NUXALK TESTIFY BEFORE INTERNATIONAL TRIBUNAL AS RCMP PREPARE FOR BLOCKADE ARRESTS

NUXALK TESTIFY BEFORE INTERNATIONAL TRIBUNAL AS RCMP PREPARE FOR BLOCKADE ARRESTS
KING ISLAND, BRITISH COLUMBIA, 20 June 1997
The blockade at Ista on King Island in the Great Bear Rainforest enters its fifteenth day today as the RCMP prepare for arrests of the environmental and Nuxalk Nation activists early next week. And this morning the Supreme Court of Appeal dismissed Greenpeace's latest challenge to the court injunction which forbids interference with their logging operations.
Meanwhile at the International Indigeneous People's Tribinunal , running parallel to the the G-7 meetings in Denver, Chief Hereditary Chiefs Lawrence Pootlass and Charlie Nelson are testifying about the destruction of Ista's rainforests which are sacred to the Nuxalk nation.
"They are destroying salmon spawning grounds, fishing areas, hunting areas, burial sites, rock carvings, hot springs and medicinal plants within our territory. All this continues yet there is no treaty, agreement or consent to relinquish our sovereignty over Nuxalk territory, " said Chief Pootlass before the tribunal. Chief Pootlass asked the assembled delegates from around the world to issue a condemnation against Interfor, the Canadian and British Columbia governments.
At the blockade site, activists have vowed to stay as long as they can. There are approximately 45 Canadians and members of the Nuxalk First Nation participating in the blockade along with 10 people from Europe and the United States. In addition to activists standing in the middle of the logging road, Colette Schooner, a young Nuxalk woman and Marlene Van Poeck, from Belgium are perched in a large tripod built from three logs raised vertically to rest upon each other. Offshore both the Greenpeace vessels the MV Moby Dick and the MV Arctic Sunrise are providing ongoing support to the blockade.
"It has been great to work together in solidarity and with common goals. We are not anti-logging protestors, but instead come to protect Ista, sacred to the Nuxalk people, as well as the Great Bear Rainforest," said Hereditary Chief Ed Moody (Quatsinas)."The real threat to B.C. is that every day in this province, tens of thousands of rainforest trees are clearcut," said Greenpeace campaigner Tamara Stark.
RCMP officer Mel Petersen said yesterday he expects the arrests, involving approximately 40 officers to begin on Tuesday. He also said he expects the arrests to involve not only those who are physically impeding logging operations but those who are providing support.

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:
Gavin Edward, Forest Action Network (604)739-4782;
Tzeporah Berman or Mary MacNutt, Greenpeace: 604-253-7701;
Tamara Stark at Ista: 011-872-624-628;
Chief Lawrence Pootlass in Denver, 303-861-5733.