The Beaver Lake Cree [pdf] live in the boreal forest of northeast Alberta, Canada. In 1876, their ancestors signed a treaty with the government ceding an area the size of Switzerland in return for continued, guaranteed rights to hunt, fish and gather plants and medicines on these lands.
Around 30% of current tar sands operations are within these territories, fragmenting a huge area of forest, polluting the air and water, disturbing wildlife and threatening the Beaver Lake Cree’s traditional way of life. Exploitation is set to triple in the area over coming years.
In response, the Beaver Lake Cree have commenced a legal battle [pdf] to protect their environment and traditional way of life.
If they are successful it would have huge implications for the oil industry’s massive expansion plans for the tar sands. The Co-operative views this legal action as perhaps one of our best chances to stop tar sands expansion, and the climate and local ecological disaster it threatens.
The Beaver Lake Cree needs your help:
Read more:
The impacts of tar sands on local communities:
Chief Lameman - Edinburgh, 2009
Interview with Chief Lameman at the launch of the Tarnished Earth street gallery, September 2010:
Support the Beaver Lake Cree using the right-hand side tabs to donate or buy a t-shirt - all proceeds going to a charitable trust set up to support their legal challenges.
Buy an exclusive Beaver Lake Cree vs the Tar Sands Monster campaign t-shirt, designed by Pete Fowler.
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