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MARCH 6th, 2008 THERE WILL BE A COMMUNITY MEETING |
IN THIS ISSUE: |
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1)
ARDOCH ALGONQUIN FIRST NATION'S COMMUNITY MEETING
Where: Maberly
Hall The Ardoch Algonquin First Nation invites the community to meet with them for a strategy meeting.
2) KINGSTON STUDENT PROTEST: MARCH 7TH There will be a demonstration in Kingston tomorrow, March 7th. This demonstration is being organized by Queen's students in support of Bob Lovelace and in opposition to uranium mining in Robertsville. It will begin with presentations at Ellis Hall on campus at 12:30 followed by a walk to the Kingston County Court House and MPP John Garrison's office, ending around 2:00p.m. Please be encouraged to attend all or any part of this activity to show your support for the students' initiative. This is a great opportunity to show the government the degree of our solidarity on this serious issue. Please bring any signs you have with you for the demonstration. See you there! Joan Rose (Kingston) 3) URANIUM DOCUMENTARY: A MUST SEE! Uranium Mining: One Community's Struggle This 18-minute documentary, was created by team of legal students about our community's protest. Thanks so much to Brenda Comeau Arelys Rosado and Chanda Tannis for your creative efforts! http://current.com/items/88859724_uranium_mining_one_community_s_struggle This film is originally a DVD so a bit of the quality was lost when it was downloaded to the internet. For copies of the film, contact Lynn at greenlynndaniluk@yahoo.ca and I will get you in touch with the filmmakers. Taken from the Current website, "Ontario is a growing province with growing energy demands. Instead of using the vast array of natural renewable energy sources available in the province, the Ontario government is resorting to nuclear energy to meet this demand. Uranium Mining: One Community's Struggle is a short documentary detailing the Sharbot Lake and Ardoch Algonquin First Nation Community's struggle for a clean and safe environment. The film also explains the impacts and dangers of uranium mining and why uranium mining in general is bad policy." 4) MEDIA RELEASE: NAK'AZDLI BAND COUNCIL March 6, 2008 Nak'azdli territory (central BC) The Association
of Mineral Explorers of British Columbia (AME BC) statements at the PDAC
meeting in Toronto that the Terrane Metals proposal in Nak'azdli territory
is a 'no brainer' is terribly miscalculated. Chief Fred Sam from Nak'azdli
states, "This proposal by Terrane at Shus Nadloh requires the free,
prior and informed consent of our people and the discussions with the
Crown and the company are not proceeding well." Nak'azdli has Aboriginal rights and title to and in the proposed mine site and if Terrane, AMEBC, The Mining Association of BC and the British Columbia Government continue ignoring our rights this project will not get to the construction phase. Chief Fred Sam confirms "Our position is that we want to make sure that the environment will be healthy for our children and grandchildren. We are the ones left here and our children and grandchildren are the ones who are left holding the bag once the mine is completed." Nak'azdli
will be calling upon the National Chief of the Assembly of First Nations,
Grand Chief Phil Fontaine to raise this concern with the mineral prospectors
association who signed an agreement with the Assembly of First Nations
to work with Aboriginal Peoples in Toronto this week. The head of this
association Patricia Dillon called the memorandum a ``demonstration of
trust'' and said the association aims to enhance its ``understanding and
respect'' for First Nations. "These mining associations sign these
MOUs and then breach them the same day", stated Chief Fred Sam. 5) MEDIA RELEASE: KI RESPONDS TO ONTARIO'S PROPOSAL March 5, 2008 Thunder Bay, ON - Yesterday Ontario's Minister of Aboriginal Affairs, Michael Bryant, paid a visit to Kitchenuhmaykoosib Inninuwug (KI). There have been media reports today suggesting that Mr. Bryant made a proposal to settle KI's dispute with the government of Ontario regarding mineral exploration on our territory by Platinex Inc., and that KI accepted the proposal. We wish to set the record straight. No new proposals were made by Minister Bryant concerning the Platinex dispute and no agreement was reached. While the Minister did provide KI with a draft "Proclamation", the Proclamation is a general statement of principles concerning future resource development in our territory. It contains no specific commitments by Ontario and makes no reference to the Platinex dispute. Indeed, in his comments to us during our meeting yesterday Mr. Bryant made it clear that Ontario remains committed to the Platinex project going ahead with Ontario's blessing. KI remains equally committed to our position that we cannot permit mining or mineral exploration within our watershed and that the Platinex project must not proceed. Background: The KI leaders were found in contempt of the October injunction at a hearing in January and Justice Smith reserved his decision on sentencing. The sentencing is part of a larger trend of heated battles on the ground and in the courts between First Nations and mining companies in Ontario. Outdated provincial laws which exclusively promote mining exploration are coming head-to-head with First Nations' conservation values. Booming mineral prices have accelerated exploration throughout the province. On February 15, Robert Lovelace, former Chief of the Ardoch Algonquin First Nation in eastern Ontario, was sentenced to 6 months in prison, plus $25,000 in fines, for refusing to obey a similar injunction. Like KI, Adroch's land was staked and exploratory drilling approved by Ontario without any consultation. Along with KI, they have proposed a joint panel to investigate what led to these conflicts and recommend new approaches to mineral exploration on First Nations' lands, but have received no reply from Premier Dalton McGuinty. Instead, McGuinty