[IPSM] Algonquin blockade: Urgent call for support for Barriere Lake, and arrested community spokesperson Marylynn Poucachiche

[Dru Oja Jay]

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Barriere Lake Solidarity <barrierelakesolidarity at gmail.com>
Date: Wed, Nov 19, 2008 at 8:24 AM
Subject: [reclaim] Algonquin blockade: Urgent call for support for Barriere
Lake, and arrested community spokesperson Marylynn Poucachiche
To: barrierelakesolidarity at gmail.com





[*Please forward widely!*]

This morning at 7:30am, 70 members of the Algonquin community of Barriere
Lake and 30 non-native supporters peacefully blockaded highway 117 in
Northern Quebec, while a Christian Peacemaker Team observed the action.

The Government-backed minority faction currently in power had fed
information about the blockade plans to the Quebec police, who established a
significant presence before the blockade was set up. They issued threats of
mass arrest, dismantled the blockades, and followed protesters down the
highway in a high-speed chase until the access road to the Barriere Lake
reserve, where Algonquins and their supporters are maintaining a presence.

Community spokesperson Marylynn Poucachiche has been arrested for
obstruction and mischief and is currently detained.

Once again, the community needs the public to make it clear right now that
this treatment is unacceptable, that the Algonquins have suffered enough
division at the hands of the government, and that the signed agreements need
to be honoured.

On October 6th, the first peaceful blockade of Highway 117 - a tactic of
last resort, after months of being ignored or dismissed by the Canadian and
Quebec governments - was met with violent repression, including tear-gassing
and pain compliance. In the last few weeks, forestry companies were
discovered cutting new logging roads without consent from Barriere Lake's
legitimate leadership - a violation of the November 2007 ban on new forestry
operations in the Trilateral territory.  Despite decades of struggle and
these recent developments, the community refuses to back down.

"Instead of doing the dirty work of the federal government, Quebec should
implement its agreements and immediately lobby the federal government to
deal fairly with our community," said Norman Matchewan, a community
spokesperson. "Charest's brutal treatment of our community shows his
government has absolutely no respect for the rights of Indigenous peoples,
which should be an urgent matter of debate during the provincial election."

The Algonquins were promising to maintain the blockade until Canada and
Quebec committed in writing to honour their agreements and Canada appoints
an observer to witness and respect the outcome of a new leadership selection
in Barriere Lake in accordance with their Customary Governance Code.


*** What you can do right now to help: ***

We need people to let the government know that they support the demands
Barriere Lake has been fighting for for decades.

Please take 15 minutes to phone or fax a letter, see below for a model
letter, or modify and send a *sample letter.
*

*You can do that here:*
.http://barrierelakesolidarity.blogspot.com/2007/10/blog-post.html<http://barrierelakesolidarity.blogspot.com/2007/10/blog-post.html>

* *Stephen Harper*, Prime Minister of Canada ( fax: 613-941-6900 )
* *Lawrence Cannon*, Transportation Minister and MP for Pontiac ( 613
992-2940 Fax: 613 944-9376 )
* *Chuck Strahl*, Minister of Indian Affairs ( 819 997-0002   Fax: 819
953-4941 )

*Use some of the following points (along with your own):*

* Release Marylynn Poucachiche and drop all charges

* The government should immediately cease the use of police repression in
lieu of negotiators

* The Federal and Provincial government should honor the agreements they've
signed with Barriere Lake

* Express support for the Barriere Lake community's struggle for the right
to choose its own leadership

* The federal government should immediately stop interfering in Barriere
Lake's internal affairs

*** More information: ***

Demands, and a list of groups that have endorsed them:
http://barrierelakesolidarity.blogspot.com/2008/03/mission.html
Video of the October 6th blockade: http://blip.tv/file/1391794

A quick visual introduction to the community:
http://www.dominionpaper.ca/articles/1947

*
More information on how to support the Barriere Lake Algonquins:*

http://barrierelakesolidarity.blogspot.com/2008/03/donations.html*
*

*
*

*Sample Letter (*to sign and fax) *
*

*Re: Algonquins of **Barriere** **Lake*

 Dear Ministers:

I am writing to you regarding the situation of the Algonquins of Barriere
Lake.

First of all, I strongly condemn the use of a police riot squad on October
6, 2008, during a peaceful protest of Algonquin families on Highway 117.**

I have seen the disturbing video footage of Algonquin families, including
children and elders, being tear-gassed and physically assaulted by the
Quebec police for merely asking that duly signed agreements entered into
with their First Nation by both the federal and Quebec governments be
honoured and that they be permitted to resolve their leadership issues
internally without federal interference.

This is clearly a political matter and should be resolved through the use of
good faith negotiations not with a police riot squad tear-gassing and
physically assaulting peacefully protesting Algonquin families.

I understand the anger and frustration of the Algonquins of Barriere Lake at
the unacceptable delays in implementing the duly signed agreements with the
federal and Quebec governments.

This will confirm that I fully support the following demands made by the
Algonquins of Barriere Lake:

*1. That the Government of Canada agree to respect the outcome of a new
leadership re-selection process, with outside observers, recognize the
resulting Customary Chief and Council, and cease all interference in the
internal governance of Barriere Lake.*

*2. That the Government of **Canada** agree to the immediate incorporation
of an Algonquin language and culture program into the primary school
curriculum.*

* 3. That the Government of Canada honour signed agreements with Barriere
Lake, including the Trilateral, the Memorandum of Mutual Intent, and the
Special Provisions, all of which it has illegally terminated.*

* 4. That the Government of Canada revoke Third Party Management, which was
imposed unjustly on **Barriere** **Lake**.*

* 5. That the Province of Quebec honour signed agreements with Barriere
Lake, including the 1991 Trilateral and 1998 Bilateral agreements, and adopt
for implementation the Lincoln-Ciaccia joint recommendations, including $1.5
million in resource-revenue sharing.*

* 6. That the Government of Canada and the Province of Quebec initiate a
judicial inquiry into the Quebec Regional Office of the Department of Indian
Affairs' treatment of Barriere Lake and other First Nations who may request
to be included.*

* 7. The Government of Quebec, in consultation with First Nations, conduct a
review of the recommendations of the **Ontario** Ipperwash Commission for
guidance towards improving Quebec-First Nation relations and improving the
policing procedures of the SQ when policing First Nation communities.*

I strongly encourage both of your governments to honour the signed
agreements made with the Algonquins of Barriere Lake and name negotiators to
quickly identify and resolve the differences between the First Nation and
your governments.

In closing, you can be sure I will be closely watching the Barriere Lake
situation and will not accept police violence and repression as a
negotiating tactic by your respective governments.

Sincerely,


Collectif de Solidarité Lac Barrière
*******************************************
www.solidaritelacbarriere.blogspot.com
barrierelakesolidarity at gmail.com
514.398.7432
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