[Indigsol] IPSMO Newsletter, July 27- Aug.3

[Indigenous Peoples' Solidarity Movement -Ottawa]

IPSMO Newsletter, July 27- Aug.3
--------------------------------

1) Meetings

1a) IPSMO General Meeting, Tuesday, Aug. 4th at 7pm at Exile Infoshop
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

2) Events

2a) Outwrite! queer/trans/two-spirit writers of colour and indigenous
writers refuse to be written out!  Thursday, August 20th at 7pm
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

3) Announcements

3a) 12th Annual Social Justice Summer Retreat

3b) GRANDFATHER WILLIAM COMMANDA'S ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL
CIRCLE OF ALL NATIONS SPIRITUAL GATHERING, July 31-Aug 2.

3c) Anishinabek concerned over OPP injunctions at Site 41

3d) Sisters In Spirit Vigil, Oct 4th
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

4) Articles

4a) *Former Neskonlith chief Arthur Manuel is spokesperson for the
Indigenous Network on Economies and Trade.*

4b) WE ARE A THREAT TO THE OIL INDUSTRY by Mike Mecredi
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

5) Callout for Submissions to Briarpatch
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

6) Call for Organizers: Indigenous Sovereignty Week
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

1) Meetings

1a) IPSMO General Meeting, Tuesday, Aug. 4 at 7pm

IPSMO’s next GM
Tuesday, Aug.4 at 7pm
Exile Infoshop (256 Bank St.)
Everyone Welcome!
Sorry this location is not wheelchair accessible
ipsmo at riseup.net
http://ipsmo.wordpress.com

IPSMO’s general meeting is where our working groups report back and where
we make decisions about any other organizing that we will do.
===========================================================

2) Events

2a) Agitate! presents...

OutWrite!
queer/trans/two-spirit writers of colour and indigenous writers refuse to
be written out!

Thursday, August 20th, doors open at 6:30 pm, reading at 7 pm
Montgomery Legion Hall, 330 Kent St, near Somerset
wheelchair accessible
Tickets at the door: $10-20 sliding scale
all ticket proceeds to Migrants' Trade Union of South Korea

Agitate! presents an exciting reading event and panel of writers and poets
in celebration of Pride. Often writers of marginalized identities face
challenges in presenting and publishing their own points of view coupled
with the threat of their voices being tokenized and co-opted in the
process. Featuring both emerging and established writers from Ottawa and
beyond, this panel will explore issues of representation,
intersectionality and how identity and experience are expressed in the
writers' craft.

Panel:
Nalo Hopkinson
Trish Salah
Kalyani Pandya
Rob Friday

Additional reading performances by:
Salimah Valiani
Faye Estrelle


This event will also be a fundraising effort for the Migrant Trade Union
(MTU) in South Korea. MTU is a union of documented and undocumented
migrant workers in South Korea, the only union of its kind in the world
today. The MTU has joined in the struggle of GLBT people in South Korea,
including defending the needs of its own GLBT members. Agitate feels it is
important to connect our work with the struggle of other racialized people
in the world, especially as the rights of migrant workers in Canada
continue to be largely ignored.

++++++++++++++++


This event is proudly sponsored by:
PROMdemonium
Venus Envy
OPIRG-GRIPO uOttawa
CUPE2626
CUPE1281
CUPE1949
CAW-National
Mother Tongue Books

Agitate! is an Ottawa-based collective of queer indigenous women, mixed
race women and women of colour. For more information, please contact
agitate_ottawa at yahoo.ca
http://agitate.wordpress.com
===========================================================

3) Announcements

3a) 12th Annual Social Justice Summer Retreat

12th Annual Social Justice Summer Retreat
Taking Your Activism to the Next Level!

Thursday, August 20th to Sunday, August 23rd, Algonquin Park

Featuring Victoria Freeman, Bob Lovelace, Sakura Saunders, Judy Rebick and
many more
..

Please visit www.socialjustice.org<http://www.socialjustice.org> for more
information and online registration.

This year’s programming will focus on Indigenous issues in Canada and the
question of transforming power. What are some of the challenges people
must face in decolonizing themselves? How has Canada treated its own
Indigenous people? Can we change our society before we address our own
internalized oppression? Where does true change begin? Are there various
ways of "doing" politics that can build more sustainable and inclusive
movements?

