Landmark legal victory could end clearcut logging in Grassy Narrows Territory

August 17 2011
freegrassy.org

(Toronto) – Yesterday the Grassy Narrows First Nation (Asubpeeschoseewagong Netum Anishinabek) won a major victory in their more than decade long battle to stop clearcut logging in Grassy Narrows’ traditional territory. Grassy Narrows Chief and Council welcome the decision of the Ontario Superior Court of Justice to protect the rights promised to the Anishinaabe from interference by Ontario. Madam Justice Mary-Anne Sanderson’s decision, over 300 pages in length, finds that the Government of Ontario does not have the power to take away the rights in Treaty 3 by authorizing development including logging and mining. read more

Audit slams Whiskey Jack Forest management

Earthroots
July 12 2011

Toronto - The independent audit of logging in the Whiskey Jack Forest 2004-2009 released recently by the provincial government paints a disturbing picture of a forest in decline...

“This report is further evidence that the MNR is not ensuring that the forest is cared for in the long term interests of the people who depend on it,” said David Sone of Earthroots. “The report is full of documentation showing that cutting corners and cutting costs have left the Whiskey Jack in a degraded state. This kind of short term thinking leaves First Nations, workers, wildlife, and our environment shouldering the burden of a forest that has been managed into decline.”

Studies indicate significant increased risk of hospitalization of children due to asthma correlated to formaldehyde exposure

June 23, 2011. Toronto - A chemical widely used in wood products mills has been newly found to cause cancer. On Friday, June 10 2011, the U.S. government’s National Toxicology Program Report on Carcinogens listed formaldehyde as “known to be a human carcinogen” following a “rigorous scientific review;” a change from its previous listing as “reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen.” The report found sufficient evidence from studies in humans that formaldehyde causes nasopharyngeal cancer, sinonasal cancer, and lymphohematopoietic cancer, specifically myeloid leukemia. [1] The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration requires labeling for “all materials capable of releasing formaldehyde at levels above 0.5 ppm during normal use, the label must contain the words ‘potential cancer hazard’.” [2] The measurement unit parts per million is often abbreviated as ppm.

Grassroots women are blocking passage for Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR ) enforcement officers interfering with back-road repair work by the northwestern Ontario First Nations community. The community is repairing washouts and beaver damage to nearby back-roads to facilitate their ongoing use and enjoyment of their traditional territory.

Grassy Narrows Clan Mothers are blocking the MNR from accessing their territory right now!

Call the MNR Kenora office to express your support: (807) 468-2501 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              (807) 468-2501      end_of_the_skype_highlighting

[READ MORE]

October 7th 2010 - Winnie Small joins us to discuss the recent change in laws surrounding prostitution in ontario. We discuss this, anti-poverty actions, and more in this edition of AW@L radio.

Also presented: "The Smash the State Report" a dem now style run down on news...without a script!

http://www.peaceculture.org/drupal/radio/aw@lradio-2010-10-08-winnie.mp3

October 6, 2010

Re: Road work on our territory.

To whom it may concern:

Our community is repairing washouts and beaver damage to nearby back-roads to facilitate our ongoing use and enjoyment of our traditional territory. The back roads are used by Grassy Narrows members to access hunting, trapping, wild rice and berry picking areas, medicine gathering and ceremonial site access, and for access to the Ball Lake fishing lodge. For generations the lodge has been a key source of employment for our community, but since the mercury poisoning of the English-Wabigoon River System the lodge has had minimal economic development benefits for us.

Grassy Narrows renews boycott of Weherhaeuser products

Grassy Narrows, Oct 6 – Less than five months after some logging companies and large environmental groups declared a truce to the “war in the woods” a remote Ontario First Nation is calling for renewed boycotts against Weyerhaeuser Corporation, one of North America’s largest lumber producers. In an open letter today to loggers, retailers and investors Grassy Narrows Chief Simon Fobister states that “[w]e continue to call for the boycott and divestment of Weyerhaeuser Corporation due to their violation of our human rights as Indigenous Peoples.” The letter goes on to say that “[w]e will work with our supporters to promote, monitor, and enforce this position.”

National chiefs' assembly backs Grassy Narrows
By Mike Aiken, Kenora Daily Miner and News
Friday July 23, 2010

Chiefs from across Canada have called for a public inquiry into mercury contamination at Grassy Narrows. They also called for an end to logging in the community's traditional territory, as well as permanent monitoring of the long-term effects on residents.

The demands were part of a resolution passed by delegates at the annual general meeting for the Assembly of First Nations in Winnipeg. It was the second motion debated Tuesday.
"We certainly appreciated the support. It's great!" said J.B. Fobister, who has been advocating on behalf of the First Nation for many years.

Earthroots, Press Release, May 18:

Ontario’s forests still at risk

Some of the world’s largest clearcuts still planned in the province

Toronto - Despite announcements made [yesterday], the devastation of Ontario’s forests continues largely unabated. Giant clearcuts, which level forested areas as large as pre-megacity Toronto (10,000 ha), still make up 94% of the area logged each year in Ontario. Canada’s logging industry employs only 2/3 of the workers per tree cut that Sweden employs, and Ontario has still not respected the human right of Indigenous peoples to say “no” to logging on their traditional lands.

April 9th 2010 - The Grassy Narrows River Run Podcast takes up the 2nd hour of this weeks show, which also features updates on the bomb attack at the home of an anti-racist organizer in Abbotsford; the continuing degradation of the occupation in afganistan; the massive rallies in Montreal against government fare hikes; the Tiger that is on the loose in Hamilton, and more... lots of rebel time records and some new tracks from some other bands.

http://www.peaceculture.org/drupal/radio/aw@lradio-apr92010-grassy.mp3

October 8th 2009 - Olympic Resistance Network (ORN) torch statement is read,calling for disruption of the olympic torch as it crosses across Turtle Island. We then discuss tar Sands actions with internationals and the RBC olympics-tar sands connections. Also a discussion on the Grassy Narrows trappers' case 'launch.'
Special feature: 1st half of Abousfian Abdelrazik talk at UW is played.
http://www.peaceculture.org/drupal/radio/aw@lradio-oct8-2009-fe.mp3

-June 11. Indigenous Resistance. Peru: a letter from Bob Lovelace and Ben Powless from Rabble. Solidarity blockades in Tyendinaga and Six Nations for Akwesasne and an interview from NOII Radio. Press Release from Barriere Lake and Grassy Narrows, and an exclusive interview from Dumpsite 41. Also, updates on Abousfian Abdelrazik and Adil Charkoui.
http://www.peaceculture.org/drupal/radio/aw@lradio-June11-09.mp3