[Indigsol] Kitchenuhmaykoosib Inninuwug [KI] Press Release: Ontario Government Does Not Address the Kitchenuhmaykoosib Inninuwug Platinex Dispute

[Indigenous Peoples' Solidarity Movement -Ottawa]

OFFICE OF THE
CHIEF AND COUNCIL

Kitchenuhmaykoosib Inninuwug
PRESS RELEASE

Ontario Government Does Not Address the Kitchenuhmaykoosib Inninuwug
Platinex Dispute

(Kitchenuhmaykoosib Inninuwug - August 26, 2009) Chief Donny Morris said
"l am very deeply concerned about what is happening at Nemeigusabins Lake.
I am deeply disappointed that the province has not intervened in this
critical matter. We made submissions to the province. The Premier never
responded to our letter where I asked him for a meeting. I think this is
opposite to what he said when he talked about the proposed Far North Act.
I was out on the Nemeigusabins Lake because I am concerned about the
safety of my people and I am concerned about protecting our land. I am
glad that
our presence on the lake reconfirmed our Aboriginal and Treaty Rights and
was peaceful."

The Ontario government has left it up to Kitchenuhmaykoosib Inninuwug and
Platinex to resolve our ongoing dispute. Platinex tried to land on
Nemeigusabins Lake but the Indigenous Peoples of Kitchenuhmaykoosib
Inninuwug were out boating on the lake and this prevented the Platinex
float plane from landing. The float plane landed on another lake for a
period and returned south. Platinex were not able to carry on mining
activities on Nemeigusabins Lake. There are pending legal charges to be
laid
against the Indigenous Peoples of Kitchenuhmaykoosib Inninuwug.

Sam McKay said "Platinex has been sending letters to us telling us they
are going to force their way ontoour land getting legal support using
their Mining Act licenses. Ontario made a Notice of Motion on August 24,
2009. This is really creating a very crisis situation for my people. We
have no money to fight procedural cases that do not address our Aboriginal
and Treaty Rights. Recognition of our Aboriginal and Treaty Rights is more
a political question than a legal procedural issue."

Chief Morris said "My council and I were sentenced to six months in jail
last year. We served about 68 days in jail before the Ontario Court of
Appeal let us out. Ontario government and KI need to find a mutually
agreeable and peaceful means to resolve our competing land use plans. The
success of Bill 173 and Bill 191 will depend how the Platinex KI conflict
is resolved on the ground."

-30-

Contact: Councillor Sam McKay 1-807-537-2263
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://lists.resist.ca/pipermail/indigsol/attachments/20090828/db6f8fef/attachment.html>