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Subject: You're about to lose your equality in Canada; act now!
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The Nisga'a Treaty Information, Discussion And Voting Website --
http://www.nisgaa.org -- needs your help, NOT your money. Your
equality in Canada is about to be violated by a proposed new law,
Bill C-9, involvingnative indian land claims.

You, like most people, probably voted against the idea of Quebec
becoming a distinct society a few years ago. Well, Ottawa's about 
to legislate the same thing for a B.C. Indian tribe, but this time 
they're not going to ask you if it's okay. And there are about 50 
other Indian tribes waiting in line for the same thing if this goes 
through.

I want you to help defeat Ottawa's new Bill C-9 legislation, which is 
an attempt to up a treaty between the Nisga'a Indian Tribal Council, 
the Canadian government and the B.C. government. I'm not opposed to 
the idea of a Nisga'a treaty -- there should be a treaty, but not THIS
one.

Unless you're from B.C., you probably know nothing about the bill and how
it will affect you, nor how controversial the ideas behind this proposed
treaty are with the B.C. public, and that's why I'm writing to you. You
SHOULD know, before the bill comes to a vote.

In a preliminary vote in Ottawa last week, the Liberals, NDP, Conservatives
and, of course, the Bloc Quebecois voted in favour. Reform was the only
party to vote against (we not affiliated with any party). You should also
know that the B.C. government, because of growing public opposition, had to
quickly cut off debate of its version of the bill in order to approve it.
Less than half of it had been discussed to that point.

Approval of federal version of the bill, Bill C-9, will violate the
fundamental belief, cherished by the vast majority of us, that all
Canadians should be equal. If Bill C-9 is not defeated, it will affect
every Canadian, including you. It will reinforce racism in Canada, not
resolve it. And it was anger over lack of equality that caused the anger
and fires at Burnt Church, New Brunswick, earlier this month.

It will also cost you, your children and their children a LOT of money in
taxes.

How can you help? Just consider the following information -- stop at any
point you wish -- and then drop to the bottom of this message to contact
your MP or any Senator and tell them how YOU'D like them to vote Bill C-9.
The information on how to do make that contact for free is at the end of
this message. You'll have to do it fast, as preliminary voting and debate
has already begun.

Consider this:

Equality. This is the bedrock of who we are when we say today we are
Canadian. We are equal. When the federal and provincial governments tried
to give special status to Quebec in the constitutional vote over the Meech
Lake Accord a decade ago, there was a resounding 'No!'. Years ago, the
governments of the day persecuted Chinese Canadians, Japanese Canadians and
aboriginal Canadians because of their race, because of their ancestry,
because of who their parents were. The Parliament and Senate and provincial
governments of the day all believed it was right and just to persecute
them, that it was the proper thing to do. We gave them a 'special status'
and stripped them of their rights to freedom, to vote, to even swim in
public pools. We realize now how wrong we were. We realize now that the
only way to properly run a country, to be a nation, is for all of its
citizens to have equal rights, to be equal and to be treated equally.
Today, at last, after many years of hard work by many people fighting for
social justice, almost all of us are equal.

But we still haven't come to grips with the fact that aboriginal people
aren't yet equal.

The governments of today think that the only way to make aboriginals equal
is to give them a special status. "It's right and just," they say. "It's
the proper thing to do," they say. "This time, it'll be different," they
say. "This time we'll keep everybody else out of the aboriginal's swimming
pool." It's the same discredited policy, couched in politically correct
language. Apparently, some Canadian politicians still haven't learned that
you can't fight racism with racism. Bill C-9 gives the Nisga'a people a
'special status' in Canada -- a 'special status' that is based on their
race.

This legislation, if you vote for it, will make the Nisga'a 'more equal'
than other Canadians simply because of their race, simply because of their
lineage. Besides promoting racisim, it will make individual Nisga'a not
much more than serfs beholden to a tribal government with significantly
enhanced power over them. Worse, it is a template for making at least 50
other groups of aboriginal people, now in treaty talks in B.C., 'more
equal', simply because of their race. Worst of all, once done, it can't be
undone without significant social and political upheaval, because it will
be protected by Constitution law. And these facts alone make it one of the
most important pieces of legislation to come before Parlaiment and the
Senate. I urge you to help defeat the bill.

