Three women from the Asubpeeschoseewagong First Nation (also known as Grassy Narrows) are preventing Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) staff from interfering with essential community repairs to the Segeisse Road at Highway 671.
This road, situated in Grassy Narrows’ traditional territory, is crucial to the community for the access it provides to the forest and as an emergency route.
The road is in need of repair as a result of the MNR not undertaking maintenance since the initiation of a community blockade in 2002 to prevent clearcuts on traditional territory. Local contractors had previously maintained the road through provincial subsidies provided to the logging industry. Grassy Narrows must now undertake these repairs.
Judy Da Silva, a community leader and participant in the road defence, alleges that the MNR has threatened the community and its contractors with fines of $10,000 for undertaking the works. More broadly, the non-maintenance of the essential access roads is viewed as an attempt by the Ministry to pressure the community to permit clearcutting on their traditional territories (whereupon MNR would again fund, and permit, essential road maintenance).
Grassy Narrows has long opposed clearcutting in their territories and are now in the ninth year of the longest-running blockade in Canadian history.
The Ministry has of yet not responded to this latest development, but a spokesperson previously stated that any road repairs on Crown land in the province would be subject to appropriate approvals and work permit applications…
According to Da Silva, “If they (the MNR) try and stop the work, we are going to tell them they can’t pass… The road and the bridge gives us access to the forest and things that sustain us. It is very important to us to have the bridge repaired. These roads haven’t been maintained since the logging companies pulled out.”
To voice your support for the community, call the MNR’s Kenora office at (807) 468-2501 and insist that the Ministry respect the rights and safety of the women of Grassy Narrows.
Tell the Ministry that you, and thousands of others, are watching and support Grassy Narrows in their long and inspiring struggle for justice. Clearcutting in their traditional territories will never be acceptable and any decisions affecting their lands must respect their numerous lawful treaty, and other, rights and can only be taken with Grassy Narrows’ free, prior and informed consent (as required under theDeclaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, endorsed by Canada in November 2010).