Join us for a truly engaging and eye-opening weekend, where you will be
challenged to reflect and rethink the activism you participate in, the
knowledge(s) you have built in your own communities and your personal
experiences in social justice movements. Most importantly, you will also
walk away with concrete skills, such as facilitation, cyber organizing and
coalition building to help you build a more just and inclusive
organization, community group, student movement, union or party.

 Who will be there? Activists of all ages as well as their friends and
family. Those that protest for global justice and fight
poverty/inequality; to those fighting for safe drinking water, decent
jobs, human rights and environmental climate change – we welcome everyone
trying to make a difference, be they from inside politics, organizations,
or outside the system. We welcome activists from all walks of life:
everyone from Indigenous Peoples, labour movements, faith communities,
environmentalists, low income groups, equity seeking groups, youth and
students.  The retreat is committed to providing positive space for all
the participants and is LGBT2spirited friendly.

If you self-identify as someone trying to make our world a better place,
please join us.

For those with children, childcare is provided for children aged 3+ during
hours when there is retreat programming.

Activities are also arranged for young teenagers so that they may become
involved in social justice issues and contribute within their community.

Here’s how your days might be filled..

Workshops and plenary sessions on how to make your activism more effective
and inclusive Free time at the lake with swimming, canoeing and nature
trails Evenings with music, story telling and campfires Participating in
as many sessions as you wish Meeting /connecting with other activists and
organizations

Registration includes accommodations in cabins, all your meals, and full
access to camp facilities.

Please register online at
http://www.socialjustice.org/index.php?page=registration

Early Bird Registration (until July 31st) - $200

Regular Registration - $220
Children 5-12 years - $95
Children 2-4 years - $65
Children 0-2 years - Free

Transportation from downtown Toronto (round trip via coach bus) -
$46/passenger

 2009 Retreat Program

Check our website regularly for updated program information:
http://www.socialjustice.org/index.php?page=2009-retreat-program
-----------------------------------------------------------

3b) GRANDFATHER WILLIAM COMMANDA'S ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL
CIRCLE OF ALL NATIONS SPIRITUAL GATHERING

GRANDFATHER WILLIAM COMMANDA'S ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL
CIRCLE OF ALL NATIONS SPIRITUAL GATHERING

July 31, August 1 and 2, 2009
KITIGAN ZIBI ANISHNABEG
Grandfather William Commanda is pleased to invite you
to his annual international spiritual gathering at his
home at Bitobi Lake, Kitizan Zibi Anishinabeg, Maniwaki,
Quebec.

The key themes that Grandfather advances at the Gathering, through a
series of presentations and workshops, are”

Indigenous Wisdom, Respect for Mother Earth and Healing,
Racial Harmony,
Social Justice and
Peace Building.

3c) Anishinabek concerned over OPP injunctions at Site 41

Curve Lake FN, July 27 - Grand Council Chief Patrick Madahbee has real
concerns with the OPP injunctions on the peaceful protest opposing the
construction and future operation of a land fill located directly above
the natural spring water of the Alliston Aquifer in Tiny township commonly
known as Site 41.

"The polluters should be arrested - not the people who are protecting our
water," said Grand Council Chief Patrick Madahbee.

"Caring for the water is the traditional role of women," says Madahbee.
"Water is most sacred; it's the lifeblood of Mother Earth. This is not
just a First Nations issue."

The protest at the site has been driven by the citizens of the County of
Simcoe, environmentalists and activists in the area.

Nearby Beausoleil First Nation's Chief Rod Monague Jr. says that the
protestors have the support of most of the County, Council of Canadians,
David Suzuki, Beausoleil First Nation Council among others.

The Anishinabek Nation established the Union of Ontario Indians (UOI) as
its secretariat in 1949. The UOI is a political advocate for 41 member
First Nations across Ontario. The Union of Ontario Indians is the oldest
political organization in Ontario and can trace its roots back to the
Confederacy of Three Fires, which existed long before European contact.


For further information: Marci Becking, Communications Officer, (705)
497-9127 ext. 2290, Mobile - (705) 494-0735, becmar at anishinabek.ca.
-----------------------------------------------------------

3d) Sisters In Spirit Vigil, Oct 4th

Dear friends,

Summer is here but the Sisters In Spirit Vigil Committee is
already looking ahead to Fall 2009. This year marks the fourth annual SIS
Vigil and we want to make it the best event to-date. An impressive forty
communities held SIS vigils in 2008, several more communities have
approached us in the last few months and we thank everyone for standing
with us.