The proposed Treaty is wrong for the Canadian people, for Nisga'a
individuals, for the federal government and for Canadian taxpayers, but the
reality of politics means you'll only be hearing how great it is. So here
are the main points to keep in mind as the Nisga'a debate takes place in
Parliament in the next few weeks:

1. Once approved, the Treaty will be virtually impossible to change.

The type of government envisioned for the Nisga'a, and the type of
inter-government relations with Canada and the provinces it envisions, have
never been tried before. This is brand new -- and really complex. Yet this
significant social experiment will become Constitutionally protected,
unless your MP votes against it. Once the enabling bill becomes law, the
proposed Nisga'a Treaty and its hundreds of pages of detailed, legalistic
clauses, provisions and appendixes can only be changed if the Constitution
itself is changed, or in the unlikely event the federal, B.C. and Nisga'a
governments unanimously agree to a change. Now consider that the uproar at
Burnt Church was, in essence, triggered by a court's interpretation of only
one word in a one-page, handwritten treaty.

2. The deal gives ownership of vast land and resources to the Nisga'a
Tribal Council, not the Nisga'a people as individuals.

This type of system didn't work in Russia, and they're trying to get rid of
it. It's not working in China and they'd love to be rid of it -- but the
crackdown in Tienamen Square stopped that cold. This form of government
belongs to a previous century, and we've all learned since that it is
individuals who should own the land and resources in order to create wealth
for their society, not governments. This legislation will ensure that only
the Nisga'a Tribal Council controls the extensive resources the proposed
Treaty provides, giving council members much more authority over individual
Nisga'a than ever before. Individual Nisga'a are sufficiently worried to
challenge the Tribal Council in court.

3. The deal makes the Nisga'a people different from every other Canadian.
That's apartheid.

Apartheid didn't work in South Africa; it doesn't work elsewhere; it won't
work here. The proposed deal gives the Nisga'a dozens of rights,
concessions and privileges you and I will never have simply because we
don't have the right parents. Worse, some of these are rights that other
aboriginal Canadians don't have. Because only the Nisga'a will have them,
they will be treated differently from other Canadians simply by virtue of
their birth, their ancestry, their parents. Gordon Wilson, now B.C.'s
education minister, once wrote, "This process is, by any definition,
discriminatory and thus racist." And that process, at the core, is wrong.

4. The Canadian government will assign far more to every Nisga'a family
than it ever gave to any widow of a Canadian soldier or peacekeeper.

The proposed Nisga'a treaty is, by an order of magnitude, the richest ever
reached with an aboriginal people in Canada. No veteran returning from war,
no widow of a Canadian soldier or peacekeeper was ever treated this well.
The Nisga'a Tribal Council claims there are about 6,000 Nisga'a; that's
about 2,000 families. The proposed Treaty gives the Council 1,930 square
kilometres (745 square miles) of resource-rich land covering a large swath
of west-central British Columbia. It also gives the Council $500 million in
cash, grants and government program funds, plus at least $32 million per
year in addition to the Treaty funds. For each family living on the
reserve, that's about 8,600 city blocks of land, about $250,000 in cash or
equivalents, plus an additional $16,000 per family per year in extra
benefits. The extra benefits go on forever (no matter what Bill C-9's
proponents say, there is no 'closure' here).

5. We need treaties, but not one that splits up Canada and is a template
for others.

This deal doesn't unify Canada, it splits it up even more. This is the
aboriginal equivalent of a separate Quebec. Bill C-9 will effectively
create a nation within a nation. It's been tried before, but it's never
worked anywhere else. Worse, it becomes a template for others in Canada to
do the same. There should be a settlement with the Nisga'a, as well as
agreements reached with other aboriginal people in the 50 bands in British
Columbia that have reserves, and who are currently negotiating for
treaties. But not this one. The Nisga'a Treaty will be an economic,
cultural and social tragedy for all, including the individual Nisga'a. It's
a disaster. We must start again.

6. The Nisga'a government will be another level of government, able to
over-ride laws of all existing levels of government.

The federal legislation, if you approve it, will give the Nisga'a Council
the power to over-ride municipal, provincial and even federal authority in
matters involving labour, education, health, family service, fish &
wildlife, traffic, transportation, most business laws and most business
regulations. No people are an island, so this will have significant
indirect effects on those living outside of Nisga'a jurisdiction,
including, eventually, you.

