(Continued from Part One) On March 8th Lubicon advisor Fred Lennarson received a phone call from the national CBC Morningside radio show asking about "a third wave of Lubicons leaving the Lubicon Band to join the Woodland Band". Noting the way the story was being characterized Mr. Lennarson told the caller that the situation was more complicated than her question suggested -- that a variety offers had been made to people to join the Woodland Band, that based on those offers some people had applied to join the Woodland Band, that Federal officials are now saying that the offers should not have been made and would not be honoured, and that Woodland Band acceptance of the applicants is dependent on the Federal Government making good on the offers which Federal officials are now saying shouldn't have been made and would not be honoured. The caller said that the story was clearly too complicated to try and cover in a morning news report. Thus fizzled another effort to portray the Laboucan family initiative as people simply deserting the Lubicon Band over frustration related to Chief Ominayak's refusal to accept the government's supposedly "extravagant" settlement offer. On March 14 a self-described right wing Alberta news magazine called the Alberta Report ran a full page article on the Laboucan family initiative. The Alberta Report has a broader circulation than the Peace River Record Gazette and as overt political pamphleteering instead of objective news reporting doesn't worry about balance or accuracy. It simply and unabashedly prints propaganda as news. (In fact a reporter for the Alberta Report made clear that the magazine knew details about the "little bribes" offered to members of the Laboucan family and deliberately decided to leave that complicating information out of the article in favour of printing only the carefully concocted propaganda line.) The main thrust of the attached Alberta Report article is that Lubicon numbers are dwindling "but they want more money than ever". Like the "greed not need" propaganda campaign launched immediately following the breakdown of negotiations in January of 1989 variations on this basic theme will undoubtedly be heard a lot over the next little while. The lead paragraph in the article claims that "Lubicon elders advised (Chief Ominayak) to accept an extravagant land claims settlement offer in 1992...(but)...he decided to hold out for more". It says "He may yet regret that choice". (Characterizing the 1992 so-called "offer" as "extravagant" says more about the reporter and the publication for which she writes than it does about the substance of the offer -- the provisions of which have been described as "deficient" by as widely ranging a group of people as ex-Conservative Alberta Premier Don Getty, ex-Conservative Federal Justice Minister E. Davie Fulton and the broadly-based members of the independent Lubicon Settlement Commission. Similarly inaccurate is the assertion that Lubicon Elders advised Chief Ominayak to accept the 1992 offer. In fact Lubicon Elders supported Chief Ominayak's rejection of that offer as an only slightly disguised version of the unacceptable 1989 "take- it-or-leave-it" offer.) Obviously referring to the February 23rd Michael Laboucan press release the article says that "100 members announced late last month that they intend to desert the Lubicons in favour of the neighboring Woodland Cree Band". The article then makes clear at a number of points that the announced transfer has yet to occur without offering any explanation as to why it has yet to occur -- a curious omission since announcing the intention to transfer unavoidably begs the question of why the people involved haven't yet transferred. (Pursuing the question as to why people have not yet transferred would of course lead to a discussion of the dicey issue of the "little bribes" which the Alberta Report apparently decided deliberately to leave out of the article.) The concluding sentence in the lead paragraph of the article underscores the main propaganda point being made. Turning over the notion of fewer Lubicons supposedly demanding even more money it says "This latest departure from the already depleted Lubicon ranks could substantially decrease the largesse available to the band". (This theme that the amount of "largesse available to the band" will have to be reduced to take into account a dramatically reduced population is then recurrent throughout the article. It's of course also consistent with the February 23rd Michael Laboucan press release and it will undoubtedly soon be used in an attempt to rationalize breaking the Grimshaw Accord.) The article says "Although the band obtained the right to a reserve in 1939, it still hasn't reached an accord with the federal and