MEDIA ADVISORY FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 4, 2002

BC VOTERS REJECT BC LIBERAL GOVERNMENT TREATY REFERENDUM

(Vancouver, Coast Salish Territory/July 4, 2002) Nearly 75% of BC voters either boycotted or registered a no vote in the treaty referendum sponsored by the BC Liberal government. In short, approximately 1.6 million citizens of BC rejected Premier Gordon Campbell’s treaty referendum.

Chief Stewart Phillip, President of the Union of BC Indian Chiefs stated, “We are not the least bit surprised at the outcome of this so-called referendum on treaty-making. This ill-conceived referendum was widely criticized by the Federal government, the business community and the general public at large and the results bear out the fact that this referendum is neither recognized nor supported by the electorate of BC.”

The referendum questions were deliberately designed to generate a biased response in favor of the Provincial government’s negotiating stance.

“We clearly recall renowned pollster Angus Reid describing the referendum as ‘amateurish’ and Reid went on to describe the questions as ‘one-sided’. More seriously, however, is the fact that the referendum questions reflected recycled positions of the Province that have either been rejected by the Courts or have proven to be non-starters at the negotiating table over the last ten-year period” said Chief Phillip.

Chief Phillip cautioned “In the event that the Provincial government continues to refuse to accommodate our aboriginal title and rights interests and continues to attempt to manipulate the aboriginal title and rights policy agenda, we can expect more serious conflict on the land and subsequently more litigation.”

“In our view, the Provincial government runs the real risk of creating the conditions that may very well cause the final collapse of the struggling BC Treaty process by virtue of the fact the responses to the referendum questions shall create unacceptable pre-conditions to future treaty negotiations. Consequently, the BC referendum on treaty making may very well prove to be a ‘mill stone’ as opposed to the ‘milestone’ proclaimed by Premier Campbell during his press conference yesterday” observed Chief Phillip.

The courts have clearly instructed that the Province must honour its crown obligations by initiating good faith negotiations that would award First Nation communities with an equitable share of land and resources. Such a settlement would be necessary in order that First Nation communities may develop economies that will ably sustain their people.

Chief Phillip stated further “Rather than waste more time on attempting to develop aboriginal policy on the basis of highly questionable referendum results, we strongly advise and encourage the Provincial government to act on the instructions already handed down by the Supreme Court of Canada in the Delgamuukw case and the BC Court of Appeal in the Haida case and the BC Supreme Court in the Taku River Tlingit case.”

Chief Phillip concluded by saying, “Without question, any attempt to unilaterally impose the referendum results on the aboriginal people of BC shall only result in deeper economic uncertainty within BC as a direct consequence of an escalation in land-use conflict and more litigation.”

Contact: Chief Stewart Phillip
Cell: (250) 490-5314

MEDIA ADVISORY
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 9th, 2002

MOVEMENT: Rap Against the Referendum

(Vancouver, Coast Salish Territory/May 9th, 2002) With the May 15th deadline approaching, Chief Stewart Phillip stated, “We are encouraged that a substantial majority of British Columbians have rejected the BC Treaty Referendum. As it stands, the ratio is 2:1 in relation to those people who choose not to participate versus the number of ballots received to-date. We are confident that there will be a quite a number of ‘rejected’ and ‘no’ votes when Elections BC concludes its tally in July.”

Chief Phillip further stated, “Throughout the referendum process, people have registered their protest by redirecting their ballots, using their ballots for art contests, writing letters of support or by recycling their ballots. The amount of public support has been exceptional.”

“To mark the end of the referendum process, I am happy to announce that on May 14th, the eve of the referendum deadline, the Native Youth Movement, West Coast Warriors Society and the Union of British Columbia Indian Chiefs is presenting Movement: Rap Against the Referendum at the WISE Hall in Vancouver” said Chief Phillip.

Movement: Rap Against the Referendum will feature performances by MANIK, KIA KDRI, NDIDI CASCADE, OS 12, DEPS NEUMONIC with DJs CHRIS P and ABEL. Speakers will include Chief Stewart Phillip, David Dennis, Philipino Youth Alliance and H.I.J.O.S (The Sons and Daughters of the Disappeared – Mexico).

Chief Phillip concluded “We are asking people to come and join us in a night of solidarity. We are also reminding everyone that we will be collecting ballots until May 25th. Come and enjoy and remember to bring your ballot.”

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:
Chief Stewart Phillip
President, UBCIC
Cell: (250) 490-5314
http://www.ubcic.bc.ca/referendum.htm
MOVEMENT POSTER at
http://www.ubcic.bc.ca/docs/Movement_poster.doc

April 17, 2002 - BC's Treaty Referendum has stirred up racial controversy. The Mounties are investigating a web site www.bcwhitepride.com that pits whites against Aboriginals regarding the referendum. For example in a statement on the benefits of the treaty referendum "... will go down in Canadian history as enabling the most fundamental symbolic expression of White unity since racial pride went out of style almost 40 years ago. The genius of the referendum is that no matter how the vote turns out, Whites will benefit insofar as discussions at the dinner table and the coffee shop will revolve around the issue of preferential status for non-Whites in British Columbia and Canada as a whole. The multibillion dollar taxpayer obligation imposed by the NISGA'A (No Indian Should Get Additional Assets) Treaty, engineered by the NDP (Native Debt Party), was the single most profound mistake in recent British Columbian history and we'll all be paying for it for many years to come."

PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 17th, 2002

White Supremacists and the BC Treaty Referendum

(Vancouver, Coast Salish Territory/April 17, 2002) Chief Stewart Phillip, President of the Union of British Columbia Indian Chiefs expressed his outrage on learning that a white supremacy group is using the BC Treaty Referendum to recruit new members. “We stated from the outset of this immoral exercise that it would provide a forum for the public expression of racist views against First Nations. White Pride is stating that the referendum is ‘will go down in Canadian history as enabling the most fundamental symbolic expression of White unity since racial pride went out of style almost 40 years ago.’ This hate mongering dramatically proves our conjecture that the referendum is racist.”

Chief Phillip continued to state, “The referendum is playing on the uninformed majority about the constitutionally enshrined and judicially recognized Aboriginal Title and Rights that exist in this province. Democracy is much more than ballots being burned in protest, democracy is the recognition that the rights of the minority cannot be subjected to the majority in a ‘amateurish’ and clumsy process based on ambiguous questions with a preconceived outcome.

“We are working with the First Nations Summit, the United Native Nations and a growing coalition of political, labour, church and concerned citizens who adamantly oppose the referendum. We are collecting unsigned ballots throughout the province and will present them in protest to the provincial government at the conclusion of this immoral exercise” concluded Chief Phillip.

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:
Chief Stewart Phillip
President, UBCIC
Cell: (250) 490-5314
http://www.ubcic.bc.ca/referendum.htm

Union of British Columbia Indian Chiefs
April 8, 2002

WHAT TO DO WITH YOUR REFERENDUM BALLOT

We are working with other organizations to promote an "active boycott" strategy. The idea is to redirect unsigned ballots to specified collection points instead of sending them to Elections BC to be counted.

WHAT IS AN ACTIVE BOYCOTT?

An active boycott provides a choice for individuals who want to express their opposition to the referendum process by redirecting their unsigned ballot to a local band office, labour council or church.

WHY AN ACTIVE BOYCOTT?

An active boycott allows the individual to redirect their unsigned ballot as a form of protest and an act of conscience. Sending a “spoiled ballot” to Elections BC will lend creditability to the process and may make it easier for the referendum questions to pass. The adopted regulations state “the outcome of the vote for each question is based on a threshold of 50 percent plus 1 of the validly cast votes for that question.” A spoiled ballot does not count as a “validly cast vote.” Voting no is problematic as the questions are so ambiguous that the Liberal government can interpret the answers to reflect their political goals.

WHAT WILL HAPPEN WITH THE UNSIGNED BALLOTS?

The unsigned ballots will be counted. Unsigned ballots will be presented, in protest, to the Government of British Columbia or the ballots will be disposed of at a public ceremony.

WHAT IS WRONG WITH THE REFERENDUM PROCESS?

The questions are problematic not only for what they include, but also for what they exclude. Many of the questions are recycled status-quo positions, which the Province has advanced to deny constitutionally enshrined aboriginal rights. The Province has advanced these arguments through the courts, where they were resoundingly rejected.

Absent in the referendum is any reference to a mandate to acknowledges Crown obligations owed to Aboriginal peoples or attempt to address a century of denial of rights and title. There is no mandate to take steps to ensure the survival of distinct First Nations within their territories - by focusing on language survival, to facilitate education for non-aboriginal people about Aboriginal peoples or provide access to higher education for Aboriginal peoples.

The right of self-determination is entirely absent from the mandate. Nor do the questions reflect a mandate which addresses how reconciliation will occur between the pre-existence of Aboriginal societies and the assertion of Crown sovereignty, how Aboriginal peoples can make decisions as to how the land will be used, while at the same time, co-existing with federal and provincial laws.

No attention is paid to providing a path for Aboriginal Peoples and the Federal and Provincial governments to achieve a just resolution of the Land Question and thereby accomplish an enduring and lasting reconcilation between all parties.

SEND YOUR UNSIGNED BALLOT TO:

Chief Stewart Phillip
Union of BC Indian Chiefs
500 - 342 Water Street
Vancouver, BC
V6B-1B6

OR

Chief Judith Sayers
Hupacasath First Nation
5323 River Road, Box 211
Port Alberni, BC
V9Y 7M7

For further information go to
http://www.ubcic.bc.ca/referendum.htm
or call UBCIC at (604) 684-0231

PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 4, 2002

Broad Coalition Building Against Immoral Referendum

(Vancouver, Coast Salish Territory/April 4, 2002) Tribal council representatives held a press conference today to speak their opposition of the current provincial referendum process. In protest, representatives from the 16 tribal councils symbolically burned ballots.

Chief Stewart Phillip, President of the Union of British Columbia Indian Chiefs was present and commented afterwards “Today was the first of many events where people from across the province will actively boycott the referendum. The process is a sham and only serves to vilify our efforts to reconcile our Aboriginal Title and Rights with the Province of British Columbia and the Government of Canada.”

First Nations have a constitutional relationship with both the Provincial and Federal governments. Section 35 of the Constitution of Canada guides the current relationship and has been clarified through the various court decisions. The referendum process continues the longstanding adversarial approach undertaken by both the Provincial and Federal Government of their outright refusal to recognize Aboriginal Title and Rights.

Chief Phillip concluded, “We are working with a growing coalition of political, labour, church and concerned citizens who all agree that referendum is immoral and unconscionable. We will be advocating an ‘active boycott’ and will be soon encouraging people, in the coming days, to direct their ballots to one of many collection points throughout the province.”

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:
Chief Stewart Phillip
President, UBCIC
Cell: (250) 490-5314