Recent activities in Seattle and LA and over 2000 letters sent to Quadrant CEO Peter Orser are begining to make an impact. Last week, the company issued emails signed by Mr. Orser (download a copy here).
While it’s good that he took the time to respond, he misses the central point–that Quadrant shares a responsibility to respect indigenous rights. His only real response is that “Weyerhaeuser believes issues related to treaty rights or co-management of resources must be addressed at a government-to-government level…” Essentially, says Orser, ‘this isn’t our responsibility’.
In fact, Grassy Narrows has been seeking to address its concerns at a government-to-government level for more than three decades to no tangible result and in spite of obligations imposed on provincial and federal authorities by Canadian Courts and censure from the United Nations. The summary response from government is essentially ‘this isn’t our responsibility’.
Our position? It’s time to stop buck-passing and get on with business. Weyerhaeuser, Quadrant and everyone else profiting from resource extraction on aboriginal lands share a responsibility to ensure the free, prior and informed consent from the communities in which they opperate.
And we’re not alone. In June, the United Nations Human Rights Council voted to approve the Declaration on Human Rights. Now the Declaration needs to be adopted by the UN General Assembly. The Declaration states in part that
Indigenous peoples have the right to determine and develop priorities and strategies for the development or use of their lands, territories and other resources, including the right to require that States obtain their free and informed consent prior to the approval of any project affecting their lands, territories and other resources, particularly in connection with the development, utilization or exploitation of mineral, water or other resources.
Significantly, Canada voted against the deal–a move that drew international criticism. Even the stalwart free-marketeers over at The Economist recognize what the magazine recently called the “failure of Canada’s policies towards its aboriginal people”.
So, if haven’t yet, consider responding to Mr. Orser about what he calls his “full support of the steps that Weyerhaeuser has taken to resolve these issues.”
Twitter Updates
I don’t believe you care. I think you are irresponsibly hiding behind a set of unfortunate formalities. I am boycotting Weyerhaeuser products.
I am about to start a large addition/deck onto my home. I will not be using Weyerhaeuser wood. Even if it costs me a little more. Let’s start looking at the long term istead of short term gains. I assume some of you have children and want them to enjoy the planet they live on. Perhaps being able to breath and drink the water. Think about it.
i don`t think you do care, you don`t see the importance of healthy nature to the whole planet, do you??? even if i don`t talk about the rights of native landowners, which don`t seem to be the same rights as the rights of white, black, or yellow landowners in 2006 in your country, maybe you didn`t notice yet, but the white man managed in 200 years to change the climate, he poisened the sea, the earth, the air, destroyed the ozon cover around the earth, actually destroed everything his own children will need to survive. don`t you think it`s about time you start to work together with the native people and their wisdom of 60.000 years living in harmony with the nature, to save our planet and save the future of your own children, because even they can`t eat money. regards nurith krueger
I am the owner and operator of a cabinet and mill shop and I will do all that I can to avoid Weyerhaeuser products. Your past practices have already come to many of my colleges attention and we will continue to act accordingly.There are alternatives and it should be part of your business practice to employ sound logging and invironmentally sustainable practices.
You want to have things both ways. You take advantage of the inaction of government and claim to be environmentally responsible as you destroy forests by using/promoting non-sustainable methods, ignore the rights of indegenous
people and profit from the destruction of our Earth.
Trying to put a ‘green spin’ on these actions or denying responsibilty will not fool informed citizens orconsumers.
Sir, we all share this planet, and as a consequence, we all must carry the burden to protect social and ecological justice. How sad that you do not understand your responsibilities as a human being….
Shame on you for hiding behind the fine lines of the law rather than the very broad spirit of the law. Rights of Native Nations must be honored before the economic profits.
If Weyerhaeuser sincerely cared about future generations, it would be responsible. There is a saying that after one’s food is no longer safe to eat, or in any way edible, one would not have long to live by eating one’s money. Please think about the little ones in your own family and their future.
