The True 'Owners' of the Tar Sands Arrive in Washington

November 3, 2009

WASHINGTON, Nov. 3 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Two new oil pipelines are being built which will increase Canada's total exports to the United States to 4.2 million barrels of oil per day. This is three times the amount of oil that Saudi Arabia currently exports to America.

President Obama has extended an invitation to meet Native Americans in a "Nation to Nation" summit on Thursday November 5th. While an amicable approach is taken stateside, the animosity between indigenous people and the Canadian government resulted in the blockade of pipeline developments in 2008. This residual "hotbed" of underlying conflict is a potential threat to the certainty of investment in "safe" and "reliable" Canadian oil.

Seven leaders of Canadian Indian reservations have arrived in Washington D.C. This is not a big event for most Americans. It should be as these "Chiefs" represent the "true owners" of the Alberta Tar Sands. While President Obama will be meeting with "invited" Native American leaders on November 5th, the Chiefs of Treaty Six, Seven and Eight in Alberta issued a September 2nd 2009 resolution; take a "strong message" to Americans on oil. Chiefs Wayne Moonias of Louis Bull First Nation and Chief Wallace Fox of Onion Lake First Nation (the second largest Canadian reservation) are representatives of Treaty Six, Seven and Eight. They will be part of an 11:00 a.m. press conference at the National Press Club in Washington on Wednesday November 4th 2009.

Chief Fox is scheduled to be part of a delegation of Chiefs to China. The Chinese have promised huge financial investment in Onion Lake's resource development. Treaty One's Chief Terrance Nelson of Roseau River First Nation, organizer of the Washington trip stated, "We may be presenting our concerns to an empty room on Wednesday but unless we try to reach out to Americans, we condemn ourselves to allowing Canada to continue to ignore our property rights."

When America was paying $147 a barrel for oil in July 2008, Canada refused to share the windfall with the real owners. "Americans paid, even if it was four dollars per gallon. We have no animosity towards Americans. We either continue to allow Canada to send our oil to United States without any benefit for us or we work with the Chinese."

President Obama has the right idea, sit down Nation to Nation with Indigenous Peoples. This is something Canada could learn from the Americans.

http://www.runforhumanrights.com

SOURCE Treaty One