CPTnet
November 3, 2003
ASUBPEESCHOSEEWAGONG ACTION ALERT: Send letters to McClatchy Company
encouraging meeting with Grassy Narrows First Nation

The CPT project at Grassy Narrows invites you to send a letter to Gary
Pruitt, President and CEO of the McClatchy Company, encouraging his company
to meet with representatives from the Grassy Narrows First Nation (GNFN.)
The McClatchy Co. owns several newspapers in the United States and buys
newsprint from the Abitibi-Consolidated, Inc. pulp mill in Kenora, Ontario.
Abitibi supplies the mill with wood clear-cut on Grassy Narrows Traditional
Land Use Area (TLUA.)

It is vital that the McClatchy Co. recognizes that its newsprint comes from
trees cut in a process hat destroys the traditional lands of the people of
Grassy Narrows.

A sample letter is provided. Send your letters to:

Mr. Gary B. Pruitt,
President and Chief Executive Officer
The McClatchy Company
2100 Q Street,
Sacramento, CA. USA
95815

Grassy Narrows is a part of the Anishnaabe Nation which signed Treaty #3
with the Canadian government in 1873. The Treaty guarantees that the
forests and lands will be shared between the two nations. However,
clear-cutting has disrupted Grassy Narrows' food source and economy.

For years, Grassy Narrows members have tried to communicate with Canada,
nation to nation, in order to stop the clear-cutting of their home. Canada
has ignored their concerns. In September 2003 the GNFN Chief and Council
met with John Weaver, President of Abitibi. Weaver would not agree to stop
the clear-cutting nor to pressure government to respect treaty agreements
and/or change regulations that permit clear-cutting.

The McClatchy Company is based in Sacramento (see their website at
www.sacbee.com), and owns newspapers across the U.S., the largest being the
Minneapolis Star-Tribune. Those of us reading the news in McClatchy papers
are connected to the destructive forestry practices on Grassy Narrows land.
Writing a letter urging the company to meet with Grassy Narrows can
encourage the powers that be to work towards right relations in their
business deals.

The Sacramento Bee (a McClatchy paper) reported on the letter written by
Grassy Narrows Deputy Chief Steve Fobister requesting a meeting with the
McClatchy Company. Ben Taylor, senior vice president of communications at
the Star Tribune, told the Sacramento Bee

"We are just a consumer," he said. "Think of it this way: What if somebody
came to you and said: 'Do you know where your gasoline comes from and what
kind of issues are involved in producing it?' "

Exactly, Mr. Taylor! We know where our gas comes from, and we actively try
to stop the war our government fights to acquire gasoline. We also know
where our newsprint comes from, and the community put at risk to produce it.

SAMPLE LETTER

Dear Mr. Pruitt,

I have been following the tragic events at Grassy Narrows First Nation
through the releases written by Christian Peacemaker Teams (CPT.) At the
invitation of Grassy Narrows community members, CPT maintains a violence
reduction presence in North-western Ontario. The team regularly meets with
government and Abitibi-Consolidated and provides an observer presence in
order to inform persons such as myself about the developments at Grassy
Narrows.

Grassy Narrows First Nation opposes the clear-cutting on their traditional
land-use area and wishes to change this method of cutting. They wish to
negotiate changes on a nation-to-nation level, based on Treaty #3, signed
by Canada and the Anishnabe Nation in 1873.

Your company has the opportunity to be a part of a solution. I urge you to
meet with representatives of Grassy Narrows First Nation to hear their
difficult situation and explore how the McClatchy Company can be a part of
resolving it.

As a Christian and a consumer of newspaper, I want to know that when I buy a
paper it has been produced with as little damage as possible to God's
Creation. Christian values call on all of us to ensure that our actions do
not cause harm to our neighbours. My faith calls on me to encourage your
company to actively take part in hearing from Grassy Narrows First Nation.
I thank you for considering such a meeting.

Sincerely,

(Your name)

(Your city and state/province, especially if you live in California or
Minnesota)