Until Weyerhaeuser respects indigenous rights- in theory and in practice- I am boycotting Weyerhaeuser products.
I agree with David Loudenbeck. It’s unfortunate that a company that seems to be moving in the right direction (regarding recycling) can be so shortsighted in another, equally important area. If the indigenous people had discovered gunpowder before the white man, this would be a whole different world.
It’s to bad that companies are only worried about the profit margins, and not respecting the rights of native peoples who have lived in these places for a hundred years or more. The fact that there are still trees there shows that they are good steward’s of the land that they have, and you are going to destroy it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Your response boils down to a do nothing approach. We all have been there in our lives, but people with a responsible conscience act.
The only thing Quadrant has said that I believe is that it “fully supports” Weyerhauser. How about supporting the rights of indigenous people?
If you are making and using the products, it is your responsibility to make and use them environmentally wisely. This is obvious to the most uninformed observer.
Passing the buck and refusing to take responsibility for the results of your actions is not the kind of behavior I want from a company that I buy from. Unless this reckless attitude is reversed, I will no longer buy from your company.
In order for Weyerhaeuser to be truely “commited to the environment”, it must take responsibility for the co-management of resources and treaty rights. I’m not sold yet..
I don’t believe you care. I think you are irresponsibly hiding behind a set of unfortunate formalities. I am boycotting Weyerhaeuser products.
Thank you for your response to my concerns about you logging activities in Grassy Narrows. Obviously, the indigenous peoples would not agree with the contents of your e-mail and should have the right to determine and safeguard the future of development of THEIR land, including their free and informed consent prior to the approval of any environmentally sensitive projects.
Please think again.
Thank you for taking the time to respond, but you bypass the central point–that Quadrant shares a responsibility to respect indigenous rights. Your only real response is that “Weyerhaeuser believes issues related to treaty rights or co-management of resources must be addressed at a government-to-government level…” Essentially you are saying, ‘this isn’t our responsibility and we don’t intend to change’.
Weyerhaeuser, Quadrant and everyone else profiting from resource extraction on aboriginal lands share a responsibility to ensure the free, prior and informed consent from the communities in which they opperate.
In June, the United Nations Human Rights Council voted to approve the Declaration on Human Rights. The Declaration will soon be adopted by the UN General Assembly. The Declaration states in part that “Indigenous peoples have the right to determine and develop priorities and strategies for the development or use of their lands, territories and other resources, including the right to require that States obtain their free and informed consent prior to the approval of any project affecting their lands, territories and other resources, particularly in connection with the development, utilization or exploitation of mineral, water or other resources.”
I and my family will boycott your products until such time as your firm accepts its responsibilities to others.
You need to rethink your position.
I think you are insincere, dishonest and acting irresponsibly hiding behind a set of unfortunate formalities. I am boycotting Weyerhaeuser products.
If a corporation like Weyerhaeuser began construction without consent on a piece of land that was owned by Mr. Orser, I wonder how calm he would be about the situation and whose responsibility he would consider it to be. That old “not our responsibility” refrain is just an ancient shell game.
Friends will be boycotting Weyerhauser products also… and they will pass the message on to their friends who will do the same.
Your company has been singing the same song for too long.
You refuse to accept the responsibility of your actions,& don’t care at all about the native people or their rights!
I am boycotting all Weyerhauser products & will encourage my family & friends to do the same.
I dont feel that I can trust what you say as you have not walked your talk.
The Canadian Government is being criminally irresponsible by not obtaining the ‘free and informed consent of the indigenous peoples prior to the approval of any project affecting their lands’. If you continue this behavior without the approval and consent of the indigenous peoples, you too are
behaving in a criminal manner. I do not accept your hiding behind the ‘government to government’ excuse to continue with this unlawful behavior. I will boycott your products and work to increase the boycott until you change your behavior. You do know right from wrong don’t you?.
