UN declines to meet Canadian First Nation about environmental concerns

[Joe Shlabotnik]

A United Nations rapporteur on indigenous rights will wrap up a whirlwind tour to investigate the issues confronting First Nations across Canada Tuesday, amid a resurgence of Idle No More, the sweeping movement by the indigenous tribes to halt energy extractors from causing more environmental degradation on their lands. But the international body declined an invitation to meet with one of the First Nations suing Ottawa over a free trade agreement with China that the indigenous group says would give Chinese companies the right to abuse its lands.

"It does seem odd," Sayers added. "I would think that if [the U.N.] was aware of it, they would have approached the Hupacasath."

Chief among the reasons for Anaya's trip listed in the U.N. Commissioner for Human Rights press release about his visit were investigations into First Nation "self-government" and "land and resources."

A federal court dismissed the Hupacasath's bid to stop the FIPA, and the band was ordered to pay $106,331 of the government's legal fees in the case.

"We had to pay for the government lawyers costs … That's something that's not usually done. Some people say it was a slap on the hand for speaking up against the government. If that was the case, it didn't put the chill in our [Hupacasath] chief and council," Sayers said.

The groups has raised a total of $201,160 Sayers said, of a goal of $290,135 to appeal the court decision. Whether her band will pursue the case depends on a decision of the chief and council this week, but Sayers said she is confident they will move forward.

http://america.aljazeera.com/articles/2013/10/14/un-declines-to-meetwithcanadianfirstnationamidrightstour.html

[peoli]

1. this sucks

[arthritisR_US]

2. Totally! :( grrrr

[arikara]

3. I used to be surprised at decisions like this

but no more. Its long past time to kick them all out. Tory Fascists, Liberal Fascists, Libertarian Fascists, their appointees in every country. 99% of the current leaders and their underlings have to go for the sake of the 99% of us, and Mother Earth herself.