[Indigsol] Sunday - Pray For The Land, at Beaver Pond Forest

[ipsmo at riseup.net]

What: Day of Prayer for the Land
When: Sunday 30 January at 10h00 – 16h00 (Schedule TBA)
Where: Walden Parking Lot, Beaver Pond Forest, Kanata (at end of Walden Dr)
Why: Let’s get together as a community to celebrate this Forest!
Who: All people and every Faith are called to join together at the Beaver
Pond Forest in Kanata.

http://www.ottawasgreatforest.com
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=137508642980661


Respect one another and respect the earth!

As an expression of their concern for the land, the Ardoch Algonquin First
Nation has called for a day of prayer.

For poster click here:
http://southmarch.files.wordpress.com/2011/01/2011-01-30-pray-for-the-land.pdf


More Info: Pray for the Land

Pray  for the Land began in October 2008 at the Robertsville mine site
where the Ardoch Algonquin First Nation and their settler neighbours were 
struggling to protect the local environment from uranium exploration and 
development. Pray for the Land recognises that our principle 
responsibility to creation is a spiritual responsibility.  All Faiths  and
Spiritual traditions hold that the Creator has, along with life,  given us
an abundant creation on which to sustain ourselves as human  beings. 
There was a subsequent Pray for the Land at Robertsville in  June, 2009. 
The tradition continues in response to the immediate need  to protect the
Beaver Pond Forest, an essential ecosystem in the South  March Highlands,
which is part of the un-ceded Algonquin homeland known as Kanata.

Pray for the Land is an invitation for all people, all  Faith groups and
Spiritual traditions to gather together.  At previous  Pray for the Land
gatherings there have been Aboriginal prayer circles,  Islamic prayer,
Christian worship services, Quaker meeting, Buddhist  meditations, Sweat
Lodges and individual expressions of prayer.

This  is an extemporaneous gathering so we ask everyone who hears about
Pray for the Land to inform their own Faith community, friends and
neighbours  and extend the invitation to participate.  If you are a member
of a  Faith group or Spiritual tradition speak to your teachers and Elders
and  leaders and ask them to come and conduct a prayer service in your 
tradition.  For those who cannot come in person or as a community we ask 
that you consider Pray for the Land in your community’s worship or 
prayers during this week.  In this way the Circle grows; the spiritual 
responsibility for protecting the land, for holding creation sacred, is 
remembered.

If you are coming to Pray for the Land on January  30th  at the Beaver
Pond Forest you will need to come with patience,  openness of mind and
spirit, and compassion for others.  You might also  want to bring a chair
or blanket to sit on.  You will definitely need  warm clothes.  In the
spirit of “loaves and fishes”, bring some food to  share and possibly a
gift or two to give to a stranger who you come to  know as a friend. 
There will be an effort to coordinate some of the  activities, but keep in
mind that this is a natural “organic” gathering  and there may be a whole
lot of people who are there to share the day.  You may want to go into the
forest for a quiet walk.  You may want to  bring a prayer bundle or prayer
note to hang inside the forest to show our commitment to protect creation.
 Seek guidance through prayer before  coming and you will know what to do.

Mìgwetch,

Robert Lovelace
Retired Chief
Ardoch Algonquin First Nation



Email below From: Paul Renaud <paul at renaud.ca>
Subject: South March Highlands

I am writing to you on behalf of the 14,500+ persons in the multicultural
communities who have come together to protect the South March Highlands
from development in west Ottawa – only 20 minutes from Parliament Hill.

This multicultural community includes over 6,500 Algonquin in the First
Nation communities of Ottawa, Kitigan-Zibi, Bonnechere, Kinounchpirini,
Ardoch, Kichesipirini, and Pasapkedjiwanong who have responded to
Grandfather William Commanda’s call for protection (attached).  The
multicultural communities unified in protecting the South March Highlands
also includes another 8,000 Canadians of non-aboriginal heritage as well
as many non-Algonquin Metis.

We are asking for your support and influence with both federal and
provincial leaders to call for an immediate halt to development and a
reassessment of this situation.

The South March Highlands (“SMH”) has been described in official studies
as a “wild island” of natural landscape within the City of Ottawa
(“City”).  Until recently it remained largely in its original natural
state because its rugged landscape was unsuitable for agriculture.  SMH is
the southern end of the Precambrian Canadian Shield outcrop known as the
Carp Hills which first emerged from the Champlain Sea 11,000 years ago. 
Its geology is unique to the National Capital and its wetland-rich land
has been described in City studies as “an island of rugged,
heavily-glaciated, rocky, Gatineau Hills-like habitat”.  The Carp
Hills/SMH is the only place in Ottawa where the Canadian Shield is visible
on the Ontario side of the great river.

No other major city in the world includes a vigorous old growth forest
with endangered species.    The closest is perhaps Vancouver’s Stanley
Park which is 1/3 the size, contains ½ the variety of vascular plants, and
no species-at-risk as compared to the SMH which is refuge for 20
documented species-at-risk of extinction within a small area of only 3 km
by 4 km in size.

The SMH is a candidate Provincially Significant Area of Natural and
Scientific Interest (“ANSI”) for both its Life Science value (895
hectares) and for its unique Wetland Complex (114 hectares).  It has been
valued by scientists as the “most important reservoir of ecological
potential” in the City because it has the densest bio-diversity and its 30
eco-types of vegetation provide a wide variety of resources for the
renewal of depleted natural areas elsewhere.  There are 10 distinct
habitats within the SMH and the largest deer wintering yard (925 hectares)
in the City.