I don’t buy your passing the buck excuse. Boycott Weyerhaeuser products.
Stop “passing the buck” and try living by Harry S. Truman’s philosophy – “the buck stops here” and begin taking responsibility for your irresponsible actions with regard to preserving the earth’s resources for future generations.
I will no longer buy your products. You can take that to the bank!!! No spin here!!!
its a Tragedy of the Commons, you cannot dismiss your action (or the passing of those decisions to others making those actions) as not being part of another persons tragedy. If what you do does not promote clean air, water, harming other species including humans, then you are responsible.
Indigenous peoples have the right to determine and develop priorities and strategies for the development or use of their lands, territories and other resources, including the right to require that States obtain their free and informed consent prior to the approval of any project affecting their lands, territories and other resources, particularly in connection with the development, utilization or exploitation of mineral, water or other resources.
I don’t think that you care at all about anything other than profit. I think you are irresponsibly hiding behind a set of formalities, and I will boycott all Weyerhaeuser products.
You need to do more to show this issue is really important to your company.
Pat answers prove the problem was understood – the individual answering did not want to deal or be truthful to the questionner. The response means they are still going to do what they want. I am boycotting Weyerhaeuser products.
Weyerhaeuser, Quadrant and everyone else profiting from resource extraction on aboriginal lands share a responsibility to ensure the free, prior and informed consent from the communities in which they operate. I am boycotting Weyerhaeuser products.
Buck passing is such a cowards way out. Be a man and sit down to the big peoples table to resolve the matter responsibly.
I can’t abide by this terribly unethical and immoral behavior on the part of Weyerhaeuser. Money isn’t everyting. I am boycotting Weyerhaeuser products.
I believe this is not only irresponsible but greed and power motivated. I am deeply saddened by the actions of “Corporate America” and the impact their lack of concern has on individual rights and the Earth Mother.
It’s unfortunate that Weyerhauser chooses to ignore the opportunity to step up and TAKE repsonsibility as a Business for Social Responsibility. How would you like it if people starting pillaging the resources on your own property under emanant domain? And since you’ve set a precedent, you really wouldn’t have much of a leg to stand on. I am boycotting Weyehauser products, and I will make sure that you are not part of my 401K mutual fund plans as well. I don’t want this dirty money.
I am boycotting Weyerhaeuser products until I know, for fact, that you and the companies you associate with in the Rainforest regions are managing the areas in your charge with respect and the people with respect and the animals with respect and the entire eco system with respect and not clear cutting and ruining the area for good and the people’s lives for ever.
Here is a copy of the email that I sent to Mr. Orser on 8/31/06, in respomse to his spin-full reply to my previous letter on this issue:
Dear Mr. Orser:
I understand that your job is dependent upon you putting a positive spin on Weyerhauser’s activities in respect to environmental impact and sustainability. However, I grew up in the Pacific Northwest, and it is thanks to the actions of Weyerhauser that I cry every time I go back home and see the devastation that Weyerhauser has caused on the Olympic Peninsula. It is thanks to the actions of Weyerhauser that land has become so expensive in the Pacific Northwest, because Weyerhauser can afford to pay high prices and then strip the land of every tree and sell the lumber, and then you build houses on the newly denuded land.
Regarding Weyerhauser’s position on the Dow Jones Sustainability North American Index, just because Weyerhauser has managed to pull the wool over the eyes of the Dow Jones, and has made itself look good in comparison to a bunch of companies with a deplorable track record, does not mean that Weyerhauser’s actions in the Whiskey Jack forest are admirable. Being one step up the moral ladder from total scum does not make one virtuous.
As for Quadrant Homes, rather than getting defensive about how wonderful you think Weyerhauser is just because they are the ones buttering your bread, why don’t you look into the possibility of engineering positive change in the way that both Weyerhauser and Quadrant do business? Instead of pretending to be environmental leaders, why don’t you actually do it? Because you are not fooling anyone except the environmental rapists at the Dow Jones (and maybe not even them), and those of your customers who have not yet gotten word about you online (and it’s only a matter of time before they do). By pretending to be environmentally responsible instead of actually doing it, you only make yourself look worse in the public’s eyes, not better. And that, combined with your apparent inability to change with the times, is going to be really bad for business in the long run.