provincial governments". Historically this is an Ivan Whitehall pseudo-legal argument which has been worked over by Federal spin artists and subsequently incorporated in Federal and Provincial propaganda materials. (Whitehall's basic argument, which ignores both history and historical precedent, is that the Lubicons are covered by Treaty 8 and consequently have a right to reserve land under Treaty 8 but for whatever reasons they simply haven't received reserve lands.) The article claims that the 1992 offer "was worth a total of $73 million" which it says is "an average of $146,000 for each of the 500 natives then allegedly belonging to the band". In fact the offer isn't worth anything like $73 million, none of the proposed settlement money would go to individuals and the Lubicon population of 500 had been fully documented and accepted by the Federal prior to efforts by both levels of Canadian Government to dismember the Lubicon society by creating two new Bands and using taxpayers money to try and entice Lubicon members into joining these two new Bands. The article quotes the Michael Laboucan press release as saying that "the latest group of deserters...say they comprise a majority of the remaining Lubicons who can legitimately claim to be part of the original treaty". Presumably the reference to people who are "part of the original treaty" pertains to the people who made up and/or descend from the first officially recognized Band list in 1939. If so this is another example of twisting the facts to deliberately create a mistaken impression of lower numbers. As both levels of Canadian Government well know that first official Lubicon Band list was explicitly recognized at the time as being only a partial list. (This kind of misrepresention of the facts again smacks of the Boutillier group.) The article quotes Michael Laboucan as saying that "the latest group of deserters" are leaving because "We're sick of waiting". Next it quotes Chief Ominayak as saying "the latest group of deserters" are leaving "because the Woodland Cree are making them attractive offers". It then quotes both Michael Laboucan and Woodland Councillor Roy "Letender" (sic) as "hotly denying any such offers". Instead of being lured away by attractive offers, the article quotes Michael Laboucan as saying, the "deserters" are impressed with the progress being made by the Woodland Band. Next it quotes Michael Laboucan as saying "We looked at their roads and houses and here we are just sitting, waiting and going nowhere". (This exchange of course again begs the whole question of why the transfers have not yet been made. For not only is Michael Laboucan here in effect making reference to the "offers" he had just denied were made, his application to join the Woodland Band is in fact on hold pending Federal Government agreement to make good on those so-called "offers".) Next the article provides insight into the membership numbers which Director of the Regional Office of Indian Affairs Ken Kirby earlier transmitted to Ottawa. It also effectively ties Kirby and/or people reporting to Kirby to the Laboucan family initiative since the figures Kirby transmitted to Ottawa a couple of months earlier clearly take into account the 100 plus people Michael Laboucan now purports to represent -- even though that number was clearly only a target in January and likely still hasn't been achieved. The article says that "The Department of Indian and Northern Development (sic) estimates that the band numbers 250, a figure that will decline to 150 when the latest exodus occurs". It says (Michael) Laboucan places the maximum number of genuine Lubicons at 185...(instead of 250)". (What constitutes a "genuine Lubicon" is not defined in the article but it's not likely a concept which originates with Michael Laboucan -- more likely it again originates with the Boutillier group.) The starting point of 250 people is of course the number of people on the Government-maintained list of registered Lubicons rather than the Lubicon- maintained list of Lubicons entitled to be registered. Thus instead of starting with the list of 500 Lubicons whom the Government earlier agreed are entitled to be registered they're starting with the smaller list of Lubicons already on the status list and they've then worked their way down from there undoubtedly making all kinds of assumptions along the way in order to jack up the list of "deserters" as high as possible. The result is the smallest possible number of remaining Lubicons on which to base the Grimshaw Accord -- not in fact but in terms of the public illusion which the architects of the Laboucan family initiative are seeking to create. The name of the game here is clearly not truth or facts but deliberately deceptive illusion. The 185 "genuine Lubicons" who Michael Laboucan claims are left minus the "slightly more than 100 persons" whom Michael Laboucan purports to represent produces a number pretty close to the 60 to 75 that Ken Kirby reported to Ottawa in January were left on the Lubicon membership list. In January when Mr. Kirby made his report to Ottawa the number 100 was clearly a target rather than a fact. The number 185 now being claimed by Michael Laboucan is clearly the result of the application of unknown criteria to the Lubicon membership list rather than representing some kind of objective reality. And the number 250 is clearly the registered list instead of the list of those entitled to be registered. For Mr. Kirby to arrive at essentially the same numbers independent of the highly manipulative and deliberately deceitful way it's done in the March 14th edition of the Alberta Report is all but inconceivable. The article then quotes Roy "Letender" (sic) in context as "maintaining" that Michael Laboucan's estimate of 185 "genuine" Lubicons is too high -- that the Lubicons "can't have more than 100" members. If Mr. "Letender" (sic) were to be right about this, and "slightly over 100 persons" are leaving a population of not "more than 100", then the Lubicons have disappeared altogether or are perhaps actually in a deficit position in terms of membership -- an anomalous situation which hasn't existed since the time when the Woodland Band was originally created and Federal PR man Ken Colby was regularly claiming that more Lubicons were leaving the Lubicon Band than there were Lubicons to leave. Clearly this "now you see them now you don't" approach to Lubicon membership numbers impressed new Regional Office PR man Marcel Pronovost who is quoted in the article as acknowledging "All of that will have to be taken into consideration" since, according to the article, "treaty claims will be settled on a per capita basis". (The Lubicons of course don't assert treaty rights as defined by a written document which they never signed and which demonstrably doesn't even represent what was agreed by the aboriginal people who did sign it. Rather the Lubicons continue to assert unextinguished aboriginal land rights over some 4,000 square miles of resource-rich northern Alberta and the terms of any treaty which might eventually be negotiated with the Lubicon people have yet to be determined.) Lastly the article quotes both Roy Letendre and Michael Laboucan as expressing curious concern that Chief Ominayak has a "secret list which probably includes a number of non-Lubicons". It says "They (inexplicably) worry that (Indian Affairs) bureaucrats won't challenge (Chief Ominayak's membership numbers)". It quotes Roy Letendre as asserting with uncharacteristic authority that "The government can't deal with (Chief Ominayak) until they see the original list". It also quotes Roy Letendre as insisting that "It wouldn't be fair (for the Government to deal with the Lubicons) until they see the original list". (Roy Letendre needn't worry. Contrary to Woodland membership rules which basically provide that the Woodland Chief and Council can use their discretion to determine Woodland membership -- including apparently non-aboriginal people -- Federally approved Lubicon membership rules explicitly provide that all Lubicons must be people of known aboriginal ancestry related to other Lubicons by blood and to the traditional Lubicon territory by history.) The article doesn't say exactly who Roy Letendre is worried about being unfairly treated if the government deals with the Lubicons without seeing the so-called "original list". Presumably he's worried about the Woodland Cree being somehow unfairly treated although the notion of that is in itself obviously preposterous under the circumstances. Plus the Woodland Cree reportedly have some kind of agreement with the Canadian Federal Government that their settlement will be enhanced if a Lubicon agreement provides substantially greater benefits -- in which case one would think that Roy Letendre would be rooting for the Lubicons to negotiate the best possible agreement. More than anything else this strange concern attributed to Roy Letendre and Michael Laboucan over the Federal Government not challenging Lubicon membership numbers sounds like it was made in Alberta by officials of the Alberta Provincial Government. Certainly officials of the Alberta have always been the ones who've manufactured such deliberately deceptive arguments in the past. The Lubicons ask that people write Mr. Irwin urging him to publicly denounce the continuing efforts to tear Lubicon society asunder and to severely censure involved Departmental officials, urging him to state publicly that Woodland negotiations will not be re-opened to provide