging.

The injunction of course is the first step by Interfor towards suing the people or organisations named in the injunction. Once concern about it is that the company asked that the injunction apply to both individuals who physically stand in the road, as well as people who the company believes advised people to stand in the road. Many of us feel that this is pretty insulting to those people who have made the difficult decision to risk arrest for trying to protect the rainforest. These are intelligent, committed individuals who care deeply for these forests and it is readily apparent to anyone that they have made personal decisions to take this step that is so unfortunately needed.

Clearly Interfor wants to target anyone who dares to criticise its logging practices and will try to intimidate people into backing down from the struggle to stop the clearcutting. None of the people here are prepared to back down.

The list of people named in the injunction may be broadened at any time, but at the moment it specifically names two of the Nuxalk chiefs - Ed Moody and Lawrence Pootlass, who are truly an inspiration to us for having worked for so many years to protect their lands from clearcutting. The injunction then names Greenpeace and myself. It is slightly worrisome, since Interfor has sued individuals for trying to stop the clearcutting before, but I believe that the people here are strong, and will not be swayed by the threats of this logging company.

It has been and continues to be an honour to stand with the Nuxalk people who are here, fighting to protect this valley and many others from being clearcut. We have been welcomed by these people, allowed to hear their songs and hear the stories of this place along with many others, and we are learning from them what it means to be connected to a place for thousands of years. For most of us here, that isn't an experience our families have had and yet the roots of this rainforest valley along with the others that are still intact are connected to ourselves as well. We are not prepared to see them fall to the chainsaws without a struggle.