Sisters in Spirit vigils are focused on honouring the lives of missing and
murdered Aboriginal women and girls. They also provide support for
families as well as an opportunity for families to share their story.
Together we can recognize this Canadian crisis and demand action.

Attached to this email is a Cover Letter and new Registration Form. 
Please complete the form and return it to Laura at lflorez at nwac-hq.org or
fax it to 613.722.7687.  We’ve also attached our 2009 SIS Vigil poster, in
honour of all the communities that joined us last year. Hard copies of the
poster are available free of charge.

In peace and friendship,

The Sisters In Spirit Vigil Committee
===========================================================

4) Articles

4a) *Former Neskonlith chief Arthur Manuel is spokesperson for the
Indigenous Network on Economies and Trade.*

*By Arthur Manuel*

go to original:
http://www.straight.com/article-241616/beware-reconciliation-act

Commentary <http://www.straight.com/content/news-and-views/commentary>
July 23, 2009

<http://www.straight.com/forward?path=node/241616#><http://www.straight.com/article-241616/beware-reconciliation-act#comments_here>

Premier Gordon Campbell is trying to use the proposed British Columbia
Recognition and Reconciliation Act to overcome the economic uncertainty
that B.C. has been experiencing since the Supreme Court of Canada
recognized aboriginal title. Aboriginal title is an exclusive property
right of indigenous peoples. This is the Achilles’ heel of B.C., as the
provincially created property rights, like fee simple or forestry tenures
and mining leases, are put in question because they fail to take into
account aboriginal title.

Aboriginal title could even operate to oust provincial control over lands
and resources, so what the province is really seeking through the proposed
act is recognition of Crown title by indigenous peoples.

The much advertised recognition of aboriginal title is contingent upon
recognition of provincial Crown title in  return. This position has
historically been rejected by indigenous peoples insisting that their
relationship is with the federal Crown and not with lower levels of
government. The Gordon Campbell strategy is to plug the “First Nations
leadership council”—consisting of the  executives of the B.C. Assembly of
First Nations, the First Nations Summit, and the Union of B.C. Indian
Chiefs—into existing provincial government business schemes. The result
will be benefit-sharing agreements under existing provincial resource law.
This will undermine aboriginal title and indigenous efforts to protect the
environment from increased resource exploitation.

This has created a backlash against the First Nations leadership council,
headed by Grand Chief Ed John, Grand Chief Stewart Phillip, and Assembly
of First Nations B.C. regional chief Shawn Atleo (who was in the running
to become AFN national chief as the *Straight* went to the printer on July
22). There has been a groundswell of opposition by indigenous peoples to
the Recognition and Reconciliation Act at regional sessions around the
province. The chiefs’ council of the Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs even
defeated a resolution to allow further work on the act.

Indigenous peoples collectively are the proper title and rights holder.
Aboriginal title over entire territories is held by indigenous nations
with a common language, customs, traditions, and history. The people have
made it very clear that the First Nations leadership council and the
federal Indian Act chiefs and councils are not the proper title and rights
holders and have no right to negotiate about aboriginal title with
Campbell. From an indigenous perspective, the proposed Recognition and
Reconciliation Act does not recognize aboriginal title. It is an attempt
to secure increased corporate access to our territories. It is also a
major public-relations campaign in the lead-up to the 2010 Winter Olympics
so the government can pretend it is dealing with indigenous issues. Canada
and B.C. have been criticized by international human-rights bodies for
their failure to address indigenous rights, and we will continue to raise
this.

The economic uncertainty that B.C. has been experiencing by not resolving
the indigenous land question should not be underestimated. Since the
judicial recognition of aboriginal title, the province has had to report
it as a contingent liability in the B.C. financial statements every year.
The government has been pointing to the B.C. treaty process as its
mechanism for extinguishing aboriginal title. The B.C. treaty process is a
major failure, given that it only produced two small treaties after the
government negotiated for more than 15 years and spent over $1.5 billion.

Indigenous peoples are worried about economic certainty too, but we want
economic certainty based on the full and true recognition of our
aboriginal title. We want to build a new economy that values indigenous
knowledge and our relationship to the land. The failure of the B.C. treaty
process and community-level opposition to the proposed  recognition and
Reconciliation Act indicate that indigenous peoples want to be on an equal
footing with the provincial government. Indigenous peoples do not want to
continue subsidizing the B.C. government and corporations by having
aboriginal title not recognized or marginalized, as under the proposed
act.