instructed Ontario's lawyers to sit silently in court while mining company lawyers sought jail terms and stiff fines for refusing allow exploration on land which they claim is theirs. First Nation communities across Ontario have called for a moratorium on mining on disputed lands over concerns that they are not being properly consulted prior to industrial activities on their lands. McGuinty's decision to allow continued staking of mineral claims, without any consultation with First Nations, has led to ongoing conflict. Despite the Supreme Court of Canada's rulings requiring consultation with First Nations prior to making decisions that affect their lands, the Ontario Government allowed Platinex to stake claims and begin exploratory drilling on KI's traditional lands without any consultation. In response, KI decided to peacefully oppose Platinex's mineral exploration activities on their traditional lands. Platinex in turn sued KI for $10 billion for denying the company access to the mining claims. In November Platinex filed a motion seeking to find KI in contempt of court and seeking fines and imprisonment. "Platinex seeks to jail our leaders and supporters and bankrupt our community," Chief Donnie Morris said. "I'm prepared to go to jail for my belief in my land." "We want our children and grandchildren to be able to continue our traditions of hunting, trapping, and fishing," said Kitchenuhmaykoosib Inninuwug spokesperson Sam McKay. "We are not afraid to go to jail to protect the environment at the potential mining site, plus the surrounding area which includes our Kitchenuhmaykoosib Lake." Press Contacts: 6) A POEM FOR BOB LOVELACE This poem was sent in by Ehab Lotayef. "Behind
the poem: Bob 7) POLLUTION HOTLINE CAMPAIGN FEEDBACK February 28, 2008 "I called Pollution Hotline and was bounced around to a few offices but then spoke to a young (really young sounding) woman named Emily at the Ottawa District Office of the Ministry of Environment. She was quite sympathetic but seemed to know absolutely nothing about the site I was talking about. It seems their office has not been looking into this issue at all. She said she knew in a general way about the problems with uranium mining but didn't know who in their office was looking into this particular site. So, she spoke to her district manager Steve Burns and he asked that I send a letter outlining my concerns to him at the Ottawa District Office of Ministry of the Environment, 2430 Don Reid Dr. Ottawa, Ontario K1H 1E1, which I will do. She also said that when she finds out who is dealing with this issue she will call me back. I'll pass that name on to you and maybe people could write to that person. The reason I was talking to the Ottawa office is that they also cover Perth, and I focused on the pollution of ground and aquifer water. So maybe it would be good to send this guy some info and I will also let you know whom she comes up with that is working on this issue. Her number is 800-860-2195. Thanks, Susan (Editors Note: Please consider dropping Mr. Burns a note of concern and any other information you might have.) 8) DR. GORDON EDWARDS ON YOUTUBE Hi folks: When I was in Alberta last, I gave a narrated slide show presentation in Calgary and in Edmonton. The Edmonton event was filmed, and the first 4 parts of a 9-part sequence are posted on YouTube. -Gordon Edwards Editors Note: Here are the links to the four parts to this video. For those who did not get a chance to come out to see Dr. Edwards speak in Carleton Place, this is a must see. Part One: Part Two:
Part Three:
Part Four: 9) ARTICLE: NATIVE LEADER SERVING SIX MONTHS FOR OPPOSING MINE By Chris Arsenault Bob Lovelace, a father of seven and long-time activist on native rights issues. HALIFAX, Nova Scotia, Mar 5 (IPS) - Algonquin community leader Robert Lovelace had never been charged with an offence, but when a uranium company began prospecting for radioactive ore on unceded native land without engaging in consultation, he decided to take action, organising a non-violent blockade. On Feb. 15, Judge Cunningham of Ontario's Superior Court sentenced Lovelace to six months in jail for contempt of court and fined him 50,000 dollars for his involvement in the peaceful protest. To read the rest of this article go to... http://www.ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=41469 10) ARTICLE: MORE FEEDBACK TO THE CANADIAN MINING JOURNAL OPINION POLL - More readers weigh in on Aboriginal rights We have received many responses to our poll question concerning Aboriginal rights over the development of their lands. To answer our critics, yes the question was oversimplified and the lack of definition for "their lands" was intentional. We were attempting to allow our readers to consider their own definitions rather than tie them down to our definition, which may not have been inclusive. Here is a more learned answer to the question of land ownership: To read the rest of this article go to... http://www.canadianminingjournal.com/issues/ISArticle.asp?id=81106 11) BETTER WORLD HEROS: REMEMBERING PATRA KELLY Thanks Tim Seitz for this. "Uranium
is the raw material of a power-elite who has taken Mother Earth's every
living creature hostage." http://www.betterworldheroes.com/kelly.htm "When her sister Grace died of eye cancer in 1970 at age ten, she catapulted into activism. ...." "When Grace died, I resolved to do everything in my power to inform people about the military and civilian uses of nuclear technology and to participate in whatever ways I could to campaign non-violently against it. I vowed to dedicate my life to finding out why so many millions have become cancer patients and why we are all atomic hostages in this radioactive age." The anti-nuclear theme carried all the way through her life. In 1970 she started working on nuclear power and weapons issues, and in 1992 the last two public events she attended were the World Uranium Hearing in Salzburg and the Radiation Victims' Conference in Berlin.
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