LandKeepers News Archive
Disaster Deja Vu in Canada’s Great Bear Rainforest: A Week of Tragic Anniversaries
March 23 2009 | Media Releases | Hartley Bay Band Council
The Gitga’at First Nation on B.C.’s northwest coast note with horror the continuing fallout from the 1989 Exxon Valdez disaster in Alaska’s Prince William Sound. The massive clean up effort of the past 20 years can be declared a failure, underscoring the need to say “never again.” Oil from the Exxon Valdez still washes up on shores 700 kilometres away and could take centuries to disappear. Every species from killer whales to clams has suffered and many may never recover. The lingering effects of the spill have torn the social fabric of first nations communities. In many areas traditional food gathering has never resumed and more expensive, less nutritious products from stores fill the gap. Alcohol and substance abuse as well as suicide and family breakdown are increasingly common. Those who made a living at fishing or eco-tourism have been wiped out, as has the global image of a pristine wilderness.
The Gitga’at look to the past and the Exxon Valdez, they look to the present and the devastating oil spill washing up on Australia’s beaches and they are deeply concerned about the future. The Enbridge Northern Gateway Pipeline Project proposes to move tankers loaded with dirty oil from Alberta’s tar sands through BC’s inside passage. The Gitga’at who have lived in the Great Bear Rainforest for thousands of years are duty bound by their laws and customs to preserve their lands, waters and resources for future generations. An Enbridge oil spill will result in irreparable harm to Gitga’at culture and the devastation of the rich and ecologically diverse Gitga’at territory that is also home to the iconic Kermode or Spirit Bear. Band Councilor Cameron Hill “There is nothing but risk in this whole process for the Gitga’at people. There are no benefits. I have not heard one.”
Legally and ethically the Canadian Government owes the Gitga’at a leading role in decision making as well as complete consultation and accommodation. That includes consideration of different pipeline routes or even a halt to the project. The Gitga’at were first on the scene when the Queen of the North ferry sank three years ago and they are still haunted by the wreck. Daily monitoring of the area reveals the continued release of hydrocarbons and as the ship deteriorates it will leak more toxic substances including asbestos and heavy metals into rich sea life habitat. BC Ferries has left spill-response equipment in Hartley Bay but it is of little use without an effective plan to store it or use it on a large release of diesel from the sunken vessel. BC Ferries has broken its promise to the Gitga’at to do “whatever it takes” to protect the environment. The Gitga’at are still tied up in litigation with the BC Ferries Corporation to remove the Queen of the North and prevent long term, harmful consequences. The Gitga’at call on BC Ferries to make a claim on their insurance and then do the right thing and get the Queen of the North out of their territory.
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For more information about the Gitga’at – http://www.gitgaat.net
CONTACT:
Karen Romans
Gitga’at Information Officer
778-881-4380
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