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Author Topic: Gathering of Mother Earth Protectors - Queen's Park, May 26-29
Michelle
Moderator
Babbler # 560

posted 12 May 2008 06:01 AM      Profile for Michelle   Author's Homepage     Send New Private Message      Edit/Delete Post  Reply With Quote 
GATHERING OF MOTHER EARTH PROTECTORS

Sovereignty Sleepover: Toronto, Queen’s Park May 26th – May 29.

Rally: Queen’s Park May 26th, 5 p.m. – dusk.

Respect the right of First Nations to say no to economic exploitation and environmental destruction.
No jail for saying no.
Free Bob Lovelace and the KI Six.

On May 26th Indigenous communities will gather at Queen’s Park to uphold our duty to protect the land, forest, water, and air and to promote respect for our Indigenous rights to say no to economic exploitation and environmental destruction. It is time to end the jailing and harassment of our people for protecting mother earth and traditional ways. Please come to our large rally on May 26th at the legislature. We are also inviting supporters to join us in four days of ceremony, speakers, workshops, music, and a three night sovereignty sleep-over directly on the front lawn of the legislature.

Right now Indigenous communities across Ontario are taking a stand to assert our right to protect our traditional territories and the future of our peoples. Our communities are peacefully protesting destructive industrial projects that the government is permitting on our traditional lands without community consent.

Rather than respecting Treaties of co-existence and the UN recognized Indigenous right to withhold consent over industrial projects on traditional lands, the Ontario government is harassing Native people and jailing community activists and leaders including Bob Lovelace, Donny Morris, Sam McKay, Jack McKay, Cecilia Begg, Darryl Sainnawap, Bruce Sakakeep, and others. This cannot stand! Please join us in supporting freedom for First Nations and respect for the land.

NO CONSENT means STOP the DESTRUCTION to MOTHER EARTH!

We Need: volunteers, donations of money, food, tents, blankets, billeting, endorsements, and publicity.

Please let us know if your group wants to organize an event during the Gathering on May 27, or May 28.

To help out, or for information updates contact: [email protected]

Supporters: come prepared to take care of your own needs and to take direction from the communities.

This is an event of: Kitchenuhmaykoosib Inninuwug (KI), Ardoch Algonquin First Nation, Asubpeeschoseewagong Netum Anishinabek (Grassy Narrows First Nation) [others may join soon].

Supporters: Christian Peacemaker Teams, Rainforest Action Network, No One is Illegal Toronto, Canadian Federation of Students, Canadian Labour Congress, CAW Sam Gindin Chair in Social Justice and Democracy, Ryerson University.

[ 12 May 2008: Message edited by: Michelle ]


From: I've got a fever, and the only prescription is more cowbell. | Registered: May 2001  |  IP: Logged
Seddig
rabble-rouser
Babbler # 15052

posted 21 May 2008 02:14 PM      Profile for Seddig     Send New Private Message      Edit/Delete Post  Reply With Quote 
oops, I even checked first to make sure it isn't already posted. thanks for closing the other one Michelle
From: Canada | Registered: Mar 2008  |  IP: Logged
Michelle
Moderator
Babbler # 560

posted 24 May 2008 04:34 PM      Profile for Michelle   Author's Homepage     Send New Private Message      Edit/Delete Post  Reply With Quote 
triciamarie posted the rally announcement in the KI Six thread, and then deleted it, probably because we're talking about it here. Here's the updated rally announcement, with all the sponsors and communities listed:

quote:
GATHERING OF MOTHER EARTH PROTECTORS

DATE: Monday, May 26, 2008, 5 p.m. until dusk
PLACE: Queen's Park front lawn
INFO: http://gatheringofmotherearthprotectors.blogspot.com, [email protected]

Support the right of First Nation communities to say NO to mining and forestry on their lands.

No jail for saying NO.

Free Bob Lovelace and the KI Six.

Join us as we call on the McGuinty government to stop the drilling in KI’s and Ardoch Algonquin’s lands, and halt the clear-cutting of the boreal forest in Grassy Narrows’ territory.

We will have MCs Thomas King and Cathy Jones, along with featured speaker Ovide Mercredi, and many other special guests and musicians. The Sovereignty Sleepover will immediately follow the rally (information and call out at the web site linked above).

This is an event of Kitchenuhmaykoosib Inninuwug (KI First Nation), Ardoch Algonquin First Nation, and Asubpeeschoseewagong Netum Anishinabek (Grassy Narrows First Nation).

