[Indigsol] URGENT: Action Alert for Grassy Narrows

[Indigenous Peoples' Solidarity Movement -Ottawa]

Please forward this to your network.  Public attention is important for the
safety of the grassroots women blocking remote roads.


---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Grassy Narrows Asubpeeschoseewagong Anishinabek <
riverrun2010 at gmail.com>
Date: Tue, May 31, 2011 at 10:27 AM
Subject: [Grassy Narrows Support] Action Alert for Grassy Narrows
To: grassy-narrows-support at googlegroups.com


ACTION ALERT

*Grassy Narrows grassroots women are blocking the Ministry of Natural
Resources (MNR) from accessing their territory right now!*

Call the MNR Kenora office to express your support: (807) 468-2501

*Some points to make:*

1.  Respect the rights and safety of the Grassy Narrows women.

2.  Stop threatening work crews repairing the Segeisse road.  It is the only
alternate emergency route out of Grassy Narrows and is essential to the
ability of Grassy Narrows people to exercise their Treaty rights.

2.  Thousands of people are watching and supporting Grassy Narrows.  This
issue will not go away unless there is justice.

3.  Grassy Narrows has the right to determine what happens on their
territory.  We support them in their decisions.

4.  We also support Grassy Narrows' call to end clearcut logging, and for
justice on issues of mercury pollution and other contaminants.


Background:


---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Judith Da Silva
Date: Mon, May 30, 2011 at 7:01 PM
Subject: Roadworks


we will be on the road again tomorrow to allow workers to fix
a road to allow our people to exercise our treaty rights MNR threatened the
workers with a 10000 fine we need u to put our friends on alert for our
safety. Of course we will be peaceful and nonviolent. Meegwetch for ur
prayers

------------------------------------

SOME BACKGROUND::

since abitibi pulled out the mnr have stopped maintaining back roads around
grassy narrows and many are now impassible.  this is a deliberate attempt to
pressure the community to allow clearcutting.

grassy narrows is repairing the roads themselves, but the government is
trying to stop the repairs.  the blockaders will be on the road to keep
the
government out to allow the repairs to proceed.

without the back roads it is difficult for trappers, hunters, medicine
gatherers and other traditional land users to access the territory to
exercise their treaty rights, livelihood, and way of life.

the government usually gives public money to logging companies to build and
maintain roads.  they have told grassy that without logging they will not
maintain roads, or allow grassy to maintain the roads themselves.  this
includes emergency access roads that provide the only alternate road out
in
the case of forest fire or other emergencies.

a similar action happened last fall.  see the reports here:

http://freegrassy.org/2010/08/25/grassy-narrows-clan-mothers-block-mnr-enforcement-team/



-- 
In Solidarity,
IPSMO
on unceded Algonquin Territory
--

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