What happens to the British Columbia Recognition and Reconciliation Act
over the next few months will determine if Campbell gets economic
certainty at the expense of indigenous peoples.
-----------------------------------------------------------

4b) WE ARE A THREAT TO THE OIL INDUSTRY


WE ARE A THREAT TO THE OIL INDUSTRY

By Mike Mercredi
Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation
July 27, 2009

ATHABASCA CHIPEWYAN FIRST NATION LEADERSHIP APPALLED AND SHOCKED BY THE
CANADIAN DEFENSE AND FOREIGN AFFAIRS INSTITUTE

The Athabasca Chipewyan First Nations leadership is shocked and appalled
by a recent study released by the Canadian Defense Security and Foreign
Affairs Institute (CDFAI) describing the First Nations people as a “threat
to the oil industry”. Industry has been negotiating and working with First
Nation communities for some time now and it appears that they are
committed to work on a plan to develop a sufficient sustainable
development program that will protect the traditional way of living for
the First Nations people on future
proposed extraction and land reclamation projects. Now, with the release
of this report by Tom Flanagan which alleges First Nations people as a
“threat” to the industry, all negotiations may now be more time-consuming
and complicated than anticipated instead of progressing forward
confidently with the First Nations of Treaty 8. Chief Allan Adam of the
Athabasca Chipewyan First Nations says “It’s very disappointing that a
study done by the CDFAI which was sponsored by an oil company is claiming
that we are a high risk threat to the oil industry by assuming scenarios
of First Nations acting as eco-terrorists”. By accusing First Nations
people of “tacit support to
illegal activities”, the CDFAI want to create fear among Canadians by
stereotyping our youth as disaffected and likely to be recruited into
imagined “warrior society eco-terrorist groups”.

What the Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation intended to do is raise the
awareness of the health issue’s that the people of Fort Chipewyan are
facing. The Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation believes that this report is
a manoeuvre by industry and Government to prevent anyone who advocates
opposition and then label them as a terrorist while pushing back even
further negotiations; meanwhile the oil sand companies will continue to
develop without limitations by removing the “Indian” threat to the
industry in Canada. Oil companies based in Canada are exploiting
Indigenous people around the world and are using Governments to deal with
the local indigenous people by funding militia’s to violently remove them
from their homes so they can develop their traditional lands into mines;
this is parallel towhat is going on here in Alberta with the Government
and First Nations  people. Since Canada has no applicable laws geared
towards what Canadian based mining companies do in other countries, they
have used similar tactics to exploit the First Nations people in the
Treaty 8 region, by funding the CDFAI to label First Nations people as a
“threat”. It also appears they want all Environmental Non-Profit
Organizations (ENGO’s) and First Nation’s to
take direct actions so they can rationalize the arresting,  incarcerating
and integrating of First Nations people in a Guantanamo Bay like strategy
reminiscent of the Americans and the terrorists who attacked them in 2001.

They want to label the Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation as a threat since
the Fort Chipewyan community members are speaking out against the oil
industry in recent publicly released documentaries such as H2Oil and
Downstream or campaigns held by various ENGO’s. The Athabasca Chipewyan
First Nation doesn’t see a future for the next generation if the rapid
rate of development continues and the people will have a more difficult
time trying to exercise their inherited Treaty Rights, which is deemed as
infringement. This whole report is in itself, an unlawful tactic by
stating that First Nations are in conflict over traditional territories,
thus creating a separation amongst First Nations people who are all signed
under the Treaty 8.

With the recent reports of high levels of cancer in Fort Chipewyan, the
Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation does not perceive anything positive in
the future about the health of our members when the confirmation has
already been acknowledged in various reports that the water is
contaminated. With the entire world now aware of the oil sands and the
people of Fort Chipewyan with high rates of cancers, the oil industry and
Government are diverting the attention away from the health issues that
the community is facing similar to what Health Canada did by first
disregarding the findings of Dr. John O’Connor and then by pressing
charges against him and did not deal with the real issues of the people of
Fort Chipewyan.
=======================================================================

5) Callout for Submissions to Briarpatch

*Please share with interested parties/networks.*
Call for submissions - Resistance 2010: Confrontational politics, social
movements & the state of anti-capitalist organizing in
Canada<http://briarpatchmagazine.com/call-for-submissionsresistance-2010/>

“Confronting the manifestations of global capitalism at their summits and
meetings is no doubt a part of the tactical arsenal of anti-capitalists. .
. . However, the enduring challenge of the post-Seattle moment remains to
link mass mobilizations and direct action against global capitalism to the
on-the-ground day-to-day struggles against colonialism, poverty, racism,
and police brutality - to root them in long-standing struggles for dignity
and survival.”

