[IPSM] Announcing ... Indigenous Sovereignty Week Montreal (October 25-31, 2009)

[No One Is Illegal Montreal]

From: Defenders of the Land Montreal <montrealdefendersoftheland at gmail.com>


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INDIGENOUS SOVEREIGNTY WEEK MONTREAL
OCTOBER 25-31, 2009

Events include:
Workshops, Films, Panels, Kahnawake Community Tour, Anti-Colonial
Thanksgiving, Ya Basta! Halloween Party and more!

Info:
www.defendersoftheland.org/montreal
montreal at defendersoftheland.org
514-848-7583

AT A GLANCE:

*- Sunday, October 25, 2-6pm
Inside the Mohawk Nation: A Tour of the Kahnawake Community*
rendez-vous at métro Angrignon (buses leave at 2pm sharp)

*- Sunday, October 25, 7pm
Cross Cultural Training: What you need to know when working with First
Nations Communities
Facilitated by Chad Katsenhake:ron Diabo, Mohawk of Kahnawake*
at Saint Columba House, 2365 Grand Trunk (métro Charlevoix)

*- Monday, October 26, 12pm
Workshop: The struggle against the Lower Churchill Dam on stolen Innu land
Presented by Friends of Elizabeth Penashue*
at QPIRG Concordia, 1500 de Maisonneuve Ouest #204 (métro Guy-Concordia)

*- Monday, October 26, 7:30pm:
Film Screening: The Experimental Eskimos (about the attempted assimilation
of 3 Inuit boys in the 1960s)*
Co-presented with Cinema Politica
at 1455 de Maisonneuve Ouest, H-110 (métro Guy-Concordia)

*- Tuesday, October 27, 7pm:
Panel: Defenders of the Land, Overcoming Canada's colonial agenda
Speakers include Arthur Manuel (former chairperson of the Interior Alliance
of BC First Nations) and Russell Diabo (editor of the First Nations
Strategic Bulletin)*
at Room 232, Leacock Building, McGill University, 855 Sherbrooke Street West
(métro McGill)

*- Wednesday, October 28, 12pm:
Workshop: Indigenous Solidarity Organizing from a No Borders Perspective
Presented by members of No One Is Illegal-Montreal*
at QPIRG Concordia, 1500 de Maisonneuve Ouest #204 (métro Guy-Concordia)

*- Wednesday, October 28, 7:30pm
Film Screening: Muffins for Granny (about the Canadian government`s
residential school program)
Presented by QPIRG Concordia and the Indigenous Solidarity Committee*
at 1455 de Maisonneuve Ouest, H-110 (métro Guy-Concordia)

*- Thursday, October 29, 6pm
Le Frigo Vert's 6th Annual Anti-Colonial Thanksgiving: Films, Speakers &
 Feast!
Including presentations by Tracey Deer (director of Club Native) Billie
Pierre (Indigenous organzing against the 2010 Olympics) and others*
at the Native Friendship Center of Montreal, 2001 St. Laurent Blvd. (métro
St. Laurent)

*- Friday, October 30, 12pm
Workshop: Colonial Canada 101
Presented by members of the Barriere Lake Solidarity Collective*
at QPIRG Concordia, 1500 de Maisonneuve Ouest #204 (métro Guy-Concordia)

*- Saturday, October 31, 7:30pm
Ya Basta! Halloween party, Zapatista boot launch and art auction
Featuring music by Cree rock band CerAmony, and others*
at Le Rhizome, 1800 Létourneux, corner of Lafontaine (métro Pie-IX)

*
-> Read below for MORE DETAILS or consult:
www.defendersoftheland.org/montreal

-> To ENDORSE Indigenous Sovereignty Week in Montreal, please e-mail
montreal at defendersoftheland.org

-> To GET INVOLVED in organizing and promotion for Indigenous Sovereignty
Week in Montreal, get in touch!

INFO:
www.defendersoftheland.org/montreal
montreal at defendersoftheland.org
514-848-7583*


::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::


*INDIGENOUS SOVEREIGNTY WEEK MONTREAL
OCTOBER 25-31, 2009*

*Indigenous Sovereignty Week (ISW) Montreal is part of a cross-Canada week
of educational and awareness-raising events from October 25-31. The purpose
of ISW is to build local relationships between groups and individuals,
disseminate ideas of Indigenism, and generally contribute to building a
cross-Canada movement for Indigenous rights, self-determination, and justice
that is led by Indigenous communities but with a broad base of informed
support.

ISW is a project of the Defenders of the Land, a network of Indigenous
communities and activists in land struggle across Canada, including Elders
and youth, women and men. Defenders of the Land was founded at a historic
meeting in Winnipeg from November 12-14 2008. The Defenders of the Land
Basis of Unity is linked here: http://www.defendersoftheland.org/about*


*Indigenous Sovereignty Week Events in Montreal:*

*-- SUNDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2-6pm --
Inside the Mohawk Nation: A tour of the Kahnawake Community*

Meet at Angrignon Metro. School Bus leaves for Kahnawake at 2:00pm sharp,
and will return to Angrignon metro around 6pm. $2 suggested donation for bus
fare.
Spaces limited: please reserve by emailing montreal at defendersoftheland.org

Have faint memories of the 1990 "Oka Crisis," when road blockades went up
near Montreal in Kanehsatake and Kahnawake, and Mohawks faced down the army
in one of the longest military standoffs in Canadian history?

