CPTnet
October 8, 2004
TORONTO: CPT trainees witness against clearcutting at Ontario Ministry of
Natural resources
On September 30, participants in the 2004 Ontario Regional Christian
Peacemaker Team training took their concerns about the clear-cutting in
Asubpeeschoseewagong Netum Anishnabek (Grassy Narrows First Nation) to the
Ministry of Natural Resources in Toronto. The Ontario Ministry of Natural
Resources has issued a "sustainable forest license" that allows Abitibi
Consolidated to clear-cut the traditional lands the Grassy Narrows community
depends on for their food, medicine, and livelihood. Abitibi has also
clear-cut trap-lines belonging to members of the community.
While members of the group set up banners and passed out leaflets to educate
the public on the situation at Grassy Narrows, six members of the training
session risked arrest by going to the Minister's office to witness, pray,
and deliver a letter asking him to address the situation at Grassy Narrows.
The delegation spoke with Minister David Ramsay's staff, and then offered
prayers for the Minister and for the people of Grassy Narrows.
The Canadian government has allowed hydroelectric developments to destroy
the wild rice harvest of Grassy Narrows residents and mercury poisoning to
devastate their fishery their health. Now, because the clear-cutting of
their traditional lands is destroying trap-lines and threatening their
hunting, the community at Grassy Narrows has responded by blockading the
logging roads.
At the invitation of the community, Christian Peacemaker Teams has
maintained a presence at the blockade to reduce the risk of violence. As
part of this violence-prevention work, Christian Peacemaker Teams has
encouraged the governments of Ontario and Canada to come to a just agreement
with the people of Grassy Narrows by honoring Treaty #3, negotiated in 1873
with the Anishnabe people of northwestern Ontario. While the treaty gives
the government sovereignty over the land, the Anishnabe People retain rights
over the resources in their traditional land-use areas. By granting
timbering licenses in these traditional territories, the Ministry of Natural
Resources violates these rights.
Participants in the witness include Bill Baldwin (Ottawa, Ontario), Sally
Britton (Norwich, Vermont), Michael Brown (Baltimore, Maryland) Jill Foster
(Gatineau, Quebec), Esther Kern ( London, Ontario), Isobel McGregor (Ottawa,
Ontario), Kathleen O'Malley (Albuquerque, New Mexico), John Spragge
(Toronto, Ontario) Mary Anne Tangney (Dundee, Ontario), Jeff Thiessen
(Winnipeg, Manitoba), Will VanWagenen (Salt Lake City, Utah.)
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Christian Peacemaker Teams is an initiative of the historic peace churches
(Mennonites, Church of the Brethren, and Quakers) with support and
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Supporting violence-reduction efforts around the world is its mandate.
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