additional land and housing for new adherents, urging him to state publicly that he will only deal with the duly elected leadership of the Lubicon Nation regarding the unceded aboriginal land rights of the Lubicon people and urging him to respond positively to Lubicon negotiation proposals -- which are basically that he appoint someone to negotiate with the Lubicon people not associated with past and continuing efforts to destroy the Lubicon society, that he give that person a mandate to negotiate a fair and equitable settlement of Lubicon land rights with the Lubicon people and that he agree to refer any items which cannot be resolved through negotiations to the independent three person tribunal originally proposed by Premier Getty, supported by E. Davie Fulton, supported by the Lubicon Settlement Commission, supported by the Canadian Churches, supported by organized Labour in Canada and supported by people across the country and around the world. The Lubicons ask further that people write Mr. Cardinal urging him to also publicly denounce the continuing efforts to tear Lubicon asunder and to severely censure involved Provincial officials, urging him to reaffirm the agreements and commitments made by and with Premier Getty including the Grimshaw Accord, urging him to appoint someone to negotiate with the Lubicon people not associated with past and continuing efforts to destroy the Lubicon society, urging him to give that person a mandate to negotiate a fair and equitable settlement of Lubicon land rights with the Lubicon people and urging him to agree to refer any items which cannot be resolved through negotiations to the independent three person Getty Tribunal. It might also be a good idea if people wrote to the President and Chief Executive Officer of TransCanada Pipelines Mr. Gerald J. Maier asking him if he knows what his Vice President of Legal Affairs is doing to the Lubicon people and asking him to stop it. Mr. Maier's mailing address is P.O. Box 1000, Station M, Calgary, Alberta, T2P 4K5. Related media coverage and other materials are attached including excellent letters to Messrs. Irwin and Cardinal from Co-chair of the Lubicon Settlement Commission Jacques Johnson. * * * * * Attachment #1: Woodland/Lubicon Membership Application I ___________________ of the Lubicon Band wish to become a member of the Woodland Cree Band #474. Before I become a member of Woodland Cree I understand that: I will need to meet the following conditions: 1. I will have to register under the Indian Act and be accepted by the Woodland Cree Band Members within the terms of their membership by- law; and 2. I must have an as yet unfilled entitlement under Treaty 8 and this will be determined by the governments of Canada and Alberta and the Woodland Cree Band. My application to join the Woodland Cree Band #474 is made on the understanding that I will be fully advised of my rights if I am part of any future land claim settlement negotiated on my behalf by the Woodland Cree Band. I fully understand that by signing this paper I am not as yet a member of the Woodland Cree Band. _______________________________ _____________________________ Witness Signature of Applicant _______________________________ _____________________________ Date Date * * * * * Attachment #2: The Edmonton Sun, Wednesday, February 23, 1994 LUBICON HOPEFUL SETTLEMENT NEAR By Tom Olsen and Paul Bucci Staff Writers The beginning of the end of the 50-year-old Lubicon Lake native land-claim dispute may be in sight, band Chief Bernard Ominayak said yesterday. Ominayak said he left a Friday meeting with federal Indian Affairs Minister Ron Irwin optimistic that his band's claim will finally and fairly be dealt with. "The minister stated he'd like to see it resolved, and we certainly want it resolved," Ominayak said from the Lubicon Lake band office, 345 km northwest of Edmonton. The chief said there's cause for optimism "if we take things at face value in regards to the meeting...It's a little early at this stage to determine if they're serious. But if they are, I'm sure we'll be able to make some movement." The 500-member Lubicon band has rejected a federal offer of up to $45 million and 645 sq. km. of land. In related news, Ominayak said he's heard rumors that a second wave of his members plans to break away and join the Woodland Cree, a band formed by Lubicon disgruntled with the stalemate. In 1989, the 450-member Woodland Cree signed a pact with the government that gave them 142 sq. km of reserve land, a $19 million trust fund, $3 million for vocational training and $28.8 million over five years for developments such as homes and sewers. * * * * * Attachment #3: Michael Laboucan Press Release Michael Laboucan Little Buffalo, AB c/o Cadotte Lake, AB T0H 0N0 ph: 