Sincerely,
Eve Marie Eells
While it’s good that you took the time to respond, you miss the central point–that Quadrant shares a responsibility to respect indigenous rights. Your only real response is that “Weyerhaeuser believes issues related to treaty rights or co-management of resources must be addressed at a government-to-government level…” Essentially, says Orser, ‘this isn’t our responsibility’.
In fact, Grassy Narrows has been seeking to address its concerns at a government-to-government level for more than three decades to no tangible result and in spite of obligations imposed on provincial and federal authorities by Canadian Courts and censure from the United Nations. The summary response from government is essentially ‘this isn’t our responsibility’.
Our position? It’s time to stop buck-passing and get on with business. Weyerhaeuser, Quadrant and everyone else profiting from resource extraction on aboriginal lands share a responsibility to ensure the free, prior and informed consent from the communities in which they opperate.
And we’re not alone. In June, the United Nations Human Rights Council voted to approve the Declaration on Human Rights. Now the Declaration needs to be adopted by the UN General Assembly. The Declaration states in part that
Indigenous peoples have the right to determine and develop priorities and strategies for the development or use of their lands, territories and other resources, including the right to require that States obtain their free and informed consent prior to the approval of any project affecting their lands, territories and other resources, particularly in connection with the development, utilization or exploitation of mineral, water or other resources.
Significantly, Canada voted against the deal–a move that drew international criticism. Even the stalwart free-marketeers over at The Economist recognize what the magazine recently called the “failure of Canada’s policies towards its aboriginal people”.
I don’t believe you care. I think you are irresponsibly hiding behind a set of unfortunate formalities. I am boycotting Weyerhaeuser products.
Mr Orser,
It is my opinion that your response to the extraction of lumber from Canada and the effect that has on the indigenous peoples in question, is really no more than predictable window dressing. No matter who may sign agreements with the extracting corporations to harvest forest products it is still a primary responsibility of that corporation, Weyerhauser in this case, if it is a truly ethical company, to see that all due processes and just compensation to the indigenous peoples is settled.
Saying “It’s not my responsibility” is the answer of an uninterested person.
Senator Martinez (R-Florida) recently took the trouble to chastise me in a personal letter for paying attention to Canadian politics and contacting Canadian officials.
Human rights and environmental issues know no borders, a concept too disconnected from dollar signs for Senator Maritenez to comprehend.
Prior correspondence from Senator Martinez was rife with junk science and other misinformation from the corporate community stating the ficticious need to rape the Arctic Wildlife Refuge and other such nonsense.
Clearly, we need more legislators in every nation who think more and stink less.
We stole the land from indigenous tribes once. Now, fat- cat corporations want to do it again. It paints an ugly picture of corporations throughout the world. I will boycott those companies that put the buck above fairness and decency.
hi i think people should care and take a great advantage it’s our duty to help and be responsible
I know how much you care about the environment. I saw first hand the terrible damage your clear cutting has done in my home state of Arkansas.
Our family is boycotting your products until you address the rights and priorities of indigenous people when you develop lands.
Weyerhaeuser/Quadrant shares the responsibility of ensuring the consent of indigenous peoples on the lands in which it operates. No more passing the buck!
Weyerhaeuser has taken no steps that are satisfying this issue for the indigenous peoples. I will not knowlingly buy any further Weyerhaeuser products.
Dear Sir/Madam, It seems that your company has a limited respect for indigenous rights. To say that the treaty rights should be delt with on a government level is imature dont you think? Your company is run by human beings not robots. Please think about your actions, and understand that actions do have consequences.
Brendan Davis-Gibbons