7. The Nisga'a will escape plenty of taxes the rest of Canadians must pay.

Unless your MP votes against it, Bill C-9 ensures the Nisga'a will remain
essentially tax-free for years to come. Even if the Nisga'a people
eventually begin paying a few taxes, no Nisga'a government (nor any of its
subsidiaries) would ever pay property tax, capital tax, corporate income
tax, stumpage (royalties to governments on logging), water-rights fees or
mineral-rights fees. Nor will individual Nisga'a ever have to pay -- as the
rest of us must -- hotel room taxes, insurance premium taxes, motor fuel
taxes, property transfer taxes, provincial sales taxes nor tobacco taxes
within their extensive lands. Realisticaly, the communal nature of the
system being established will mean it's unlikely the Nisga'a will pay any
taxes of significance.

8. Canada will never stop giving money to the Nisga'a. That's right -- never.

The supporters of Bill C-9 claim that 15 years after the agreement comes
into effect, the Nisga'a people will begin paying taxes and funds will
begin flowing back to the federal treasury. It sounds like the Nisga'a will
become self-sufficient at that point, but that isn't accurate. The federal
Minister of Indian Affairs said in a letter earlier this year that this
theoretical event, even if it does take place, will reduce the net inflow
of tax money to the Nisga'a by just 25%. That's right; 75% of the revenue
river flowing into the Nisga'a Tribal Council coffers will continue to flow
there after the Nisga'a begin paying their paltry taxes; and it will flow
forever - there is no closure here, either, no matter what proponents say.

9. Every Canadian taxpayer has a stake in this; it's your money being given
away; it's your rights being abrogated; it's your principles being violated.

Why should people like you -- in B.C., on the Prairies, in Manitoba, in
eastern Canada or even in Burnt Church, New Brunswick, sit in judgment on
Bill C-9? Because it's your tax money being used, and your balance of
rights that are being violated by it. Despite the flood of public money
that will go to the Nisga'a Tribal Council unless this bill is defeated,
there is no effective independent system established to ensure all this
public tax money will be properly spent, and there is limited
accountability even to individual Nisga'a. And here's another reason all
Canadians should have a voice: it's their belief in the equality of every
Canadian that's being violated by this legislation. Remember what happened
to the Meech Lake deal, when it tried to do the same thing? The rejection
was solid. The Canadian public is in no mood to give special rights to any
group in this country now, and will probably never voluntarily do so again.
We know it's wrong.

10. The deal is really unpopular with the public. More than 90% of nearly
10,000 people have voted against it so far. And they're the only ones who
have been able to vote publicly.

Even though the deal creates a special-rights group based on race, no
government has ever organized a referendum on the proposed Nisga'a deal,
except the Nisga'a Tribal Council (only 61% of the Nisga'a voted in
favour), so there is no independent account of public opposition to the
concepts embodied in this Treaty.

Even so, grass-root referenda were held in the B.C. communities of Delta,
Prince Rupert, Prince George and Port Hardy. In those urban and rural
communities, widely spread over the province, the people readily rejected
the deal -- by about 90%. Voting at our website ( http://www.nisgaa.org )
reflects this pattern nationally. Our current fax-in vote is a solid 95%
against. The B.C. government was forced to use closure, something it hasn't
done for decades, to approve its version of Bill C-9. That left half of its
own huge, complex bill to pass without debate, with virtually no
legislative scrutiny. Of course, it won't enact its law until Parliament
does. Naturally, proponents reject the notion of referenda. They know it
would fail badly; they know most people would vote against. Instead, your
MP, unless they are in the Reform party, are being asked - probably told -
to vote for it, as an end run around you and the rest of the public.

11. Bonus point to consider: The Prime Minister is determined to approve
the treaty, despite what the rest of us think.

Liberals are being told how to vote. When Prime Minister Chrétien visited
the Nisga'a in late August, he spoke publicly about Bill C-9. "It will be
passed," he said bluntly, meaning that Parliamentary and Senate approval
would occur regardless of any opposition from you, from MPs in the House of
Commons or from Senators. Approved regardless of common sense. Does it
matter what you think about the other 10 points in this letter? Of course
it matters; it's why MPs are elected; why Senators are appointed. It's why
your MP is in Ottawa -- to represnt YOU. It appears, though, that Mr.
Chrétien doesn't think your view matters.

Please remember that if Bill C-9 fails, the Treaty will be renegotiated --
but this time much more fairly for the indivdual Nisga'a people and for all
Canadian taxpayers and voters, like you. Next time, the negotiation will be
based on the concept of equality for everybody, but only you can create
that opportunity, by urging your MP and any member of the Senate, to defeat
Bill C-9.