629-3975 Michael Laboucan announced today in a press release that the Edward Laboucan and Calliou family group have applied to the Federal and Provincial Governments to have their Treaty Settlement Entitlement arranged with the Woodland Cree Band. This family group, who are the most traditional aboriginals at Little Buffalo have asked Michael Laboucan to be the spokesperson for them, Michael stated: "Our families represent slightly over 100 persons who were on the original Grimshaw list. This number represents a majority of the members left of those who can legitimately claim to be part of the Lubicon Band and have an outstanding land claim." He further continued by stating that he has asked both Governments to respect the families' decision to request membership in the Woodland Cree Band and to support their efforts to "have our legitimate claim settled as an adhesion to the Woodland Cree Land Settlement." Michael ended his press statement by stating that the group he represents have completely lost trust in the Lubicon Band's consultants and leadership and accordingly, "our minds are made up - there is no turning back - we want to join with the Woodland Cree Band. They are our close relatives, as well as our closest neighbours and although we will only be a small part of their band -we trust them to treat us fairly now and in the future. Signed by Michael Laboucan, February 23, 1994 * * * * * Attachment #4: The Edmonton Journal, Saturday, February 26, 1994 LUBICONS LOSING THIRD SPLINTER GROUP 100 set to join with Woodland Cree Sherri Aikenhead Journal Staff Writer Little Buffalo A third group of natives hopes to leave the shrinking Lubicon band so they can settle their treaty claim with the federal government. A family group of 100 people, including a Lubicon elder, approached the Woodland Cree, who were the first to break away in 1989. "The group has complete lost trust in the Lubicon band's consultants and leadership," said Michael Laboucan in a statement. "Our minds are made up. There is no turning back." He could not be reached for further comment. The Laboucan and Calliou families are related to Woodland Cree band members. The band negotiated a $57-million settlement with the federal government and is now building 101 houses, a fire hall and school about 15 km west of the Lubicon settlement. Ottawa recognized a second group as the Loon River band after it defected from the Lubicon in 1991. Woodland Cree Chief William Thomas said Friday that his band will grow to mor than 800 if the federal government approves the new members. "The reason people are walking away is because they've had enough waiting. They've been waiting for 51 years." Lubicon Chief Bernard Ominayak still says he's seeking a settlement on behalf of 500 members because the 100 dissenters haven't notified him of their plans. "What is sad about this is that the federal minister just visited earlier this month," he said Friday. The Lubicon set up road blocks in October 1988 to push for a land claims settlement. They are seeking $170 million, including $100 million for lost oil and gas royalties. They turned down an offer from the former federal Conservative government and Alberta for $73 million, including 246 sq. km of land. Ominayak, who has headed the negotiations since 1979, said people want to leave because of attractive offers made by the Woodland Cree. "I imagine they're going after what they were promised. I realize we're up against a huge obstacle and powerful sources that include two levels of government and a lot of money." The Lubicon leader said he has thought of quitting more than once during the past five years, but his members continue to show him support. "There's been many thoughts run through my mind. As long as the majority of people still want me to take them in this direction, it's not for me to decide to change," he said. * * * * * Attachment #5: Peace River Record-Gazette, March 02, 1994 GROUP OF 100 SAID TO BE LEAVING LUBICONS By Beth Wilkins Record-Gazette Staff Little Buffalo More natives want to break away from the Lubicon Lake Nation, formerly band, and join the Woodland Cree of Cadotte Lake. The 100 dissatisfied Lubicons are fed up, says spokesman Michael Laboucan. "We are tired of waiting for the settlement, Laboucan said. For some, there has been a half a century of waiting for a land claim settlement from the federal government which has seen six ministers of Indian and Northern Affairs in the past decade. In a new release issued Feb. 24, Laboucan said the Edward Laboucan and Calliou family group had applied to the federal and provincial governments to have their Treaty Settlement Entitlement arranged with the Woodland Cree Band. This family group are the most traditional aboriginals at Little Buffalo. "Our