KINGSTON, ON: Delegation to Algonquin territory participates in Day of Action in Solidarity with Grassy Narrows
febrero 23rd, 2008
CPTnet
23 February 2007
KINGSTON, ON: Delegation to Algonquin territory participates in Day of Action in Solidarity with Grassy Narrows
by Dwyer Sullivan
[Note: The author of this article is from Kitchener, Ontario, and was a member of a Christian Peacemaker Teams (CPT) delegation to Algonquin Territory from 26 January to 3 February 2008.]
The winds blew cold and strong outside the Cataraqui Mall in Kingston on 30 January 2008, but they only served to connect our Christian Peacemaker Teams delegation with the indomitable spirit of Grassy Narrows community leaders.
The people of Grassy Narrows First Nation have lived on 2,500 square miles of land north of Kenora, Ontario for thousands of years. Since the industrial development in the 1960s they have been subjected to hydro-dams, mercury poisoning and clear-cut logging. Their community leaders have repeatedly called on industry and government to suspend clear-cut logging from their traditional lands, maintaining that it violates their treaty-guaranteed right to hunt, trap and fish.
In 2002, community leaders established a road blockade to stop logging trucks from entering their traditional territory. In the summer of 2004, along with my wife Sheila and five others, I spent two weeks with the people of Grassy Narrows. We learned first hand of their struggles, their determination, and their commitment to preserve their trap lines on their Treaty 3 land.
Sadly, nearly five years after establishing their blockade, logging continues on areas of Grassy Narrows' territory beyond the blockade's reach. Therefore, the Rainforest Action Network (RAN) selected 30 January as an international Day of Action in Solidarity with the people of Grassy Narrows. RAN recently sent a letter to the president of Grand & Toy, Gary Wood, asking him to follow the lead of companies like Boise Cascade by issuing a public statement of support for Grassy Narrows. Grand & Toy annually sells millions of dollars worth of paper products. Tests have shown that their paper uses lumber from Grassy Narrows' traditional territory.
Grand & Toy has a store in Cataraqui Mall, hence our presence there. The CPT delegation was visiting nearby Algonquin territory, and came down to Kingston for the afternoon.
The organizer of the action greeted us outside the store with leaflets and poster making materials. Within minutes, the manager of the mall and two uniformed security people also welcomed us. They had evidently heard of the day of solidarity on CBC radio. After cordial discussion, we presented our letter for the manager of the Grand & Toy outlet, and continued our leafleting outside in the wind and the cold. Our posters "Respect Native Rights" and "Support Grassy Narrows" piqued people's interest and led to many discussions. May the winds of justice blow strong.
[Others members of the 26 January-3 February 2008 delegation were Christine Downing (Breton, Alberta), Jim Hett (Waterloo, Ontario), John Jones (Verdun, Quebec), Craig Kite (Waldorf, Maryland), Joel Klassen (Toronto, Ontario), Ehab Lotayef (Montreal, Quebec), Devora Neumark (Montreal, Quebec), William Payne (Toronto, Ontario), Lee Ann Rice (London, Ontario), Char Smith (Gibson City, Illinois) and Mari Tae (Ste. Anne de Bellevue, Quebec).]
23 February 2007
KINGSTON, ON: Delegation to Algonquin territory participates in Day of Action in Solidarity with Grassy Narrows
by Dwyer Sullivan
[Note: The author of this article is from Kitchener, Ontario, and was a member of a Christian Peacemaker Teams (CPT) delegation to Algonquin Territory from 26 January to 3 February 2008.]
The winds blew cold and strong outside the Cataraqui Mall in Kingston on 30 January 2008, but they only served to connect our Christian Peacemaker Teams delegation with the indomitable spirit of Grassy Narrows community leaders.
The people of Grassy Narrows First Nation have lived on 2,500 square miles of land north of Kenora, Ontario for thousands of years. Since the industrial development in the 1960s they have been subjected to hydro-dams, mercury poisoning and clear-cut logging. Their community leaders have repeatedly called on industry and government to suspend clear-cut logging from their traditional lands, maintaining that it violates their treaty-guaranteed right to hunt, trap and fish.
In 2002, community leaders established a road blockade to stop logging trucks from entering their traditional territory. In the summer of 2004, along with my wife Sheila and five others, I spent two weeks with the people of Grassy Narrows. We learned first hand of their struggles, their determination, and their commitment to preserve their trap lines on their Treaty 3 land.
Sadly, nearly five years after establishing their blockade, logging continues on areas of Grassy Narrows' territory beyond the blockade's reach. Therefore, the Rainforest Action Network (RAN) selected 30 January as an international Day of Action in Solidarity with the people of Grassy Narrows. RAN recently sent a letter to the president of Grand & Toy, Gary Wood, asking him to follow the lead of companies like Boise Cascade by issuing a public statement of support for Grassy Narrows. Grand & Toy annually sells millions of dollars worth of paper products. Tests have shown that their paper uses lumber from Grassy Narrows' traditional territory.
Grand & Toy has a store in Cataraqui Mall, hence our presence there. The CPT delegation was visiting nearby Algonquin territory, and came down to Kingston for the afternoon.
The organizer of the action greeted us outside the store with leaflets and poster making materials. Within minutes, the manager of the mall and two uniformed security people also welcomed us. They had evidently heard of the day of solidarity on CBC radio. After cordial discussion, we presented our letter for the manager of the Grand & Toy outlet, and continued our leafleting outside in the wind and the cold. Our posters "Respect Native Rights" and "Support Grassy Narrows" piqued people's interest and led to many discussions. May the winds of justice blow strong.
[Others members of the 26 January-3 February 2008 delegation were Christine Downing (Breton, Alberta), Jim Hett (Waterloo, Ontario), John Jones (Verdun, Quebec), Craig Kite (Waldorf, Maryland), Joel Klassen (Toronto, Ontario), Ehab Lotayef (Montreal, Quebec), Devora Neumark (Montreal, Quebec), William Payne (Toronto, Ontario), Lee Ann Rice (London, Ontario), Char Smith (Gibson City, Illinois) and Mari Tae (Ste. Anne de Bellevue, Quebec).]
