Support KI First Nation; Kanaawayandan D'aaki!
When: Tuesday Nov. 22nd. 7:00 p.m.
Where: Ryerson Student Centre (55 Gould St.) SCC 115
In 2008 Kitchenuhmaykoosib Inninuwug (KI) Chief Donny Morris went to jail for refusing to allow mining exploration his community feared would contaminate their water supply. The remote First Nation community succeeded in fighting off mining exploration by Platinex, but now a gold exploration company has staked claims directly on top of sacred KI burials.
On Tuesday, November 22nd at 7pm at the Ryerson Student Centre, join Chief Morris and other community leaders to hear about the journey that has taken them to where they are now, what they are planning in the future, and how you can help.
The province of Ontario continues to violate KI’s right to say no to mining exploration in their traditional territories. KI First Nation has governed and cared for these lands, Kitchenuhmaykoosib Aaki, which are at the core of their culture, since time immemorial. This vast area of boreal lakes, rivers, forests, and wetlands provides KI’s pristine water supply, the lake trout the community rely upon, and their sacred landscape.
This summer, Greenpeace and others endorsed the community’s Water Declaration and called on the government to respect its provisions in a spirit of true cooperation.
The Declaration itself outlines KI’s inspiring vision of a future for their lands and environment that benefits both their community and all life.
At the time, I explained some of the reasons why Greenpeace is proud to endorse the Declaration and committed to supporting the vision of the people of KI. As an organization, Greenpeace supports and advocates for the free, prior and informed consent of Indigenous peoples in their territories, here in Canada and globally. What this means, in practice, is the right to say no to “development” (which all too often has brought with it environmental devastation for little economic benefit). The wishes and plans of KI, and other First Nations governments throughout Ontario and Canada, for their own lands must be respected.
Canada, and all its provinces, are legally bound to honour this right since Canada’s endorsement of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples last year.
Join Greenpeace, Amnesty, the Council of Canadians, Christian Peacemaker Teams, Earthroots, CUPE, the Canadian Federation of Students, No One is Illegal and the Wildlands League in this rare opportunity to hear directly from KI leaders about their struggle to control and care for their Homeland.
In the meantime, to take action in support of KI and learn more about the community, visit: http://kilands.org/take-action/