[IPSM] Grassy Narrows Gathering

[Indigenous Peoples Solidarity Movment - Montreal]

---------------------------- Original Message ----------------------------
Subject: Grassy Narrows Gathering
From:    "Carmen Teeple Hopkins" <carmenth273 at yahoo.com>
Date:    Thu, June 8, 2006 1:51 pm
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Earth Justice Gathering
At the Grassy Narrows Blockade
July 10-16, 2006


The crisis in Ontario’s Boreal Forests is heating up. While much of the 
world is aware of the devastating destruction occurring in the Amazon 
rainforests, many don't realize the other important remaining intact 
forest ecosystem left on earth is the Canadian Boreal forest. Not only  is
this vast mosaic of forests, river, wetlands and lakes a breeding  ground
for billions of birds and home to the endangered woodland
caribou, but it stores more carbon than any other terrestrial
ecosystem, making it one of our first lines of defense against global
warming, and  provides more freshwater than any other place on earth. The
various  provincial governments in Canada have already allocated most of
the  Boreal's productive timber lands to logging companies and almost all 
logging is done through clearcuts - some as large as 20,000 acres. 
Logging and mining are moving further north threatening this vital  forest
ecosystem and the traditional territory of many First Nations in  Ontario.

On December 2nd 2002, the indigenous youth of Grassy Narrows lay down  in
the path of industrial logging trucks – blocking access to their
traditional lands and sparking what is now the longest standing
indigenous blockade in Canada

This summer the Rainforest Action Network and Forest Ethics invite you  to
a week of workshops, trainings, stories, campfires, feasting, music  and
action at the Grassy Narrows blockade. Let’s join together to  support
this visionary action, deepen our understanding of the issues,  and build
the bonds between indigenous land struggles and the
environmental movement.

Although the blockade still stands strong, logging companies
Weyerhaeuser and Abitibi are still destroying parts of Grassy Narrows’ 
traditional lands, and the McGuinty government refuses to address the 
growing crisis of unresolved native land rights conflicts and habitat 
destruction in the great northern Boreal forest.

We are working closely with community leaders from Grassy Narrows who 
have invited supporters of social, economic, and ecological justice to 
support their blockade and to bring the action into the stores where  this
wood is sold, the legislatures where the laws are passed, the  board
rooms where the decisions are made, and to broad public attention in  the
media. Let’s answer their call.

Transportation is being arranged from key regions to Grassy Narrows  (near
Kenora Ontario, Canada). Gas subsidies will be provided to people  who
bring a full vehicle.

Please Contact:
Northern First Nations: Jocelyn Cheechoo - jocelyncheechoo at ran.org Toronto
and Southern Ontario: Kim Fry –
kimf at forestethics.org/416-452-4199
Thunder Bay and Northern Ontario: Damien Lee -
connectwithdamien at gmail.com
Winnipeg and Manitoba: Shelagh – cuban_cigarra at hotmail.com
Wisconsin and Minnisota: Bob Poeschl - carpepax at riseup.net

Unions, Student Unions, activist groups, etc. are encouraged to sponsor  a
vehicle or contribute to the cost of a bus. Contact Kim Fry at
kimf at forestethics.org

Expected Workshops:
Nonviolent Direct Action
Decolonization
Native Land Rights
Activist Legal Defence
Traditional Stories
Boreal Ecology
Tree Climbing
Media Activism
Creative Resistance
Radical Cheerleading
Forest Defence Tactics and Strategies

Accomodation will be vehicle access tenting. Some meals will be
communal, however people are encouraged to be self-sufficient. More 
details to come.

For more information, logistical details and updates check out
www.freegrassy.org and www.forestethics.ca

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-- 
the INDIGENOUS PEOPLES SOLIDARITY MOVEMENT is a Montreal based collective
whose primary goal is to ally ourselves with indigenous peoples in the
active fight for mutual self-determination and decolonization

Info: ipsm at resist.ca
http://ipsm.nativeweb.org
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