-Jaggi Singh, “Roundtable on G8 Resistance: Perspectives for the next
phase of global anti-capitalist uprisings.” *Upping the Anti,
Interventions #1*<http://uppingtheanti.org/node/3070>

2010 will witness the eruptions of three major manifestations of global
capitalism — and the protests against them — on Canadian soil: the
Vancouver Olympics, the G8 Summit in Muskoka, and a Security and
Prosperity Partnership summit (date and location not yet confirmed). To
what extent can the mobilizations against these events, building on the
legacies of summit protests past, serve to expand and advance the work of
popular movements for social justice and environmental sustainability?

In anticipation of a great deal of media, police and government
disinformation about the protesters and their grievances, *Briarpatch
*invites submissions to its January/February 2010 issue, “Resistance 2010:
Confrontational politics, social movements & the state of anti-capitalist
organizing in Canada.”

This is an opportunity for activists, supporters and sympathizers to share
information about the issues, challenges, successes, goals and strategies
of anti-capitalist organizing and social movement practice. What is being
planned? Why should (and/or *how can*) allies and sympathizers get
involved?

It is hoped that this issue can serve as a critical space for documenting,
discussing, evaluating and critiquing the state and trajectory of social
movements in Canada. Where are we now? What have we learned from the
legacies of APEC, Quebec City, Kananaskis, Montebello and other
flashpoints?

We are looking for articles, essays, investigative reportage, news briefs,
project profiles, interviews with activists and strategists, reviews,
poetry, humour, artwork & photography that addresses the issue at hand.

Article queries could spring from such seed questions as:

   - What’s behind the slogan “no Olympics on stolen land”?
   - What has the SPP been up to lately and why should we care?
   - The G8 vs. the world: Can the Group of Eight be a force for good?
   - Summit-hopping 2.0: What have we learned? What’s changed? What next?
   - How successful have anti-capitalist activists been at forging
   meaningful links with indigenous and migrant justice organizing efforts?
   - Goals, strategy, tactics: What is “victory,” and how will we get there?
   - “Confrontation without compromise” vs. strategically chosen,
achievable demands: How much to ask, how much to take?
   - Learning from the South: What can Canadian social movements learn
from allies elsewhere in the world?
   - Anti-capitalism, the labour movement and the non-profit industrial
   complex: What are the points of convergence? To what extent is broad
   coalition building on the Left possible?
   - (This is NOT intended as an exhaustive list!)

We also welcome pitches for short profiles (300-600 words) of groups,
initiatives and organizations that presage the next generation of
anti-capitalist/social movement organizing. (Please note that we do not
accept profiles of organizations written by staff of those organizations.
Such organizations are welcome - indeed, encouraged - to take out an ad
<http://briarpatchmagazine.com/files/2009/07/mediakit09sm.pdf> in this
issue.)

Queries are due by *September 6.* If your query is accepted; first drafts
are due by *October 18*. Your query should outline what ground your
contribution will cover, give an estimated word count, and indicate your
relevant experience or background in writing about the issue. If you
haven’t written for *Briarpatch* before, please provide a brief writing
sample.

Please write for a general audience, employing standard journalistic
conventions. Please review our submission
guidelines<http://briarpatchmagazine.com/2009/06/11/2009/04/28/2008/10/26/submission-guidelines/>before
submitting. Send your wueries/submissions to editor AT briarpatchmagazine
D0T com.

We reserve the right to edit your work (with your active involvement), and
cannot guarantee publication.

Note: Potential contributors to this issue may also be interested in
contributing to *The Dominion*’s special issue on the 2010
Olympics<http://vancouver.mediacoop.ca/story/1747>
.