families represent slightly more than 100 persons who were on the original Grimshaw list. This number represents a majority of the members left of those who can legitimately claim to be part of the Lubicon Band and have an outstanding land claim." If the group is successful in joining the Woodland Cree, it will be the third splinter group wanting to break away in the past three years. The group, represented by Laboucan, has completely lost trust in the Lubicon Nation's consultants and leadership, he says. "Fred Lennarson is the one that does all the talking. Bernard seems to listen to him," says Laboucan. Lennarson is one of Ominayak's consultants. "We've heard a lot of rumors for quite some time now. There's been all sorts of offers and promises made by Woodland," says Chief Bernard Ominayak. He hasn't paid too much attention to the rumors, but he checked with the Lubicon Nation's regional registrar in Edmonton who told him no one has transferred. "It's a whole lot of commotion and I don't think anybody really knows." Technically, the procedure when people wish to switch their allegiance is to inform the chief and council. It's a courtesy as much as anything, says Ominayak. "None of that has been done." He suggested the Woodland Cree have recruited more members. "We could paly the same kind of games the government is doing with Woodland if we chose to, but at this point we have not." The number of people currently registered as part of the Lubicon Nation is about 500 in the area, says Ominayak. "It's (number) been a lot of years now because in the Woodland situation where they said X number of Lubicons went over there, what they were doing is they had a special committee set up to deal with the Bill C-31 returnees in Ottawa. They transferred them on to the Lubicon and then transferred them to Woodland at the same time, some people we had never heard of and people who don't necessarily live here. A lot has been instigated and created by government and a lot of it is completely out of our hands." Chief William Thomas of the reported 800-member Woodland Cree Band said he isn't coaxing or enticing anybody to join his band from the Lubicons. "They're (Laboucan and Calliou) the ones to decide. I'm not calling any people over. They want to join. They're the ones that come and sit down with me. We can't just accept everybody only those with claims -- entitlement," said Thomas. The group decided to move last November. "They are our neighbors. It's only about two kilometres away from our reserve where those people live, north of Little Buffalo at Marten Lake." The breakaway group want to establish a community in Marten Lake. "Most are my friends. I have to accept them because I grew up with those people. We see tem everyday come to the store (Cadotte) and we are altogether. It's one huge area all supposed to be in one reserve in the beginning, but it's gone a different way. "I don't have anything against Bernard," he emphasized. The people want running water and other amenities. They see the Woodland Cree who settled in 1991 with new houses and things they want and feel it is their right to have. "They would like to be part of it." The Grimshaw list was part of the Grimshaw agreement of October 22, 1988. At the "Grimshaw Summit" Ominayak met with then premier Don Getty in Grimshaw. The list contained an undisclosed number of names of people considered to be eligible for the land claim settlement. In November of 1988, formal negotiations to reach a settlement of Lubicon rights began in Ottawa. The membership number agreed to was 506, up from the Grimshaw number "because of natural increase and updated research," author John Goddard says in his book, Last Stand of the Lubicon Cree. According to Goddard's book, the numbers the provincial and federal governments have on the Lubicon and the splinter groups has been hazy throughout the history of the land claim settlement. * * * * * Attachment #6: Alberta Report, March 14, 1994 Going, going...gone? Desertions thin the Lubicons' ranks, but they want more money than ever Patty Fuller When Lubicon elders advised their chief, Bernie Ominayak, to accept an extravagant land claims settlement offer in 1992, he decided to hold out for more. He may yet regret that choice. While federal Indian Affairs Minister Ron Irwin seems anxious to settle the 55-year old Lubicon claim and the chief is working on a "proposal" for impending negotiations, 100 band members announced late last month that they intend to desert the Lubicons in favour of the neighbouring Woodland Cree band. This latest departure from the already-depleted Lubicon ranks could substantially decrease the largesse available to the band. The Lubicons are located about 60 kilometres miles north of Lesser Slave