September 22, 2000

For a Peaceful and Just Solution
to the Burnt Church First Nation Crisis

Central Executive Committee
Communist Party of Canada

Racism and profits are behind the federal government's violent suppression of fishing by the Mi'kmaq people in Burnt Church First Nation. The Communist Party condemns the life-endangering police actions and mass arrests in Burnt Church.

The corporate media claim that Mi'kmaq fishers are ignoring depleted resources, the environment and the endangered jobs of white fishers. Federal scientists have exposed these claims as lies.

These false claims are part of the racism originating from the biggest corporations that have a stranglehold over Canada's rich natural resources. The common enemy of First Nation and non-aboriginal fishers is the multinational corporations that are depleting stocks, driving down livelihoods and inciting racism.

The federal government provoked the Burnt Church crisis by its violent denial of the Mi'kmaq Nation's treaty fishing rights, rights that have been affirmed by the Supreme Court of Canada.

The federal government's actions are setting a dangerous precedent for the negotiation of treaty rights with all First Nations. Powerful political forces are calculating an escalation of the crisis will set back all current treaty rights, and further remove any prospect of settling outstanding land claims.

The corporations that dominate the economy have a narrow, self-interested stake in the outcome of the Burnt Church crisis. They oppose any land claims and self-government agreements that may limit their control over Canada's rich natural resources.

This strategy is coming out openly in the platform of the Canadian Alliance Party. The CA rejects "race-based allocation of harvest rights to natural resources. (The CA) position in land claims negotiations will be to ensure respect for existing private property rights."

The CA says not a word about the historical colonial theft of First Nations' land! Their policies aim to assimilate First Nations in Canada, by refusing to recognize the inherent rights of First Nations as nations.

Canadians would naturally oppose unrestricted plundering of Canada's resources by U.S. transnational corporations, even if U.S. political parties opposed the "racist" defence by Canadians of those resources.

The Chrétien Liberals are pursuing the CA's agenda by other, violent means.

The interest of all fishers, regardless of nationality or background, is to unite against the powerful forces that seek to prevent a peaceful solution. In the Burnt Church crisis, the Maritime Fishermen's Union in the Atlantic provinces has a special responsibility to speak out against the racist attacks on their First Nations sisters and brothers.

This is a classic divide and rule situation that will benefit only the corporations owned by the ruling class of the larger nations in Canada Quebec and English-speaking Canada. Working people who are the large majority in English speaking Canada and Quebec have every reason to support a peaceful solution to the crisis.

Fishers of all backgrounds must work out an agreement of their own that can be used to pressure Ottawa to safeguard fish stocks against plundering by multinational corporate fish factories, to secure the livelihoods of all fishers and abandon policies that undermine the future of the industry.

The Communist Party will work to accomplish the unity of the working class around such a platform as the immediate solution to the pro-corporate provocations and violence carried out by the federal government.

A long-term solution to the present crisis must also include the recognition of the democratic rights of First Nations, including treaty rights that were negotiated originally on the basis of formal equality between nations.

But treaty rights and self government are only the first steps needed to reverse centuries of colonial and neo-colonial plunder and underdevelopment. Full employment policies, job and pay equity, education and housing programs and industrial diversification are required to ensure not just formal, but real equality among the nations of Canada.

The overall democratic goal needs to be an equal and voluntary partnership of all the nations of Canada; English speaking Canada, Quebec, First Nations, and the Métis and Acadien peoples.

© 2000 Communist Party of Canada