ISLANDS SPIRIT RISING by Margo Hearne When Weyerhaeuser decided to sell off it’s Tree Farm Licence 39 (TFL) to Brascan Canada alarm bells went off throughout Haida Gwaii. The Council of the Haida Nation had just won a major court case in November 2004, which clearly stated that the Crown had a duty to consult the Haida regarding TFL 39, including replacement and transfer decisions. This looked clearly like a transfer under the law. Part of the court ruling however, stated that Weyerhaeuser did not have a duty to consult the Haida. So the Provincial Government created the Significant Projects Streamlining Act (SPSA) This Act basically handed all B.C. lands, waters, trees and air over to industry. Weyerhaeuser, an American company, leaped merrily over the Court case hurdle, hand-in-hand with the B.C. Government and went ahead to sell its TFL to Brascan. By creating the SPSA our Provincial Government has avoided its duty to consult and accommodate with the Haida Nation, weakened its own authority to act for any of its citizens and sell us all down their river of greed. But the Islands Spirit is rising. On Monday morning a line of defence was set up at the Honna River to the south and the Yakoun River to the north by the Haida people and their supporters. The blockade keeps Weyerhaeuser staff and Ministry of Forests from getting to their place of work. ‘This is not just a Council of the Haida Nation thing,’ explained Gwaai Edenshaw at the blockade on the Yakoun River. ‘It’s a Haida Gwaii thing. We are not against people trying to eke out a living from the resources, we are against corporations making a money grab. Weyerhaeuser is selling out to Brascan and they are taking everything on their way out. We want to draw attention to the way business in being done. There will be nothing left for the next generation. We want to make sure there will be work for island people for the future. ‘Brascan may be Canadian, but it has been working in Brazil for years. When the Brazilian government began to delineate the first nations territory there, Brascan stepped up the speed of logging to make as much profit as they could before the boundaries are put in place. The same thing is happening here. ‘I have seen what the corporations have been doing here all my life. I was born here. Things are just getting worse. This blockade is something we have been waiting for practically all our lives. James Wilson from Old Massett said that ‘the spirit of the crew is pretty high here. If things get bit hectic there’s always someone to lighten things up with humour. We have a lot of support from everyone. We let the tree planters in this morning, and one of them left the crew and joined us on the line. It’s important what we are doing and we appreciate the support we’re getting from everyone.’