[Indigsol] Support the Algonquins of Barriere Lake!

[mattm-b at resist.ca]

The Algonquins of Barriere Lake
Speaker and a movie:

Marylynn Poucaciche, community educator and Barriere Lake spokesperson.

The Algonquins of Barriere Lake is a 41-minute documentary that
illustrates the Algonquin community’s decades-long struggle to have their
land and resource rights recognized by Canada and the Province of Quebec.

Educational Fundraiser for Barriere Lake Algonquins
UMI Cafe, 610 Somerset St. W
Corner of Somerset and Percy in Ottawa
Thursday October 9th 2008 at 6:30 pm
Suggested Donation, $5-$15
(No one will be turned away)
Indigenous Peoples’ Solidarity Movement –Ottawa (IPSMO)
ipsmo at riseup.net

Wheelchair Accessible
Everyone Welcome!

On Monday, Oct. 5th, Families from the Barriere Lake First Nation in
Northern Quebec set up a peaceful blockade at 6:00 am this morning,
promising to maintain it until Canada and Quebec respect and implement
widely praised agreements, and Canada appoints an observer to witness a
leadership reselection in the community, and respects its outcome.

Yesterday afternoon, the Conservative government and Quebec used riot
police, tear gas, and "pain compliance" techniques to end a peaceful
blockade erected by Algonquin families from Barriere Lake, rather than
negotiate, as requested by the community. The blockade on Highway 117 in
Northern Quebec began at 6:00am Monday, with nearly a hundred community
members of all ages and their supporters promising to remain until
Canada's Conservative government and Quebec honoured signed agreements and
Barriere Lake's leadership customs. Around 4pm, nearly sixty Quebec
officers and riot police encircled families after a meal and without
warning launched tear gas canisters, one of which hit a child in the
chest.

Nine people, including an elderly women, a pregnant woman, and two minors,
were roughly arrested. While a line of police obscured the view of human
rights observers from Christian Peacemaker Teams, officers used severe
"pain compliance" techniques and crowbars on protestors who had secured
themselves to concrete-filled barrels, twisting arms, dislocating jaws,
leaving them with bruised faces and arms and trouble swallowing.  The
police also cut one protestors wrist and another’s arm.



Backgrounder:

“In 1991, Barriere Lake signed a historic Trilateral agreement with Canada
and Quebec to sustainably develop our traditional territories – the United
Nations called the plan an environmental "trailblazer."

Yet in 1996, the federal government tried to hijack the agreement by
replacing our legitimate Chief and Council with a minority faction who let
the agreement fall aside.

A resolution was achieved in 1997 by Quebec Superior Court Judge Réjean
Paul, who restored our legitimate Chief and Council and renewed the
Trilateral agreement.

In 2001, the government pulled out of the Trilateral agreement and started
favouring certain community members opposed to our legitimate leadership.
Judge Réjean Paul mediated again in 2007, concluding that the opposition
to our Chief and Council was "a small minority" whose leadership challenge
"did not respect the Customary Governance Code."

But when this same minority group conducted another alleged leadership
selection in January 2008, the federal government quickly recognized
them.”

(Full Text: Barriere Lake's Response to Federal Conservative MP, Lawrence
Cannon's Message in Le Droit

http://barrierelakesolidarity.blogspot.com/2008_09_01_archive.html)

Related Articles:

 The Coup in Context: A look behind the removal of Barriere Lake's
traditional government, by Maya Rolbin-GhanieCourtney Kirkby

The Dominion - http://www.dominionpaper.ca

http://www.dominionpaper.ca/articles/1947

 The Algonquins of Barriere Lake

http://intercontinentalcry.org/the-algonquins-of-barriere-lake/


 Riot police ensure calm at Barrière Lake: Chief Casey Ratt
returns to reserve, by Jorge Barrera, The Ottawa Citizen, Wednesday, March
12, 2008

http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/news/story.html?id=5664e30a-616c-46e9-a5b2-15783132fd1e



 Riot Police Target Barriere Lake Algonquin Blockade, posted by
Lia Tarachansky, October 6, 2008.

http://www.dominionpaper.ca/weblogs/lia_tarachansky/2155

More information:

Demands, and a list of groups that have endorsed them:
http://barrierelakesolidarity.blogspot.com/2008/03/mission.h...

Photos of the current blockade:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/31135244@N07/sets/7215760779583...

More information on how to support the Barriere Lake Algonquins:
http://barrierelakesolidarity.blogspot.com/2008/03/donations...

Collectif de Solidarité Lac Barrière

*******************************************
www.solidaritelacbarriere.blogspot.com
barrierelakesolidarity at gmail.com
514.398.7432
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