[IPSM] urgent translation request...

[Mandeep Dhillon]

hi folks,

would anyone be up for translating the anti-niocan
call in request below...sort of urgent since the call
in is for monday...?

thanks!
mandeep 
> 
>  
> [Please Circulate Widely]
> 
> Call to action: Stop Niocan's proposed niobium mine
> on Kanien:keha'ka Territory!
> 
>
***********************************************************************
> When? Monday May 2nd & Thursday May 5th
> Phone : (418) 521-3911
> Fax : (418) 643-4143, and
> Email: ministre at mddep.gouv.qc.ca
> Who? Thomas Mulcair, Minister of Sustainable
> Development, Environment & Parks
> Why? Within the next few weeks, he makes the final
> decision on the project!
> Refuse Niocan! Resist Environmental Racism! Reject
> Canadian Colonialism! 
>
***********************************************************************
> 
> In solidarity with the community of Kanehsatake,
> Indigenous Peoples Solidarity Movement is urging all
> allies to participate in a coordinated phone, fax
> and email campaign against Niocan Inc.'s proposed
> niobium mine that is moments way from being
> developed within traditional Kanien:keha'ka
> territory. A loud and clear message must be sent to
> Mulcair, in his final hours of deliberation, that
> the municipality of Oka had no right to sell lands
> traditional to the Peoples of Kanehsatake, and the
> poisoning of Kanien:keha'ka land, water, animals and
> Peoples is clearly unacceptable to many, and will
> not be tolerated. On Monday May 2nd especially, and
> on Thursday May 5th, let Mulcair know he will have
> no peace unless their is justice for the community
> of Kanehsatake. Refuse Niocan! Resist Environmental
> Racism! Reject Canadian Colonialism!  
> 
> Backgrounder: (Please see letter below)
> 
> Niocan Inc., a Montreal based mining corporation, is
> nearing the final stage of approval for a mining
> project, entitled the "Oka Project", to be developed
> within the traditional territory of the
> Kanien:keha'ka (Mohawk) people. The proposed
> location of this niobium mine is right next to the
> community of Kanehsatake and the Oka municipality.
> Community members have taken a clear stance on this
> issue - this destructive project will not be
> tolerated! In addition to the outright violation of
> the centuries old claim the Kanien'keha'ka people
> have on this land, the mine will also pose a serious
> environmental threat - resulting in the release of
> ionizing radiation  and the contamination of air,
> soil and water.
> 
> Currently, Niocan is awaiting a certificate of
> authorization from Thomas Mulcair, the Minister of
> Sustainable Development, Environment and Parks to
> give the project the go ahead - they are confident
> that this certificate will be granted.
> 
> Some key points that we would like to raise with the
> minister are:
> 
> - This is unceded traditional Mohawk territory that
> they have laid claims to and thus neither Niocan
> Inc. nor the Quebec government has any right to
> pursue any projects on this land.
> 
> - The project will result in the release of ionizing
> radiation (specifically, radon). There is no
> established safe limit of radiation and thus no
> guarantees that there won't be health risks posed to
> residents. Furthermore, no environmental assessments
> have been carried out specific to the community of
> Kanehsatake.
> 
> The contact information for the minister's office is
> again, as follows:
> 
> Ministère du Développement durable, de
> l'Environnement et des Parcs
> Édifice Marie-Guyart
> 675, boul. René-Lévesque Est
> 30e étage, Québec (Québec), G1R5V7
> Phone : (418) 521-3911
> Fax : (418) 643-4143
> Email: ministre at mddep.gouv.qc.ca
> 
> 
> Sample letter:
> 
> 
> ATT: Mr. Thomas Mulcair, Minister of Sustainable
> Development, Environment and Parks
> 
> RE: Niocan Inc.'s proposed Oka Project
> 
> Mr. Mulcair,
> 
> We are writing to you to express our absolute
> opposition to Niocan Inc.'s proposed Oka Project.
> 
> This project would entail destructive practices on
> traditional Kanien'keha'ka (Mohawk) land - territory
> that they have laid claim to for centuries and
> continues to be disputed. Thus far, no efforts have
> been made on the part of the government or Niocan
> Inc. to consult with the people of Kanehsatake in
> regards to this mine. Despite Niocan's claims, the
> community remains adamantly opposed to the project.
> Regardless of the company's assertions that the Oka
> Project will result in a dramatic infusion of
> capital and jobs into the local economy, this
> operation is not  environmentally, economically or
> culturally sustainable for the Kanien'keha'ka
> people. The Socio-economic study carried out by
> Niocan's auditors, KPMG, contained no recognition of
> these matters. The fact that the Quebec government
> has a $427, 000 equity investment in the project is
> not lost on community members and allies; nor is the
> fact that mining operations have historically
> targeted Indigenous lands and perpetrated violence,
> displacement and  environmental racism.
> 
> We would also like to reiterate the environmental
> concerns that have been raised by members of both
> the  Kanehsatake and Oka communities. Despite the
> BAPE's dismissal of the amount of radioactive
> material which will be released during the
> excavation, essentially, there is no established
> safe limit of ionizing radiation. Consequently,
> neither Niocan Inc. nor the government can guarantee
> the project will not have adverse health effects on
> those living in the area. Locals are already exposed
> to the highest national levels of radon gas - a well
> established carcinogen. Secondary to previous mining
> activities, radiation levels in some homes in Oka
> already exceed the relatively lax Canadian safety
> standards. There is no documentation as to what
> these levels are in Kanehsatake. 
> 
> Besides release into the air, waste from the
> operation will be released into the local water
> system; the water table will also be used to supply
> the project. The far-reaching effects of all of
> these derangements on the local agriculture and way
> of life cannot be understated. Furthermore, the
> materials left behind in slags and tailings after
> the projected 17  year operation will continue to
> negatively impact the environment and future
> generations. In April  2000, 62% of the Parish of
> Oka voted against Niocan's project.
> 
> Approval of this project would result in serious
> violations of Kanien'keha'ka treaty rights and the
> rights of all local residents to health and
> security.
> 
> Therefore, in alliance with the communities of
> Kanehsatake and Oka, we demand that Niocan Inc.'s
> Oka Project proposal be rejected by your office. 
> 
> Sincerely,>
_______________________________________________
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> IPSM-l at lists.resist.ca
>
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>  

"It is justice, not charity, that is wanting in the world."  (Mary Wollstonecraft) 
"Sigan ustedes sabiendo que, mucho más temprano que tarde, se abrirán las grandes alamedas por donde pase el hombre libre, para construir una sociedad mejor." (Salvador Allende, 11 de sept. 1973)
"When I give food to the poor, they call me a saint. When I ask why the poor have no food, they call me a communist." (Dom Helder Camara)

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