Lake. Although the band obtained the right to a reserve in 1939, it still hasn't reached an accord with the federal and provincial governments. Following years of widely-publicized disputes that built popular support for the Lubicons' claims, Ottawa and Edmonton made what seemed a generous offer in August of 1992. The proposed settlement was worth a total of $73 million, an average of $146,000 for each of the 500 natives then allegedly belonging to the band. The Lubicon's leaders weren't impressed. Chief Ominayak's main advisor, a non-native named Fred Lennarson, dismissed the offer as "disgraceful". But while Chief Ominayak and Mr. Lennarson are still holding out for more, many others have had enough. In 1989, the neighbouring Woodland Cree band negotiated a $57 million settlement. That group is now building 101 houses, a fire hall and a school about 10 miles west of the Lubicon settlement. A second group formed the Loon River band in 1991. The latest group of deserters, the Laboucan and Calliou families, say they comprise a majority of the remaining Lubicons who can legitimately claim to be part of the original treaty. Their spokesman, Michael Laboucan, says the decision to settle their claim as an addition to the Woodland Cree band was reached by consensus. "We're sick of waiting," he says. "We hear that it's always so close to being settled, and then something else comes up." But Chief Ominayak contends more mercenary motives are behind the group's impending departure. The families want to leave, he says, because the Woodland Cree are making them attractive offers to join their band. Both Woodland Cree councillor Roy Letender and Mr. Laboucan hotly deny any such offers. Instead, Mr. Laboucan says, they were impressed with the Woodland Crees' progress. "We looked at their roads and houses, and here we are just sitting, waiting and going nowhere." In spite of the defections, Chief Ominayak last month told the Edmonton Journal that he's still seeking a settlement based on a population of 500 members. Virtually no one else seems to regard that as a reasonable figure, however. The Department of Indian and Northern Development (DIAND) estimates that the band numbers 250, a figure that will decline to 150 when the latest exodus occurs. Mr. Laboucan places the maximum number of genuine Lubicons at 185, while Mr. Letender maintains that "they can't have more than 100" members. The number is critical, since treaty claims will be settled on a per capita basis. "All of that will have to be taken into consideration, obviously," acknowledges DIAND spokesman Marcel Pronovost. Messrs. Letender and Laboucan contend that Chief Ominayak has a "secret list" which probably includes a number of non-Lubicons. They worry that DIAND bureaucrats won't challenge his claim. "The government can't deal with him until they see the original list," insists Mr. Letender. "It wouldn't be fair." * * * * * Attachment #7: March 02, 1994, letter from Jacques Johnson to Ron Irwin Dear Mr. Irwin: As Co-chair of the Lubicon Settlement Commission of Review, I continue to follow events at Little Buffalo with great interest and concern. Everyone involved with the Commission was delighted that you were able to go to Little Buffalo on February 18th to meet with Chief Bernard Ominayak and other members of the community. It was a powerful symbol of your commitment and good will. We were also happy that, at that meeting, you stated your commitment to Aboriginal sovereignty and your rejection of a policy of `divide and conquer'. Since that meeting, as you know, public statements have been made by one member of the Lubicon community to the effect that around one hundred members of the Lubicon Nation are seeking membership of the Woodland Cree Band. Unsurprisingly, this is causing even greater tension within the Lubicon community. There are rumours that those people seeking membership in the Woodland Cree Band have been misled by individuals from outside the community who are assuring them that the Woodland Cree Band will be given more land and more money if they join it. There are also rumours that these outside individuals are deliberately trying to undermine the Grimshaw Agreement by reducing Lubicon membership. Whether or not such rumours are true, it seems that Lubicon members who are applying to join the Woodland Cree Band are doing so because they think they will have a better chance of obtaining housing and other benefits by doing so. All of this appears to be undermining the Lubicon people's trust in the Federal Government again. It threatens to undo the good which was achieved by your visit. I suggest that it is extremely important that you take vigorous action now to overcome these misunderstandings. I urge you to take two steps which I think would help to reaffirm the Lubicon people's trust in the Federal Government: 1.) State publicly, and communicate clearly both to the Lubicon Nation and to the Woodland Cree Band Council, that it is Department policy NOT to reopen negotiations with the Woodland Cree Band on land entitlement or funding, irrespective of the number of new members added to the membership list. Everyone really needs to know - assuming this to be the case - that if the Woodland Cree Band accepts new members, existing land entitlement and funding will simply have to be shared among more people. 