Grassy Narrows First Nation (Asubpeeschooseewagong Netum Anishinabek) has rejected a “Long Term Management Direction” for the Whiskey Jack Forest developed by the Ministry of Natural Resources without the community’s participation or consent.
In the words of Chief Simon Fobister, “This document was developed without our participation or consent, and… sets the stage for clearcutting throughout our traditional lands.” According to Elder Rita Kokokopenace, “We chose and are determined to maintain our way of life by protecting and maintaining the traditional lands, every place that our people, our ancestors have lived.”
Greenpeace continues to call upon the Ontario government to respect the wishes of Grassy Narrows and fully supports the community’s united opposition to unilateral actions imposed by the MNR. First Nations have the right to say no to industrial development in their traditional territories and to develop their own approach to natural resource management.
The community has been very clear that they view this LTMD as a threat to their Anishinabe way of life and will undermine their existence on the land.
Canada is now a signatory to the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), which affirms the principle of free, prior and informed consent as a minimum human rights standard under international law. This means that First Nations communities must provide their consent prior to developments on their traditional territories.
Furthermore, the decisive Keewatin decision in August of 2011 clarified definitively that the province of Ontario has no jurisdiction to interfere with the rights of First Nations by authorizing development on Treaty 3 lands north of the English River. A landmark achievement by Grassy Narrows trappers and their legal team, Greenpeace has called on the province to respect the ruling without delay.
Unfortunately, the LTMD represents the same old approach which has failed in the past to respect the rights of First Nations communities or deliver sustainable forest management. This failed approach has wrought decades of widely publicized harm on the people of Grassy Narrows, resulting in a blockade and community moratorium on industrial activities.
Minister of Natural Resources Michael Gravelle must now work with Grassy Narrows’ leadership to jointly develop a truly sustainable forest management agreement for the Whiskey Jack through government-to-government discussions in a spirit of mutual respect. There is no way around it in the 21st Century – to deliver long term social, economic and environmental sustainability, First Nations’ rights on their traditional territories must be respected.