For a full, independent examination of all the issues, facts and points of
view involving the proposed Nisga'a Treaty -- yes, pro and con -- I invite
you to visit The Nisga'a Treaty Discussion Website on the Internet.

Yours sincerely,
The Nisga'a Treaty Information, Discussion and Voting Website
http://www.nisgaa.org

Please note: The website is independent of the Treaty's participants and
political parties. It does not receive funding from any of them.



HOW TO HELP
-----------

Want to help decide the vote on Bill C-9? There are various easy (and
free!) ways, and you should take the steps right now, while you're thinking
about it:

STEP 1: Send a copy of this letter to your friends or colleagues.

STEP 2: Click to vote at our website. It's the only place in Canada where
you will get your own opportunity to vote FOR YOURSELF. If you do, you will
also have the opportunity to make comments for forwarding to politicians.
Your votes will be brought to the attention of politicians. To vote, click:
http://www.nisgaa.org/

STEP 3: CONTACT YOUR MP ELECTRONICALLY

* To send your MP an e-mail, go to any of the following web address and use
your browser's Find Command to locate your MP. If your computer's browser
and/or e-mail program are properly set up, just click on the MP's name to
get a blank e-mail form. Fill it out and send it with your comments. The
address to get the MP's e-mail address is:
http://www.parl.gc.ca/36/senmemb/house/MemberList.asp?Lang=E

* Don't know the name of your MP? The address to get your MPs name and
e-mail address by the province you are in is:
http://www.parl.gc.ca/36/senmemb/house/ProvinceList.asp?Lang=E

OR

* If your MP is Liberal, NDP, Conservative or Bloc Quebecois, they are
likely being ordered or pressured to vote in favour of the legislation.
Reform MPs are opposed. To find out how your MP voted, click at the next
address and use the 'Find' command in your browser to locate the last name
of your MP:
http://www.nisgaa.org/FedVote1.html

The address to use to find out what political party your MP is in (and get
their e-mail address) is:
http://www.parl.gc.ca/36/senmemb/house/PartyList.asp?Lang=E

* Your e-mail can be faxed to your MP. (This is often as effective as
sending them an e-mail or writing them a regular letter) To do the 'e-mail
to fax' route, go to the following site and use your browser's Find command
to locate the name of your MP. The names are all hyperlinked. Click on the
name and, if your computer is properly set up, a blank e-mail form with a
special address will be created. Just write your comments into the blank
form, add a subject line, and send it. The e-mail will be sent directly to
the MP's fax machine, where it will print out like a fax. The address for
the list of MPs is: http://vanbc.wimsey.com/~jdcates/mpemail.html

OR CONTACT YOUR MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT BY PHONE, FAX OR REGULAR MAIL

* Your Member's name and contact information can be provided to you for
free by calling Government of Canada Information at (toll free)
1-800-667-3355. You can phone them and leave a message or fax them directly
(you'll have to pay for the call). Or, send regular mail (you don't need
any postage) to:

(Member's Name Here)
House of Commons,
Parliament Buildings,
Ottawa ON,
K1A 0A6

STEP 4: CONTACT THE PRIME MINISTER OF CANADA.

Here's the address of Prime Minister Chretien:
http://pm.gc.ca/mail_room/contact_pm/index.asp

STEP 5: CONTACT A SENATOR

* If the Members of Parliament vote in favour of the bill, the Senate votes
next. They can defeat it if they want to do so. To determine the name of a
Senator to receive your letter -- you should write, instead of e-mailing as
most Senators do not use e-mail -- go to:
http://www.parl.gc.ca/36/senmemb/house/PartyList.asp?Lang=E

The address to write (you don't need any postage) is:

(Senator's name here)
The Senate of Canada,
Ottawa, Ontario,
K1A 0A4

STEP 6: WRITE A LETTER TO THE EDITOR

* You can also write a letter to the editor of your paper as well as write
to your Member of Parliament or Senator. MPs, Senators or their staff often
read Letters to the Editor to find out what their constituents think. For a
list of newspapers, their fax numbers and e-mail addresses for submitting
letters to the editor, go to: http://mai.flora.org/mai-info/media.htm

STEP 8: Click to discuss your ideas about this topic with others at our
Discussion Forum. Once you read the introductory note, click the headline
on that page. To get there, click: http://www.nisgaa.org/Forum.htm




