Natives and non natives unite to protect lands and livelihoods
Historic rally at Queen's Park today calls for antiquated laws to be
changed and respect for First Nation rights
TORONTO, May 26 /CNW/ - Three First Nations will be calling on the
province today to respect their right to say NO to mineral exploration
and
logging on their lands at a rally at Queen's Park. The rally, scheduled
to
begin at 5pm with a press conference at 4:30pm, is an event of
Kitchenuhmaykoosib Inninuwug (KI), Ardoch Algonquins and Grassy
Narrows. It is
supported by over 25 environmental, social justice, student, faith, and
union
groups from across the province and Canada.
Masters of Ceremony will be Thomas King, celebrated author and Cathy
Jones, actor, writer and comedian from CBC Television's This Hour has 22
Minutes. Signifying the importance of the issue to Aboriginal rights and
sovereignty, former National Chief Ovide Mercredi of the Assembly of
First
Nations will address the rally. A letter from Mr. Robert Kennedy Jr. to
Premier McGuinty will also be read at the rally. In the letter, Mr.
Kennedy
asks that the Premier reform Ontario's outdated mining rules and do
whatever
possible to halt ongoing drilling on traditional lands of jailed First
Nations' leaders.
"We never surrendered our traditional lands and we never agreed to
be
bound by the reserve. We will never give up our duty to protect our
traditional lands that we use for hunting and fishing," said KI
Counsellor Sam
MacKay from jail in Thunder Bay. He and five others known as the KI Six
are
being detained after being found in contempt of court for peacefully
opposing
mineral exploration on their traditional lands 600km north of Thunder
Bay in
the Boreal Forest.
For too long, the provincial government has ignored First Nation
communities when they refuse industrial development on their lands. The
province then permits industry to run roughshod over them. Recently
landowners
in eastern Ontario have also suffered a similar fate because of
antiquated
mining laws. This all has to change demand the First Nations,
landowners and
their supporters.
"I think that things like the protection of the environment bring
people
together. I think that we all have an innate sort of indigenous belief
that we
have responsibilities to the Earth, whether we're aboriginal or not,"
recently
commented Robert Lovelace, University Professor and retired Chief of the
Ardoch Algonquins from jail in an interview with Indian Country Times.
Mr.
Lovelace is serving a six month sentence for peacefully opposing uranium
exploration in eastern Ontario.
Chrissy Swain, of Grassy Narrows, is arriving at the rally after
walking
1700 km from Kenora to Toronto with a group of young people to raise
awareness
of the ongoing logging that's going in her community's traditional
territory.
Ms. Swain will be addressing the rally tonight. "The way I see things
and the
way (Grassy Narrows youth) see things, we have to look way ahead into
the
future," Ms. Swain said. "That's how serious this is. What we decide
today is
going to impact what happens to my great-grandchildren. Any decisions
made on
my behalf also affect my great-grandchildren."
A press conference is scheduled for 4:30pm on the south lawn at
Queen's
Park before the rally starts at 5pm.
Co-sponsors of the rally:
The Anglican Council of Indigenous Peoples
CAIA
Canadian Federation of Students
Canadian Labour Congress
Christian Peacemaker Teams
CAW Sam Gindin Chair in Social Justice and Democracy - Ryerson
University
CEP
CPAWS Wildlands League
CUPE National
CUPE Ontario
Defence for Children International
ForestEthics
Greenpeace
KAIROS
MiningWatch Canada
No One is Illegal Toronto
NOW Magazine
OCAP
Ontario Environmental Justice Organizing Initiative
OPSEU
OPSEU 596
OSSTF
Rainforest Action Network
Ryerson Aboriginal Students Services
Steelworkers Humanity Fund
University of Winnipeg Students' Association
This is the broadest and most active coalition I have seen since the
anti-free trade fight in the late 1980's.
-Judy Rebick