The international coverage and physical tensions of that summer may have
subsided, but the grievances behind the iconic confrontation haven't gone
away, because little in the way the Canadian government treats Indigenous
peoples has improved.

This tour of Kahnawake, the fiercely independent Mohawk community across the
river from Montreal, will give you a chance to hear it straight from
community members. We'll visit a Mohawk Longhouse where the traditional
political confederacy still operates, and the Kahnawake Cultural Centre to
learn about wampum agreements and the Mohawk history of alliance-making with
colonial governments.  We'll walk the St. Lawrence Seaway, built over land
recently expropriated from Kahnawake,  learn about Mohawk struggles on the
international stage, and find out about a campaign to bring justice to
hundreds of missing and murdered Indigenous women.


*-- SUNDAY, OCTOBER 25, 7pm --
Cross Cultural Training: What you need to know when working with First
Nations Communities*
at Saint Columba House, 2365 Grand Trunk (métro Charlevoix)

Facilitated by Chad Katsenhake:ron Diabo, Mohawk of Kahnawake


*-- MONDAY, OCTOBER 26, 12pm --
The struggle against the Lower Churchill Dam on stolen Innu land*
at QPIRG Concordia, 1500 de Maisonneuve Ouest #204 (métro Guy-Concordia)

This workshop will go over the struggle of Elizabeth Penashue, an Innu elder
from the community of  Sheshatshui, Labrador, against the proposed Lower
Churchill Dam project that is threatening to wipe out their traditional
lands.  It will go over the history of the struggle and give an update on
the present situation; we will screen photos and talk about people’s
experiences on the Churchill River canoe trip with Elizabeth this summer,
play an interview with Elizabeth, and finally have a discussion about how
people can get more involved in supporting Elizabeth and fighting the
project.

Presented by Friends of Elizabeth Penashue
Info: indigenoussolidaritymontreal at gmail.com


*-- MONDAY, OCTOBER 26, 7:30pm --
Film Screening: The Experimental Eskimos*
at 1455 de Maisonneuve Ouest, H-110 (métro Guy-Concordia)

About *The Experimental Eskimos*: In the 1960s, three 12-year-old Inuit boys
were taken from their families in the Canadian Arctic and sent to live with
white families in Ottawa. The film follows Peter Ittinuar, Zebedee Nungak,
and Eric Tagoona as they revisit their childhood experiences and the impact
of the program that sent them south. Directed by Barry Greenwald. (75 min.)
Co-presented with Cinema Politica.


*-- TUESDAY, OCTOBER 27, 7pm --
Keynote Panel: Defenders of the Land, Overcoming Canada's colonial agenda*
at Room 232, Leacock Building, McGill University, 855 Sherbrooke Street West
(métro McGill)

Are we entering an age of post-colonial respect and harmony, or does Canada
remain bent on the assimilation of Indigenous peoples as distinct nations,
and the extinguishment of their rights and title to the land? Two Indigenous
representatives from the national Defenders of the Land organizing committee
will describe Canada's agenda towards Indigenous peoples, give an overview
of the history of Indigenous political organizing, and lay out the prospects
for self-determination.

Arthur Manuel is the spokesperson for the Indigenous Network on Economies
and Trade (INET), and a former Chief of the Neskonlith Band in British
Columbia and chairperson of the Interior Alliance of BC First Nations.
Manuel has been a leading advocate for the human rights of Indigenous
peoples, opposing the Sun Peaks Resort expansion in BC and campaigning for
Aboriginal and treaty rights on the international level.

Russell Diabo is a Mohawk policy analyst and editor of the First Nations
Strategic Bulletin. He is a policy advisor to the Algonquin Nation
Secretariat and served as an advisor to former National Assembly of First
Nations Chief Ovide Mercredi.


*-- WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 28, 12pm --
Workshop: Indigenous Solidarity Organizing from a No Borders Perspective*
at QPIRG Concordia, 1500 de Maisonneuve Ouest #204 (métro Guy-Concordia)

Free. Wheelchair accessible. Childcare available on request (514-848-7585).

This workshop will explore the analysis, research and lived experiences that
ground a "no one is illegal/no borders" analysis in relation to non-native
Indigenous solidarity organizing. In a context of global apartheid, there
are very specific challenges for organizing on a shifting terrain of
struggle locally that is rooted in the lived reality of those who daily
confront oppression. Topics of discussion include:

- colonialism & neo-colonialism;
- decolonization & self-determination;
- the factors of displacement, dislocation & globalization;
- the history of border controls;
- the meaning and building of global apartheid;
- the history of racism in the Canadian state;
- the meanings of "home" and "homeland";
- migrants, settlers and indigenous solidarity

Organizing for social justice in the context of Canada and Quebec means that
we need to reckon, honestly and openly, with an irrefutable historical and
contemporary reality: our entire society, as non-native peoples, is based on
the systematic theft of native lands, and the attempted genocide and
assimilation of native people and their culture. Recognizing this reality,
and organizing in support and solidarity with current native movements for
justice, dignity and self-determination, is foundational to any social
movement.

