Edmonton Journal,
June 9, 1998
Jack Danylchuk
Journal Staff Writer
Edmonton - They're just three little words,
but Daishowa-Marubeni International's failure
to spell out in writing what it means by
"area of concern" is maintaining a product
boycott that has cost the company an
estimated $11 million in lost sales.
Statements issued by the company indicate the
phrase refers to a 10,000-sq-km block of
northern Alberta that is part of its
forest-management area and traditional
territory claimed by the Lubicon Lake Band.
After losing a legal battle over the boycott
with Friends of the Lubicon, Daishowa
Marubeni made a public commitment that,
"through a self-imposed moratorium, (it) is
not logging in the Lubicon's area of
concern."
That not good enough, says the Toronto-based
organization that recently won the right to
continue the boycott it began in 1991.
"We want the promise and the area defined in
the same place," Kevin Thomas, a spokesperson
for the Friends, said Monday.
"The area of concern has been defined in so
many different ways over the years and it
usually comes down to the 95-square-mile area
that was offered to the Lubicon for a reserve
in 1988."
Jim Morrison, general manager of
Daishowa-Marubeni's office in Edmonton, was
baffled by the concern The issue was
"thoroughly discussed and clarified during
the trial in Toronto," he said.
"The definition is based on a map the Lubicon
used to define their traditional territory.
"The future reserve area has never been part
of our forest-management area; it has never
been a question of dispute. I guess what we
have to do is send them a photocopy of their
own map and I'm sure that we'll do that."
Daishowa-Marubeni says it agreed to the
moratorium "in hopes that it can contribute
to a favourable climate" to negotiations of
the Lubicon land claim.
Ottawa and the Lubicon have chosen new
negotiators but no date has been set to
resume talks that have been stalled for more
than a year.
Thomas said the boycott that is still being
honoured by 40 companies, including such
well-known stores as KFC, A & W, Club Monaco
and Roots, will end just as soon as Daishowa
Marubeni sends the letter to Lubicon Chief
Bernard Ominayak.
"It's a small thing in a way," Thomas said.
"Daishowa spent so much time putting together
arguments and appeal books for its court case
to shut this down and they can't seem to find
time to put together a simple map to define
the area they are staying out of."