Attention News/Assignment/Environment/Queen's Park Editors:
Rally to support Robert Lovelace and the KI 6
TORONTO, April 9 /CNW/ - Today a broad network of student,
religious,
social justice, union, environmental and indigenous groups will be
calling on
Premier McGuinty to halt mineral exploration in the lands of two
Aboriginal
communities in Ontario and to release the seven aboriginal leaders who
are in
jail for defending their land rights.
The groups will be holding a rally on April 9, 2008 at 6:00 pm at
the
Ryerson Students Centre, 55 Gould Avenue in support of Robert Lovelace
of the
Ardoch Algonquin First Nation and the six leaders from
Kitchenuhmaykoosib
Inninuwug (KI) who are in prison for peacefully opposing drilling
projects on
their traditional territories in Ontario.
Signifying the importance of the issue to Aboriginal rights and
sovereignty, both National Chief Phil Fontaine and former National
Chief Ovide
Mecredi of the Assembly of First Nations are addressing the rally.
"This is a chance for Canadians from every walk of life to say no
to this
gross violation of Aboriginal rights, to demand that these leaders be
freed,
and that no further mining exploration be allowed on indigenous land.
The
communities have said NO and we support their right to do that," said
Judy
Rebick, CAW Sam Gindin Chair in Social Justice and host of the rally.
Robert Lovelace, university professor and retired chief of the
Ardoch
Algonquins, attempted to stop uranium prospectors from surveying and
drilling
on traditional lands in the Ottawa River Watershed. The KI 6 were
jailed for
failing to obey a court order that would give Toronto-area mineral
exploration
company Platinex Inc. drilling rights in the community's traditional
territory
about 550 kilometers north of Thunder Bay in the Boreal Forest. Each
were
jailed for six months for contempt of court. In both cases, peaceful
opposition to drilling projects landed the leaders in jail.
"I'm prepared to go to jail for my belief in the land," said KI
Chief
Donny Morris before his hearing on contempt of court charges. Chief
Donny
Morris will address the rally by phone from his jail.
The jailing of these leaders is causing terrible suffering and fear
in
their communities. KI is a remote northern community that has just lost
the
majority of its leadership and the Ardoch community has also been
sentenced to
impossible fines.
"The message delivered through this court decision is one of
domination
and oppression," said Chief Paula Sherman of the Ardoch decision.
"The problem here is the antiquated 'free entry' system that allows
mining and exploration without consultation with affected First Nations
communities or consideration of other values such as ecological values,
trapping, hunting, clean water or even consideration of climate change
impacts," said Joan Kuyek, National Coordinator of MiningWatch Canada.
"These
conflicts could have been avoided, if the McGuinty government had
listened to
Aboriginal people and removed these lands from mining."
For further information: Anna Baggio, Director, Conservation Land Use
Planning, cell (416) 453-3285 or office (416) 971-9453 ext 47, email
anna@wildandsleague.org