Active support with native-led self-determination struggles, as allies, is
not just another issue, but rather central to a social justice movement
worthy of that name. It means understanding that we continue to live in a
colonial and neo-colonial reality, and that our organizing needs to be
anti-colonial in form, content and action.

Presented by members of No One Is Illegal-Montreal.
Info: nooneisillegal at gmail.com


*-- WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 28, 7:30pm --
Film Screening: Muffins for Granny*
at 1455 de Maisonneuve Ouest, H-110 (métro Guy-Concordia)

Free. Wheelchair accessible. Childcare available on request (514-848-7585).

About “Muffins for Granny”: The sad history of the Canadian government`s
residential school program has had a profound effect on First Nations
peoples across the country. For filmmaker Nadia McLaren, it’s personal
history as well; her Ojibway grandmother was forced into a residential
school and its repercussions have echoed through her family. Looking to
understand her loving but troubled grandmother, McLaren interviews seven
First Nations elders about their experiences in residential schools. Mixing
stark animated moments with human faces and home movie footage, Muffins For
Granny is a raw and honest documentary about a difficult chapter in Canadian
history — a chapter that, for some, is not over. (88min. directed by Nadia
McLaren).

Presented by QPIRG Concordia and the Indigenous Solidarity Committee
Part of QPIRG Concordia’s Keeping It Reel Film Series
Info: info at qpirgconcordia.org


*-- THURSDAY, OCTOBER 29, 6pm --
Le Frigo Vert's 6th Annual Anti-Colonial Thanksgiving*
at the Native Friendship Center, Montreal, 2001 St. Laurent Blvd. (Metro St.
Laurent)

Films, Speakers & Feast!
Free: Event, Food and Childcare. Wheelchair Accessible Space.

Presentations:

- Tracey Deer will present her film; *Club Native*, where she reveals the
divisive legacy of more than a hundred years of discriminatory and sexist
government policy and reveals the lingering “blood quantum” ideals, snobby
attitudes and outright racism that threaten to destroy the fabric of her
community. There will be time for discussion and questions after the film is
screened.

- Billie Pierre will give an update on Indigenous organizing against the
Winter 2010 Olympics in BC.

- Karl will talk briefly about medical apartheid and the politics of the
H1N1epidemic on how this will effect low-income communities.

- A member from Missing Justice will speak about their group. Missing
Justice is an action-based grassroots solidarity collective based in
Montreal that works to eliminate violence and discrimination against
Indigenous women living in Quebec through popular education events,
political demonstrations, and a variety of awareness campaigns.


*-- FRIDAY, OCTOBER 30, 12pm --
Workshop: Colonial Canada 101*
at QPIRG Concordia, 1500 de Maisonneuve Ouest #204 (métro Guy-Concordia)

Road and railway blockades, land reclamations, country-wide protests. Want
to know why Indigenous peoples are forced to take such actions? This
interactive workshop will introduce participants to an alternative history
of Canada – that of the dispossession of Indigenous peoples' lands and the
violation of their rights - and explore case studies of communities in
struggle against unjust government policies.

Canada gets away with these violations in part by counting on its reputation
as a human rights champion. By the workshop's end, participants will be able
to tell where Canada falls far short of this reputation, envision what a new
relationship with Indigenous peoples might look like, and find out ways to
act in solidarity locally.

A workshop with Martin Lukacs and Courtney Kirkby (Barriere Lake Solidarity
collective)


*-- SATURDAY, OCTOBER 31, 7:30pm --
Ya Basta! Halloween party, Zapatista boot launch and art auction*
at Le Rhizome, 1800 Létourneux, corner of Lafontaine (Metro Pie-IX)

Featuring music by CerAmony, DJ Chilango, and DJ Aaron Maiden

STAC-Montreal (Students Taking Action with Chiapas) will be launching the
Zapatista Solidarity Boot Project with a Halloween party featuring music by
Cree rock band CerAmony. Suggested donation is $5-$10 for the show, and EZLN
leather boots are available for $75-$100 sliding scale. All revenue from the
boots will go towards the building of Zapatista autonomy in Chiapas, and all
proceeds from the show will be for supporting indigenous struggles in the
northern part of occupied Turtle Island.
----------


*-> To ENDORSE Indigenous Sovereignty Week in Montreal, please e-mail
montreal at defendersoftheland.org

-> To GET INVOLVED in organizing and promotion for Indigenous Sovereignty
Week in Montreal, get in touch!

INFO:
www.defendersoftheland.org/montreal
montreal at defendersoftheland.org
514-848-7583*
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