THE BEAVER LAKE CREE NATION VS. THE TAR SANDS
The tar sands of northern Alberta are poised to become the single largest carbon emitter in the world. Exploitation of Alberta’s tar sands as currently planned will single-handedly add 12 ppm CO2 to the Earth’s atmosphere, bringing the planet well beyond the internationally recognized danger point for catastrophic climate change.
But the Beaver Lake Cree, a small, impoverished band of 900 people in eastern Alberta, are suing the Canadian federal and Alberta provincial governments to protect the land. The tar sands are obliterating their traditional hunting and fishing lands in Alberta. The animals, fish, plants and medicine that sustain the Beaver Lake Cree are being destroyed.
But the Beaver Lake Cree, a small, impoverished band of 900 people in eastern Alberta, are suing the Canadian federal and Alberta provincial governments to protect the land. The tar sands are obliterating their traditional hunting and fishing lands in Alberta. The animals, fish, plants and medicine that sustain the Beaver Lake Cree are being destroyed.
In Canada, the rights of Indigenous people are constitutionally protected. Led by Chief Al Lameman, the Beaver Lake Cree Nation is asserting a treaty right to hunt and fish throughout lands where tar sands activity is destroying the forest. This small First Nation is taking a stand against indifferent governments and the world’s largest multinational oil companies. This court action seeks an injunction against new developments. The Beaver Lake Cree’s Statement of Claim cites more than 17,000 infringements on their treaty rights and in the course of doing so names every major oil company in the world.
Investment in the bituminous sands in northern Alberta – the world’s last great oil field – totals approximately $200 billion. No assessment of the cumulative environmental or cultural damage has been done. This project – unhindered – will destroy a large part of the great boreal forest of North America, will escalate global warming, and will destroy an indigenous way of life. The Alberta government continues to approve projects, such that production of dirty oil will increase from the current 1.3 million barrels a day to three million barrels per day by 2015.
Already vast expanses of the Boreal forest have been cut down – causing significant damage to the environment and to the earth’s well-being. The forest is home to a long list of animals, from black bears and caribou to marten and moose. Chief Al Lameman says they can no longer find caribou herds where caribou were abundant just 12 years ago. Moose are also being displaced in large numbers and simply cannot be found. There is evidence the herds are also not self-sustaining – there is not a new calf population to replace the older population of moose.
As the forest is eroded to make way for open mines and in-situ mines, the ‘great lung’ of North America with its rich carbon-storing peat and soil, is disappearing. In its place, rapid growth of carbon emissions threatens to increase the earth’s temperature. Meanwhile, oil sands extraction pollutes the earth with its tailings ponds, pollutes the air with its emissions, and pollutes the water using two to four barrels of water to produce just one barrel of bitumen and creating vast lakes of chemicals that leach into local watersheds.
WHY DO THE BEAVER LAKE CREE NEED OUR HELP?
The BLCN has been working with lawyers at Woodward & Company on this case for over a year in a time-consuming and costly process. It is conceivable that this will take another five years and millions of dollars. The Beaver Lake Cree do not have the kinds of financial resources required to follow-through on this battle alone, but they are prepared to fight with everything they do have. What’s more, there is good reason to believe they can win.
The Supreme Court of Canada has made it clear that Alberta cannot expand this industry if doing so would render their treaty rights meaningless. In order for their rights to have meaning, habitat sufficient to support the fish and wildlife they depend on must be protected throughout the forests of their ancient homeland. Getting court orders to protect that habitat is what this legal struggle is about.
WHERE DOES THE MONEY GO?
To move forward with the court action, RAVEN needs to raise funds to prove the impact of tar sands development on the Beaver Lake Cree’s traditional way of life. This means gathering evidence on everything from wildlife inventories and scientific studies to conducting very costly human disturbance mapping and oral interviews with elders. Every donation will be 100% applied to support of BLCN and litigation. And all donations are tax-deductible.
Investment in the bituminous sands in northern Alberta – the world’s last great oil field – totals approximately $200 billion. No assessment of the cumulative environmental or cultural damage has been done. This project – unhindered – will destroy a large part of the great boreal forest of North America, will escalate global warming, and will destroy an indigenous way of life. The Alberta government continues to approve projects, such that production of dirty oil will increase from the current 1.3 million barrels a day to three million barrels per day by 2015.
Already vast expanses of the Boreal forest have been cut down – causing significant damage to the environment and to the earth’s well-being. The forest is home to a long list of animals, from black bears and caribou to marten and moose. Chief Al Lameman says they can no longer find caribou herds where caribou were abundant just 12 years ago. Moose are also being displaced in large numbers and simply cannot be found. There is evidence the herds are also not self-sustaining – there is not a new calf population to replace the older population of moose.
As the forest is eroded to make way for open mines and in-situ mines, the ‘great lung’ of North America with its rich carbon-storing peat and soil, is disappearing. In its place, rapid growth of carbon emissions threatens to increase the earth’s temperature. Meanwhile, oil sands extraction pollutes the earth with its tailings ponds, pollutes the air with its emissions, and pollutes the water using two to four barrels of water to produce just one barrel of bitumen and creating vast lakes of chemicals that leach into local watersheds.
WHY DO THE BEAVER LAKE CREE NEED OUR HELP?
The BLCN has been working with lawyers at Woodward & Company on this case for over a year in a time-consuming and costly process. It is conceivable that this will take another five years and millions of dollars. The Beaver Lake Cree do not have the kinds of financial resources required to follow-through on this battle alone, but they are prepared to fight with everything they do have. What’s more, there is good reason to believe they can win.
The Supreme Court of Canada has made it clear that Alberta cannot expand this industry if doing so would render their treaty rights meaningless. In order for their rights to have meaning, habitat sufficient to support the fish and wildlife they depend on must be protected throughout the forests of their ancient homeland. Getting court orders to protect that habitat is what this legal struggle is about.
WHERE DOES THE MONEY GO?
To move forward with the court action, RAVEN needs to raise funds to prove the impact of tar sands development on the Beaver Lake Cree’s traditional way of life. This means gathering evidence on everything from wildlife inventories and scientific studies to conducting very costly human disturbance mapping and oral interviews with elders. Every donation will be 100% applied to support of BLCN and litigation. And all donations are tax-deductible.