Supporters: 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, CPAWS Wildlands League, CUPE National, CUPE Local 3903, CUPE Ontario, Defence for Children International, ForestEthics, Greenpeace, KAIROS, Law Union of Ontario, Mining Watch Canada, No One is Illegal Toronto, NOW Magazine, OCAP, OPSEU, OPSEU Local 596, OSSTF, Rainforest Action Network, Ryerson Aboriginal Student Services, Steelworkers Humanity Fund, University of Winnipeg Students’ Association


Thanks for the thought, triciamarie! I just want to highlight a couple of things about the event, including the updated web site where you can get lots of information:
http://gatheringofmotherearthprotectors.blogspot.com

First of all, we need volunteers and marshalls for the rally and sleepover. Info at the link. In kind support/donations are needed and welcome too.

Secondly, there will be workshops throughout the three days that you can attend. I think they're all free. Check out the schedule.

I hope everyone will come out on Monday night! Come any time after 5 - we'll be there right up to sundown, at which time I believe there will be a sundown ceremony held by the First Nations communities in attendance. (There will be sunrise and sundown ceremonies every day of the sleepover.)

[ 24 May 2008: Message edited by: Michelle ]


From: I've got a fever, and the only prescription is more cowbell. | Registered: May 2001  |  IP: Logged
Michelle
Moderator
Babbler # 560

posted 19 June 2008 03:27 AM      Profile for Michelle   Author's Homepage     Send New Private Message      Edit/Delete Post  Reply With Quote 
Carmelle Wolfson has written a fabulous article about the indigenous solidarity movement behind this event.

quote:
Key organizers considered the diversity of groups involved as well as how high the stakes were for the three First Nations communities. In response, they worked out a framework to deal with important tactical questions. Non-Native supporters would take direction from KI, Ardoch and Grassy Narrows community leaders, while RAN, CPT, ForestEthics, Canadian Federation of Students, OCAP, the Tyendinaga Support Committee, No One Is Illegal and the Coalition Against Israeli Apartheid would provide logistical support in Toronto.

A conscious effort was made to take lessons learned from the 2006 Earth Justice Gathering to inform the way we organized this one. Everyone attempted to be inclusive and transparent in organizing this event. Security liaisons engaged in open dialogue with Queen’s Park, negotiating use of the front lawn to light a sacred fire and erect teepees, party tents and mosquito mesh tents for people to "rest their eyes" (the words of QP officials who didn’t want to admit they were giving us permission to sleep onsite).

Aboriginal Affairs minister Michael Bryant came out front of Queen's Park for a few brief moments to give interviews with the media, but didn't talk to any gathering participants. He reiterated that ye olde Mining Act should be revised. The act doesn't take into consideration outstanding Native land claims and allows companies to set up shop on private property belonging to settlers since they own only the surface rights.



From: I've got a fever, and the only prescription is more cowbell. | Registered: May 2001  |  IP: Logged
Joey Ramone
recent-rabble-rouser
Babbler # 15102

posted 19 June 2008 09:01 AM      Profile for Joey Ramone     Send New Private Message      Edit/Delete Post  Reply With Quote 
Good article. Another remarkable aspect of this coalition is that the Ardoch Algonquins are a "non-status" FN community, which means they are not recognized as a "band" under the Indian Act. This, in turn, means they receive no funding from any level of government and have no recognized rights (the courts have ruled they are entitled to equality with the Indian Act bands but both levels of gov't continue to ignore them).

Sadly, most of the well funded "status" FN organizations also ignore them and treat them as a lower class of Indian, if they acknowledge them at all. The Union of Ontario Indians, which claims to represent the Algonquin and Anishawbek nations went even further. They were not content just to ignore Ardoch - they actually vigorously lobbied KI and other FNs and groups supporting Ardoch and KI to NOT support Ardoch, on the grounds that they are non-status, and therefore not "legitimate".

To their credit, the very principled people of KI and Grassy Narrows have resisted these calls to sell out their "non-status" allies have remained firmly allied with the Ardoch Algonquins. This is a rare and significant event in Aboriginal politics. KI in particular deserve a ton of credit for looking past the sick colonial Indian Act labels and standing shoulder to shoulder with Ardoch.


From: Toronto | Registered: Apr 2008  |  IP: Logged

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