Hereditary Chiefs Oppose Bella Coola Rock Quarry
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| "First of all; we acknowledge and recognize Tatau, the Creator through Manakays, the Great Spirit for all that is provided for us since the beginning of time and still is today" |
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We, the Nuxalk Nation are a Sovereign Nation. Our Sovereignty comes from Tatau the heavenly Father or God in your language. Tatau has allowed us to be caretakers of the Nuxalk Nation Territory. We, as a people, do not want a deep sea port, gravel pit or a rock quarry. We do not want what is known as the Bella Coola Rock Quarry in our Territory. We will have no more destruction of our Territory. Our way life will be completely be destroyed by mining, more so than logging. We will unite all our people to oppose this project. Enough is enough. Way! Head Chief Nuximlayc, 14 May 2001 |
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House of Smayusta chiefs wish to submit an open commentary about the way that the Polaris corporation's "Bella Coola Aggregate Rock Quarry" will damage our environment and our traditional way of life and culture. The type of chemicals used to clean and wash the raw products will destroy the estuary, Bella Coola River, and the marine life as we know it today. There has been tremendous corporate lobbying of the local leaderships and community people who may have limited knowledge of the impacts and the type of threat that this poses to our region. There has been enough altering of our natural environment; we feel that it should be respected and seen for what it is today. There is much to obtain from this beautiful region for ourselves to take pride in and for the world to see. So why sacrifice it? Polaris and other corporations that want to come to develop Bella Coola have a bad track record for the environment as well as for their treatment toward Indigenous Peoples' in other parts of the world. So why do we even consider their proposal with this catastrophe awaiting our region? |
Above: a community meeting in Bella Coola on the industrial development of Nuxalk Territory. To read about the destructive record of the Polaris Minerals Corporation in other parts of the world and to be informed about its sleazy directors: Click Here Judge for yourselves if the "Bella Coola Rock Quarry" is desirable. . . |
