English - Natural Justice

“First Nations have always practiced conservation. Our very existence asnations and peoples depends on the continued existence of the marineecosystems. We would not exist without the seas and aquatic resourcesthat were once bountiful on this coast. In your rush to protect some of thelast remaining areas on the coast, you must consider and respect ourplace in the environment. Many of you who espouse the virtues ofbiodiversity seem to overlook the place that our peoples and our cultureshave in the fabric of life. We have lived as part of these same areas orecosystems that you are now trying to protect since time immemorial.Therefore, you must also protect our place in those areas and ecosystems.Also, many of the areas being considered for protection represent someof our last opportunities to regain self-reliance. Protection of these areasis now necessary only because your cultures try to consume and developeverything that is in sight. Now that there is only a little bit left, youdecide to protect it. First Nations must not be made to suffer the burdenof conservation, when the system of overuse and over-harvest was not ofour making.”Ovide MercrediFormer National Chief of the Assembly of First NationsCanadian House of CommonsParliamentary Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage21 May 2001