KI gets celeb support
James Thom - Wawatay News
The KI 6 have some high-profile Canadians on their side.
Author Margaret Atwood, musician Sarah Harmer and former UN ambassador Stephen Lewis are among 20 prominent Canadians who called on Premier Dalton McGuinty to free Kitchenuhmaykoosib Chief Donny Morris, Deputy Chief Jack McKay, Head Coun. Cecilia Begg, councillors Sam McKay and Darryl Sainnawap and band member Bruce Sakakeep, who were jailed March 17 for preventing junior mining exploration company Platinex Inc. from accessing drilling sites in the community’s traditional territory.
The group of Canadians also supports former Ardoch chief Robert Lovelace who was also jailed six months and fined for contempt of court over a dispute with a uranium company.
“The jailing of Bob Lovelace and the KI 6 is a terrible injustice against First Nations people in this province,” said letter-signer Judy Rebick, CAW Sam Gindin Chair in Social Justice and Democracy, Ryerson University.
“Premier Dalton McGuinty and his government must take the necessary steps to free them and put in place frameworks that would respect First Nations’ rights to protect their land from unwanted industrial development.”
The letter – which was sent to McGuinty April 22 (Earth Day) – says mining shouldn’t take precedence over people’s homes and health.
The letter-writers said it is vital that Ontario “replaces the antiquated free entry system of mining and exploration with a modern, regulated process of granting exploration permits.
Such permits should only be granted after conservation planning, good faith consultation and genuine accommodation of affected Aboriginal Peoples as per Supreme Court decisions.”
The group called on McGuinty to:
• Secure the immediate release of Bob Lovelace and the KI Six;
• Stop mineral exploration on the lands of KI and the Ardoch Algonquins by issuing a ‘stop work’ order and withdrawing the lands from staking;
• Comprehensively reform Ontario’s mining regime and the Mining Act;
• Establish a joint panel with the Ardoch Algonquins and KI to deal with the issue of mineral development on their traditional lands.
“Ontario’s mining legislation is over 100 years old and doesn’t fit with modern society’s understanding of ecosystems, climate change and human rights,” says Anna Baggio, director of conservation and land use planning with CPAWS Wildlands League.
The free-entry system allows prospectors and exploration companies outside of cities and towns to come onto people’s backyards and properties to explore for minerals without permission.
“These companies can dig holes, blast rocks and cut down trees,” Baggio said. “They can do this because while landowners may own the surface rights to their properties they do not own the subsurface rights and there is no recourse for people who wish to stop it.”
The full text of the letter can be found at www.wildlandsleague.org.
The letter was signed by:
Margaret Atwood
Dave Coles, national president of the Communications, Energy and Paperworkers Union of Canada
Gerry Antoine, Grand chief Deh Cho First Nations
George Erasmus, former Assembly of First Nations National chief
Graeme Gibson
Sarah Harmer
Bob Huget, Ontario region vice-president of the Communications, Energy and Paperworkers Union of Canada
Cathy Jones, comedian, actor and writer
Alice Klein, editor/CEO NOW Magazine
Michele Landsberg, author and activist
Stephen Lewis, professor in Global Health, faculty of Social Sciences, McMaster University
Michael Hollett, editor/publisher NOW Magazine
Monte Hummel, president emeritus of World Wildlife Fund
Hugh McCallum, journalist, author of the Dene Nation publication “This Land is Not for Sale”
Craig Norris, musician and CBC Radio 3 host
James Raffan, geographer and writer
Judy Rebick, CAW Gindin Chair in Social Justice and Democracy, Ryerson University
Ian Tamblyn, singer, songwriter
Jenny Whitley, Juno-award winning musician
Joey Wright, musician
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