The SMH is the aquifer for North Kanata and its hydrology is integral to
both the Carp River as well as to the federally significant Shirley’s Bay
wetland complex in the Greenbelt.  The SMH is ecologically unique in the
City, supporting over 440 native species of vascular plants and has the
highest floristic diversity of any natural area in Ottawa.

This SMH is also home to over 269 species of wildlife, including
170species of birds that are known to breed in this area, twice the number
found in Punta Cana’s world famous ecological park.  The area is also home
to the Monarch Butterfly, another species at risk, however no study of
insect or bryophyte (non-vascular plant) species has ever been performed. 
We have written to the Federal Minister of Justice questioning the lack of
authority granted to the City to authorize a mass killing of wildlife but
have received no response (attached).

The SMH is also rated by the City as having high potential for
archaeological resources.  To-date, 3 archaeological sites have been found
that present evidence of native occupation of the SMH dating back 500
generations.  One of these sites was confirmed by eminent archaeologists
but is tied up in a court case because the developer who commissioned the
research refused to pay for it.  Two of the other sites have been
identified but not been properly assessed to-date.  An archaeological
study done by another one of the developers was reviewed by a former
president of the Canadian Archaeology Association who determined it was
“fatally flawed” for having not adequately considered pre-European-contact
cultural resources.  Despite appeals to the Ontario Minister of Culture,
nothing has been done about this.

We have also been working with the National Capital Commission to protect
this area and in conjunction with the Greenbelt Coalition have made formal
submissions which have been accepted by the NCC as part of their Greenbelt
Master Planning process.   Two MPs, Gordon O’Connor and Paul Dewar have
called on the NCC to protect this area, as have Elizabeth May, the Sierra
Club of Canada, and the David Suzuki Foundation.  However, to-date Madame
Lemay has declined to confirm any official NCC support for protecting the
area.

This matter is now urgent as one of the developers is already clear
cutting in the forest and another is about to start at the end of January.
 With the support of the Algonquin Chiefs, the Inter-Tribal Medicine
Council has established a Sacred Fire last week which has been burning
continuously to symbolize that this land is a place of Manitou and is
integral to the cultural heritage of all Anishinabe people.  The Sacred
Fire is currently being maintained around the clock by Fire Keepers
representing all the communities that have been unified in this cause.

More information about the South March Highlands and our efforts to
protect it can be downloaded from the links below.  This includes a couple
of short videos that are well worth viewing.

We ask that you assist us in whatever way you can to bring this to the
attention of both federal and provincial leaders for immediate action.

Please join us by adding your tobacco to our Sacred Fire to protect this
place of Manitou.

Kitchi Megwetch,
Paul Renaud
Coalition to Protect the South March Highlands
613-277-5898


Letters sent by First Nations:
http://www.renaud.ca/public/Letters_of_Support/2011-01-09-Kinounchepirini_Algonquin_FirstNation_Letter.jpg
http://www.renaud.ca/public/Letters_of_Support/2011-01-09-SMH_Ottawa_Algonquin_FN_Support.pdf
http://www.renaud.ca/public/Letters_of_Support/2011-01-10-AAFN_letter%20to_Ottawa.pdf
http://www.renaud.ca/public/Letters_of_Support/2011-01-14-Ottawa_Letter_From_Kichesipirini_Algonqiun_FN.pdf

And by Grandfather William Commanda:
http://www.renaud.ca/public/Letters_of_Support/2010-08-24_Circle_of_Nations-South_March_Highlands.pdf
http://www.renaud.ca/public/Letters_of_Support/2010-12-20-GWC_Letter_To_Council.pdf
http://www.renaud.ca/public/Letters_of_Support/2011-01-05-GWC-Message_Regarding_Development_at_South_March_Highlands

And by other Elders:
http://www.renaud.ca/public/Letters_of_Support/2010-08-14-A_plea_for_the_forest-Grandfather_Albert_Dumond.pdf
http://www.renaud.ca/public/Letters_of_Support/2011-01-14-Grandfather_Lovelace_Letter_to_the_Editor_Revelation18.pdf

Motion passed unanimously by City of Ottawa’s Aboriginal Affairs Advisory
Subcommittee:
http://www.renaud.ca/public/Letters_of_Support/2011-01-12-Unanimous_AHCAC_Motion_on_SMH.pdf

Videos:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XZBcLvtcJBY (4 minute documentary video)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MhSU5heJl5o (8 minute cultural and natural
heritage video)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fJAezV9Ap6k (6 minute video on Sacred Fire)


Presentations:

http://www.renaud.ca/public/Presentations/2011-01-13-SMH-1-SMH_Overview_v16.pdf
(SMH Overview presentation)

http://www.renaud.ca/public/Presentations/2010-12-07-SMH-2-Stewardship_Plan_Overview_v4.pdf
(Stewardship Plan Overview presentation)

http://www.renaud.ca/public/Presentations/2010-12-07-SMH-3-Advocacy_Overview_v4.pdf
(Open issues overview presentation)

Other Letters of Support may be downloaded from:
http://www.renaud.ca/public/Letters_of_Support/

www.ottawasgreatforest.com (website for the stewardship plan to protect
the SMH)
www.southmarchhighlands.ca (website for the coalition to protect the SMH)

http://onnaturemagazine.com/the-race-to-save-the-south-march-highlands.html
(Article in Ontario Nature Magazine)

http://www.renaud.ca/public/Presentations/2010-09-07%20Greenbelt%20Coalition%20Position%20Paper-for%20NCC%20Review.pdf
Greenbelt Coalition Position Paper to NCC on Emerald Necklace

http://www.renaud.ca/public/Presentations/2010-09-07%20Greenbelt%20Coalition%20Position%20Paper%20App5%20-%20SMH.pdf
Submission to NCC  on South March Highlands