Lubicon Cree: Wells, Pipelines and Broken Promises Campaign
The Lubicon Lake Cree, an aboriginal society of about 500 people living in northern Alberta, have never surrendered their rights to their traditional lands. Between 1979 and 1983 more than 400 oil wells were drilled within a 15-mile radius of the Lubicon community, devastating their traditional way of life. Welfare rates soared from less than 10% to more than 90%. Land rights negotiations with the federal and Alberta governments have repeatedly broken down or been delayed.
Today there are over 1,700 well sites within Lubicon Traditional Territory and the Lubicons estimate that over $13 billion in oil and gas resources have been extracted from their lands. The Alberta government has profited from royalties on those resources and the federal government has received corporate income taxes from the companies involved. However, the resource development has destroyed the traditional economy of the Lubicon people who have received at most some occasional employment for some of their people -- but still lack running water, decent housing and other basic community facilities that Canadians take for granted. Justice is long overdue.
The JPO is participating in the Outaouais Lubicon Solidarity (OLS) organized campaign Wells, Pipelines and Broken Promises which is endorsed by the Lubicon Lake Nation, KAIROS, Oxfam and others. Between February 6th and March 13th every time a new oil or gas well or pipeline is approved for development in Lubicon Traditional Territory, OLS informs campaign participants and provides a draft letter to send to the Minister of Indian Affairs, with copies to participants’ MPs and the Alberta Minister of Native Affairs. The letter notes that yet another development has been authorized on Lubicon Territory prior to Lubicon land rights being resolved and urges the Minister to take action on this long-standing injustice through negotiations for the settlement of aboriginal land rights with the Lubicon people Go here to learn more or join this campaign.
