At this summer's 11th Annual "Salmon Spectacular" in Owen Sound,
Ontario there was not much respect for aboriginal people nor for
their rights to a commercial fishery in their traditional waters
around the Bruce Peninsula in Lake Huron. The salmon derby is big
business attracting over 4,000 anglers competing for $100,000 in
prizes. Christian Peacemaker Teams Ontario members circulated through
the fishing derby crowds on Sept. 1 to gauge the mood.

"There aren't any fish left here. The natives fished them all
out," a member of the local Sportsmen's Association which runs
the derby told us. "They oughta take all them Indians out in the
woods and shoot them," said one fisherman as he weighed in his
catch of five large chinook salmon.

For many years the Chippewas of Nawash and Saugeen First Nations
have been struggling to assert their rights to the fish in these
waters. In 1993 the Ontario provincial courts finally affirmed
those aboriginal rights.

Non-native commercial fishers and recreational anglers have
complained about this court decision ever since as a "give-away".
Soon after, in 1995, thousands of dollars worth of the Nawash'
nets were stolen and one of their fishing boats was burned.
Police have not charged anyone for this property damage.

The Ontario and Canadian governments have still not negotiated
the court-mandated co-management agreements with the Chippewa
First Nations. Instead Ontario has laid charges against the
Chippewas for violating the government's fishing regulations.
Meanwhile local fishing clubs and the Ontario government continue
to stock millions of foreign salmon species into the lake despite
the threat they pose to the native trout species fished
commercially by the Chippewas.

The Ontario government and officials from the Sportsmen's
Association reminded anglers at the derby not to tamper with the
Nawash' nets. However the message of tolerance and respect for
the rights of First Nations people has not made it to the rank
and file members of the association nor to visiting anglers at
the "Salmon Spectacular".

Canadians have a lot of work to do in all our communities to
counter racism against First Nations peoples and to promote
respect for their aboriginal and treaty rights.