CPTnet March 20, 2004 ASUBPEESCHOSEEWAGONG UPDATE: January-March, 2004

Three Month Review

At the traditional round house at the blockade, CPT had its three month
review with community members on March 7, 2004. Community members thanked
CPT members for their presence and expressed fears about future violence.
One person said that if the mill shuts down because of what we are doing,
there will be backlash from Kenora. Others added that the mill could close
down for a number of reasons, including that there is little wood available
left to cut for a mill as large as Abitibis, but that Grassy Narrows could
be blamed anyway. Community members fear that racism against them will give
Kenorans someone to blame if they lose their jobs at the mill. At the
review, community members also expressed appreciation for CPT delegations,
commending delegates for taking time out of their lives to get to know
Asubpeeschoseewagong. CPT members expressed their idea, in the next three
months, to spend more time educating immigrant(those of us whose
ancestors came here after Colombus) communities and less time at Grassy
Narrows and at the blockade.

Logger Eviction and Roving Blockade

On February 4, 2004, Asubpeeschoseewagong community members took action
around Alex Fobister's recently clear-cut trapline, setting up a blockade in
the area. The blockade was successful, stopping logging activity in the
area where the sixty year old trapper has had part of his livelihood for
decades. ( See February 6, release, Stop the Clear-Cutting of Traplines at
Anishinabe Lake.)

On February 5, 2004 Christian Peacemaker Teams members Doug Pritchard and
Jessica Phillips accompanied Asubpeeschoseewagong community members to serve
evictions notices to the logging workers still in the area of Alex Fobisters
trapline whose job it was to cut the wood to size. They received the
eviction notice mildly, one advising that Grassy Narrows residents should
bring bus-loads of Kenorans to the area to see what a clear-cut looks like
and understand why Grassy Narrows had put up blockades.(See February 11
release, "You are hereby advised.")

Meetings with Abitibi

In January, Higher-ups with decision-making power from Abitibi Consolidated
met with community members of Asubpeeschoseewagong and proposed that if the
blockade went down, Abitibi would give the community some financial
contributions, agree not to clear-cut in a ten kilometre radius around the
community and to consult the community about cutting within a further ten
kilometre radius. CPT members accompanied and recorded the meeting.

On February 11, corporate representatives with decision-making power from
Abitibi Consolidated visited the community for a meeting, stating that its
purpose was to build trust. One of the Abitibi administrators repeated
that there was a disconnect between the community and the company and that
they needed better communication. A few community members said that there
was no communication gap but that they simply wanted the company to stop
clear-cutting. At the end of the meeting, community members made it clear
that future meetings should involve the provincial and federal governments,
as they are the ones bound to Grassy Narrows and the whole Anishnaabe Nation
through Treaty # 3 and resource jurisdiction. Companies do not have a
nation-to-nation or province-to-nation relationship to the Anishnaabe
Nation. CPT members accompanied and recorded the meeting.

Pine Marten engages the Provincial Government

Christian Peacemaker Teams members accompanied Grassy Narrows engagement of
the provincial government in Kenora on February 17. High School students,
other Grassy Narrows community members--one dressed up as a Pine Marten--
and participants in the Winnipeg group, Friends of Grassy Narrows, set up an
open house parallel to the Ministry of Natural Resources. The Grassy
Narrows open house was intended to educate people about Grassy Narrows' way
of life. The Ministry of Natural Resources is the governmental department
that grants Abitibi Consolidated licence to cut on Grassy Narrows
Traditional Land, also known as the Whiskey Jack Forest. ( See February 24
release, "High school students speak to Open House.")

In Kenora

In Kenora, the nearest town to Asubpeeschoseewagong, the team has been
doing speaking engagements over the past months, including at the First
Baptist, United and Anglican Churches. Team members speak about CPT's
mission, work in other countries and the work at Asubpeeschoseewagong.
 Team members have also been speaking in Winnipeg and Southern Manitoba to
University and High School students, church and community groups. Team
members receive affirmation from citizens of Grassy Narrows that it is the
job of immigrants(those whose ancestors came after Columbus) to educate
other immigrants.

Mini Delegations

The team hosted four mini-delegations to Grassy Narrows, including visitors
from the Morden, Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Thunder Bay,
Ontario and nearby Kenora, Ontario.