The history of trespassing that began with the timber companies and homesteaders continued in 1949 when the Lakehead Pipe Line Company built a pipeline that crossed a tract of unceded Red Lake land, Lot 8, at Four Legged Lake. Additional pipelines followed in 1954, 1963, and 1973. In 1968, Enbridge bought Lakehead and continued the trespass by replacing the old pipelines with the Alberta Clipper a
nd Southern Lights pipelines. In addition to trespass, there was a dark side to the pipelines. During the Enbridge encampment, Tito Ybarra, a protester from Red Lake, said: “It's not a question of if these pipes will leak—it's just when, and where. The oil and chemicals they use to harvest and produce this oil are very, very toxic. It gets into the groundwater, which gets into the rivers and streams, and it causes cancer. It's been poisoning communities up in Canada.”
A Kalamazoo-type spillage at Lot 8 presents a grave danger to Red Lake lands. A spill at West Four Legged Lake, where Lot 8 is located, would enter Ruffee Creek (also called Ruffy Brook), flow north for approximately 15 miles, and join the Clearwater River. From where the two intersect, it is about a mile to the Red Lake border. Although such a spillage wouldn’t reach Lower Red Lake, it would affect a critical fish and wildlife habitat on the western border. Robert Desjarliat
Recall the vote on the Enbridge agreement. Boozhoo Red Lake band members,
ARTICLE X REFERENDUM AND RECALL
• Section 1.
• Upon receipt of a petition by 25 percent of the eligible voters, or by an affirmative vote of 8 members of the Tribal Council, any enacted or proposed resolution or ordinance of the Tribal Council shall be submitted to a referendum of the eligible voters of the Red Lake Band. The majority of the votes cast in such referendum shall be conclusive and binding on the Tribal Council. The Tribal Council shall call such referendum and prescribe the manner of conducting the vote. The people of Red Lake have a voice and our voice should be heard, we have the right in our constitution to put together a petition. If we are able to get 25 percent of the eligible voters to sign this petition, the Tribal Council will have to conduct a mandatory referendum vote. Issues that are of such importance should be decided by the people of Red Lake, this decision can affect our future generations to come and our ancestors made decisions in the best interest of those future generations. It is up to us as a Nation to come together and sign this petition, so we can protect our environment, our sovereignty, our right to be informed and our heritage of making decisions that best suit our Nation. Your information provided will not be shared, this petition will be presented to the Red Lake Tribal Council at the next council meeting which will be held on January, 12th 2016.
