Native-Americans fight to spearfishing rights 'For Native-Americans, the question of spearfishing rights and other treaty rights is a question of life and death.'

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publicize Native American spearfishing rights. Speakers at the rally included Native American leaders, leaders of the Black community, white peace and justice activists, and a few elected officials.

Last year in northern Wisconsin, thousands of white supremacists came out to protest spearfishing rights. They were opposing the treaties that gave Native Americans the rights to catch fish by spearing them at designated times and places.

The attackers threw rocks and bottles at the spearfishers, fired random shots at their supporters, forced their cars off the road, used speedboats to swamp their boats, and shot ball bearings from slingshots.

The governor of Wisconsin, Tommy Thompson, recently issued a statement that if there is violence in Wisconsin again this year, he will appeal to the federal government to amend the treaty rights. This statement turns the victims into the criminals ATION to and encourages further right-wing violence this year. The governor's statement is like saying that if the Ku Klux Klan attacks any more Blacks, the right to vote for Black people will have to be reconsidered.

Big business behind the scenes Gov. Thompson's hostility is not based on concerns about violence or alleged overfishing. Acid rain, papermills and mining operations are a far greater threat to the fish populations than spearfishing. Resort owners claim that the fish are being depleted by spearfishing. But last year only 4 percent of the fish harvested were caught by Native Americans through spearfishing.

The areas in northern Wisconsin covered by the treaty rights contain some of the largest and richest mineral deposits in the United States. Major mining companies have a vested interest in undercutting Indian treaty rights that could restrict their ability exploit these deposits.

It is hardly a coincidence that a principal adviser to Gov. Thompson in this spearfishing fight is one of Exxon's chief Washington lobbyists. Thompson appointed the lobbyist to "negotiate" a suspension of spearfishing rights in return for a $50 million payoff to the Indian tribes. The deal was rejected by Wisconsin Native Americans in a tribal referendum over the winter.

For Native Americans, the question of spearfishing and other treaty rights is a question of life and death. At the present time, because of racism, the unemployment rate for Native Americans in the cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul is around 60 percent. Attacks on fishing rights in Wisconsin are a continuation of the centuries-old government policy of genocide against Native Americans and their culture.

At the rally, Vernon Bellecourt of International Treaty Rights revealed the hypoABORTIO! worner Right CHOC Joe Ryan/Socialist Action crisy of a recent statement by George Bush that said, "We will show the world that the United States is a country that keeps its word." Bellecourt pointed out that the United States is a country that has violated its treaties with Indians 250 times!

During that period, Chief Red Cloud gave a speech to prepare his people for war. In his speech, he described with a keen eye the way capitalist society functions. He said, "Seek out all things and pile them high. Be fat yourself and let the hungry die. Be warm yourself and let the naked freeze. So shall you see the trail the white man sees.

Get involved!

In their drive for giant profits, the big lumber and mining companies would like to convince working people that we have the same interests. They insist that there would be more jobs if treaty rights are broken. Meanwhile, these companies are trying to bust our unions and drive our wages down.

Every working person, everyone who is exploited, and everyone who is sickened by injustice should raise the demand of ending racist violence and ending treaty violations.

Non-violent witnesses are being organized to go to northern Wisconsin for the spring spearfishing season. Socialist Action is planning to be part of this. Continued public education and demonstrations are what are needed in this anti-racist struggle.

As Chris Nissan, a local Black leader, pointed out at the rally, treaty rights are a question of democratic rights. If the racists can get away with these attacks we are all in trouble.

Nissan finished his talk by encouraging everyone at the rally to educate others on the importance of defending treaty rights. To get involved, call the Twin Cities Treaty Rights Coalition at (612) 874-8782.

... AFL-CIO & abortion (continued from page 1: “StMatthew says: Thou shall not be as pay in the streets”) choices without government interference."

"An injury to one is an injury to all." This solidarity slogan of the labor movement when it fights to defend the interests of workers applies with full force now. If women are denied their right to control their own reproductive lives, their ability to participate in the workforce will suffer. Their families will suffer. The only victor will be the employers.

Employers already use women's child-bearing role as an excuse to keep women earning lower wages and to deny them access to higher-paid job categories, job security, and advancement.

Union support to women's choice in reproductive matters is a strong statement to the boss that, "No, you will not divide women and men workers and then use that division to keep all of our wages down!"

All workers stand to gain When working people are united—in this