*Other upcoming Briarpatch
issues:<http://briarpatchmagazine.com/editorial-schedule/>
*

*March/April 2010:* Feminism International: The global fight for women’s
autonomy
Query deadline: November 2, 2009

*May/June 2010:* Canadian foreign policy & its discontents
Query deadline: January 4, 2010

*July/August 2010:* Fences, walls & borders: Migration, global apartheid &
the right to freedom of movement
Query deadline: March 1, 2010

*September/October 2010:* Health
Query deadline: May 3, 2010

*November/December 2010:* Work
Query deadline: July 5, 2010

*January/February 2011:* Indigenous activism & the Fourth World War
Query deadline: September 6, 2010

Arthur Manuel: Beware of B.C.'s proposed Recognition and Reconciliation Act
===========================================================

6) Call for Organizers: Indigenous Sovereignty Week

Call for Organizers: Indigenous Sovereignty Week

This is a callout for activists and organizers interested in organizing a
week of educational events in their community during the last week of
October. Please let us know if you want to help build Indigenous
Sovereignty Week in your area, and please forward this message to other
Indigenous activists, organizers, and supporters.

Defenders of the Land Organizing Committee


 *General Callout for Organizing Committees for the first annual
Indigenous Sovereignty Week*

Defenders of the Land, a cross-Canada network of First Nations in land
struggle, fighting for Indigenous rights, is issuing a call to like-minded
Indigenous people and groups in communities and cities, as well as
non-Native supporters, to cooperate in organizing a cross-Canada week of
educational events on Indigenous Rights and Indigenous struggles, from
October 25-31, 2009.

We have in mind that this work will reach different audiences: Indigenous
people living in communities, urban Indigenous people, and non-Indigenous
people living in cities and towns.  Events may take place on campuses, in
community centres, in schools, or other locations.

The purpose of this week is to build local relationships between groups
and individuals, disseminate ideas of Indigenism, and generally,
contribute to building a cross-Canada movement for Indigenous rights,
self-determination, and justice that is led by Indigenous communities but
with a broad base of informed support.

There will be a range of events, including speaking events, cultural or
arts events, and ceremony where appropriate. Speakers will include
activists and leaders of struggles, elders, Indigenous intellectuals, and
supporters.

Based on the direction of the first gathering of Defenders of the Land in
Winnipeg last year, the following have been highlighted as questions to
bring forward:

*Struggles for Indigenous Rights and Self-Determination*

   - Overview of the history of Indigenous organizing
   - Sharing histories and examples of struggle, successes, and challenges.
   - Hearing from local struggles
   - Current legal frameworks - UNDRIP, Section 35, court rulings; the
   concept of aboriginal title
   - Who bears Indigenous rights? Who determines who is Indigenous?
   - What does/would Indigenous sovereignty look like, practically? What
would be the relationship to the Canadian state? What are viable models
of cohabitation?
   - What is solidarity? How to do solidarity work in a good way, learning
from past successes and mistakes. Hearing from specific experiences.


*Indigenous Knowledge, Culture, and Identity*

   - The importance of the relationship to the land, living on the land.
   - Residential schools and other policies of genocide and their impacts
   - Oral stories and histories
   - The status of Indigenous languages
   - The role of ceremony
   - Documenting and maintaining traditional knowledge


*Indigenous Peoples and the Environment
*

   - Environmental racism and environmental justice
   - Impacts of developments on Indigenous peoples and cultures – specific
examples and campaigns
   - Biodiversity and cultural diversity
   - Traditional understandings of stewardship


*History of Indigenous-Canadian Relations
*

   - The period from contact to the historic treaties
   - The history of the treaties and treaty-making
   - History and impact of the Indian Act
   - What's wrong with the poverty and service-dollars approach to
   Indigenous issues - the horizontal framework of cradle-to-grave dependency
   - The government's current agenda: extinguishment of title, replacement
of collective rights with individual rights, cash payouts, and
assimilation.
   - How to name this and resist it.


*Other elements to include, where possible and appropriate
*

   - Ceremony
   - Drum + song
   - Community feast with traditional foods
   - Indigenous language programming
   - Arts programming
   - Youth-focused programming

What does "appropriate" mean in this context? Appropriate means if it is
done under the leadership of Indigenous people, for Indigenous people,
involving the participation of mostly Indigenous people.

*If you are interested in organizing an Indigenous Sovereignty Week in
your area*
If you are interested in organizing educational events in your community
during this week, please contact us by email at
defendersoftheland at gmail.com.

We will establish a list to cooperate on developing and organizing this
event. Communities can plan their own programs according to their needs
and capacities--the purpose of a joint organizing list is to share
resources and coordinate speakers' itineraries for example. You can find
out more about Defenders of the Land at our website (which will be up
soon).