2.) Ensure that people entrusted with the Department's relations with the Lubicon Nation have not been associated in any way with activities which could be construed as `divide and conquer' tactics. For the sake of the Lubicon people and of the good faith which your own actions have inspired, I urge you to act quickly. Yours sincerely, Jacques Johnson, OMI Co-Chair cc: Members of the Lubicon Settlement Commission of Review Lubicon Nation * * * * * Attachment #8: March 02, 1994, letter from Jacques Johnson to Mike Cardinal Dear Mr. Cardinal: As Co-Chair of the Lubicon Settlement Commission of Review, I continue to follow events at Little Buffalo with great interest and concern - an interest and concern which are deepened by my pastoral involvement with both the Lubicon and Woodland Cree people. Everyone involved with the Commission was delighted that Federal Indian Affairs Minister Ron Irwin was able to visit Little Buffalo last month. It was a powerful symbol of his commitment and good will. We were encouraged by his explicit and public rejection of the policy of `divide and conquer'. We are very worried, however, by other events which have occurred in the community and by the rumoured involvement of Provincial representatives in those events. Public statements have been made by one member of the Lubicon community to the effect that around one hundred members of the Lubicon Nation are seeking membership of the Woodland Cree Band. Unsurprisingly, this is causing even greater tension within the Lubicon community. There are reports suggesting that those people seeking membership in the Woodland Cree Band have been misled by Provincial representatives who are assuring them that the Woodland Cree Band will be given more land and more money if they join it. Individuals are apparently being promised land, cash and new houses if they desert the Lubicon Nation. Some individuals have, it is rumoured, even been promised land within the area set aside for the Lubicons under the Grimshaw Agreement - which, of course, would undermine that Agreement. This is most unfortunate. It is our understanding that it is the Federal Government policy NOT to reopen negotiations with the Woodland Cree Band either on land or on funding, irrespective of any increase in Band membership. For people to be led to believe otherwise, and allowed to make important decisions on the basis of such belief, is in our opinion indefensible; all the more so, given that the Woodland Cree Band is finding it difficult to provide housing for its current membership. I suggest that it is extremely important that you take vigorous action now to assist in the just and speedy resolution of the problems which have of so long beset the Lubicon people. I urge you to take three steps which I think would assist Mr. Irwin and the Lubicon Nation in fruitfully pursuing negotiations in an atmosphere of trust and good faith: 1.) Ensure an immediate end to any involvement by Provincial representatives and employees, or by any other persons with links to the Provincial Government or bureaucracy, in any activities which could be construed as inducement to any member of the Lubicon Nation to leave the Lubicon Nation. 2.) State publicly, and communicate to the Lubicon Nation and the Woodland Cree Band in writing, that the Alberta Government remains committed to the Grimshaw Agreement, and that the Province will therefore make available to the Lubicon Nation the 243 square kilometres of land guaranteed by that Agreement. 3.) Reaffirm to the Federal Government and the Lubicon Nation the Alberta Government's willingness to provide $60 million over a ten- year period as a Provincial contribution o a settlement with the Lubicon Nation. It is impossible to overemphasize the importance of creating an atmosphere of trust and honesty to the successful completion of negotiations. Neither the Lubicon people nor the Woodland Cree will ultimately benefit if these are lacking. I urge you to act quickly and resolutely to restore them. Yours sincerely, Jacques Johnson, OMI Co-Chair cc: Members of the Lubicon Settlement Commission of Review Lubicon Nation Rt Hon Ron Irwin, MP, Minister of Indian Affairs Pearl Calahasen, MLA