[IPSM] Boreal Crisis Grows - 9 More Arrested for Defending Grassy Narrows

[Nora Butler Burke]

Attention News Editors:

Boreal Crisis Grows - 9 More Arrested for Defending Grassy Narrows
Traditional Territory from Clear-cut Logging

KENORA, ON, July 27 /CNW/ - Last night, Ontario Provincial Police officers
arrested Chrissy Swain, member of the Grassy Narrows First Nation, and 8
supporters on English River Road.

The group had been blocking trucks hauling logs to Weyerhaeuser's
TrusJoist mill in Kenora since Tuesday afternoon to demand a moratorium on
clear cut logging within the community's
Traditional Territory. The nine were charged with mischief and released
early this morning on the condition that they leave Kenora within 24
hours.

The arrests marked the first time ever that a member of the First Nation
community has been arrested for defending its Traditional Territory from
logging.

"Weyerhaeuser and Abitibi are destroying our people by logging our Boreal
Forest," said Chrissy Swain, a young Grassy Narrows mother from the
blockade site. "We've been passive for too long while we've suffered from
the impacts of industrial logging. Our people are sick and we can't afford
to allow this anymore. We are standing up to protect our land and our
children's future."

The English River blockade is the second protest by the Grassy Narrows
community in as many weeks and the latest development in a decade long
campaign to end logging without the native community's consent.

Last Thursday, July 13th, over 80 supporters blocked traffic on the
Transcanada Highway. The following day, Ontario Provicial Police officers
established checkpoints on Highway 671, arresting 9 allegedly involved in
the protest.

Supporters criticized the OPP for jailing and interrogating people of
color including several First Nations individuals, while Caucasians among
the arrestees were released with a citation. Hearings in the case will
take place Sept 18th in Kenora.

"It is obscene that the Ontario government is arresting peaceful
protestors and allowing Abitibi and Weyerhaeuser to continue destroying
the land and way of life of the Grassy Narrows people," says David Sone,
organizer with the Rainforest Action Network and one of the individuals
arrested Wednesday night. "I now am part of a long and proud history of
people who
stood up for what was right and just during a time that government refused
to respect human rights."

"The forest should be protected," said Steve Fobister, Councilor in charge
of Forests Portfolio for the Grassy Narrows Council. "Whatever trees we
have left should remain for our purposes and our survival as a people. For
over a century we have shared the land, but Abitibi and Weyerhaeuser have
abused our generosity for too long. The Provincial government must stop
abusing our human rights by destroying the Boreal Forest that we depend on."

For further information: go to FreeGrassy.org
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://lists.resist.ca/pipermail/ipsm-l/attachments/20060728/79e48603/attachment.html>