Dear Ann Pohl, et al.

I have read your discussion paper, Building International Awareness on Aboriginal Issues, and I am impressed with the direction this booklet offers to First Nations and their supporters in their efforts to secure desperately needed and overdue spiritual, social, economic and environmental justice . However, there is an absence in your paper of at least one other international avenue available to Canadian First Nations to accomplish this goal, that is, taking their human rights complaints against the Government of Canada (including provincial governments)to the Organization of American Sta tes and their affliated human rights body, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR).

For more information on the Carrier Sekani peoples' action against the Government of Canada using this body, follow this link: http://cstc.bc.ca/taking_it_to_the_streets.html This link will take you to the Carrier Sekani Tribal Council's web site, where it highlights the struggle of the Carrier Sekani First Nations to halt the unauthorized logging of their traditional lands by the Government of British Columbia and large forestry companies. These activities are deemed unauthorized because they are occurring without the consent of the Carrier Sekani First Nations' legitimate authorities. This logging of Carrier Sekani traditional lands is being orchestrated by the Government of British Columbia under its assumed authority over indigenous lands that have never been ceded to them.

This illegimate exercise of authority is continuing to burden the people of the Carrier Sekani First Nations with the daunting task of taking on opponents who are much bigger and much wealthier than they, and who for the most part are supported by a populace who consider the claims and actions of the Carrier Sekani as being in conflict with their own stake in the forestry industry. However, by way of the meagre resources available to them the Carrier Sekani people are putting up a fight for their lands, their youth, and their future generations, all in the name and spirit of their ancest ors and present elders, who grace them with the guidance and legitimacy they need to battle on.

This story and others is more fully articulated on the Carrier Sekani Tribal Council web site

All My Relations, Kevin Ward