[7][24], Ultimately, while the socioeconomic status of the Asubpeeschoseewagong First Nation people partially explains why the First Nation group still consumes the mercury-infested fish, the Asubpeeschoseewagong First Nation culture also contributes to the ingestion of fish by the Indigenous group. Trailers at the main blockade serve as makeshift high school classrooms. June … The 1000 people of Grassy Narrows cannot survive off a 14 square mile reserve. “$19.5 million is just for the building itself, but we are in the process of securing another, I think, $68 million and that still has to go to cabinet for approval,” said Turtle, who talked to APTN News from his Grassy Narrows home. Alcoholic beverages were strictly forbidden. The Grassy Narrows band began seeking compensation in 1970. CPJ member Will Braun is on sabbatical from his work with Pimicikamak Cree Nation in northern Manitoba. Ancestors of the northern Ojibwe are thought to have originally inhabited the north shore of the upper Great Lakes. But fish ingest neuro-toxins dumped into the river by a pulp mill upstream in the 1960s and 1970s. FISHER RIVER CREE NATION HISTORICAL TIMELINE (Selected) 1837 Norway House established as Hudson Bay Company Administrative Centre. [18][19] Moreover, in June 2017, the Ontario government pledged $85 million to clean up the industrial mercury contamination. Last year, 86% of Grassy Narrows residents tested, showed signs of mercury poisoning. “When they look at the forest,” he says of Abitibi, “all they see is money.” In 2002, Abitibi revenues topped $5.1 billion. “New Democrats have repeatedly raised in this chamber […] The only access to the reserve was by canoe or plane. Indian Affairs official James Cutfeet would provide no clarification of Indian Affairs policy on the fundamental matter of treaty rights outside reserves. [7][24][25] According to First Nations people, fish is one of the healthiest substances that can be consumed. Mercury poisoning among the people of Grassy Narrows was first discovered in the early 1970s by Japanese researchers. Grassy Narrows Medical Centre: Organizations: Grassy Narrows First Nation - Band Office: Phone Numbers: Main: 807-925-2850 807-925-2851 Toll-Free: 1-800-790-8887 Fax: 807-925-2182 Email: [email protected] We have everyhting that you need for the perfect vacation. Economic opportunities are needed badly. “They act like they own the forest, as though we are accountable to them.”. Jobs vanished and welfare dependency increased. Be careful with Abitibi!”, the final word revised by forest advocates. [21][14] In particular, it is because the walleye are roughly 40-90 times the advisable mercury intake limit for pregnant women, children and women who hope to bear offspring that the walleye is predominately hazardous. Ten years ago, on 2 December 2002, young people from the Grassy Narrows First Nation in northwestern Ontario went out onto a road leading past their reserve and stopped the logging tracks carrying away trees cut on their traditional territory. [3], In 1871, Grassy Narrows First Nation, together with other Ojibway tribes, made a treaty with the Canadian government, The Crown, in the person of Queen Victoria, giving up aboriginal title to a large tract of land in northwestern Ontario and eastern Manitoba, Treaty 3 between Her Majesty the Queen and the Saulteaux Tribe of the Ojibbeway Indians at the Northwest Angle on the Lake of the Woods with Adhesions. [26] Iacobucci's discussions with Grassy Narrows would focus on, "sustainable forest management partnership models and other forestry-related matters, including harvesting methods, interim protection for traditional activities and economic development. In addition, large patrilineal clans divide… Climate change in Africa will lead to food insecurity, displacement of Indigenous persons, as well as increased famine, drought, and floods. [7] Additionally, the chemical waste from the industry in Dryden has impacted the health of the Asubpeeschoseewagong First Nation peoples, as well as the Wabaseemoong First Nation community (Wabaseemoong Independent Nations) further downstream. Local protestors have complained to the company and the Ministry of Natural Resources to demand a selective process. The community of about 1,200 members had been without clean drinking water for about seven years, before boil water advisories were lifted recently. “If there was a sudden turn of events I would be very disappointed,” Turtle said, pointing out that the COVID-19 pandemic is slowing things down. “It’s like my heart being pulled out of my chest every time I drive into a clearcut.”. [6], The First Nations people experienced mercury poisoning from Dryden Chemical Company, a chloralkali process plant, located in Dryden that supplied both sodium hydroxide and chlorine used in large amounts for bleaching paper during production for the Dryden Pulp and Paper Company. Ontario Minamata disease is a neurological syndrome caused by severe mercury poisoning.It occurred in the Canadian province of Ontario, in 1970, and severely affected two First Nation communities in Northwestern Ontario following consumption of local fish contaminated with mercury, and one First Nation in Southern Ontario due to illegal disposal of industrial chemical waste. That's up from about $166,000 in 2008-2009, according to documents obtained by CBC News. Longtime CPJ members will remember the years of work by former staffperson John Olthuis to help the band receive compensation for the ravages of mercury poisoning from a Reed Paper mill upstream in Dryden. [7][23] Consumption of fish continues in the area, particularly pickerel (walleye), the local favourite, but it is high on the food chain and therefore contains high levels of mercury. That’s little comfort to Fobister, who says decision making power lies elsewhere. 1962 to 1970: A pulp and paper mill owned by Reed Inc., and later Great Lakes Forest Products Ltd., dumps mercury-contaminated effluent into the Wabigoon River. No timeline yet for completion of Clarion repairs. That’s hard to do in a clearcut. Their landbase is the 4,145 ha (10,240 acres) English River 21 Indian Reserve. According to Manager Jimmy Koo, they still have no timeline for completion. [8][15], The Ontario provincial government has initially told the First Nation community to stop eating fish — their main source of protein — and closed down their commercial fishery. Grassy Narrows received over $530,000 from that program in 2016-2017 and 2017-2018, federal officials said. “What they’re doing is wrong.”, Billard started out expecting to work co-operatively with Abitibi. [14] Though there have been obvious health issues associated with the consumption of fish from the Wabigoon River system, Ed Wilson Landing, and Clay Lake, the Asubpeeschoseewagong First Nation community continue to eat the fish from these bodies of water as the community cannot afford to obtain boats in order to fish farther away from the infected waterways or afford pricey groceries. Details Category: Local News Published: Friday, 05 June 2020 11:52 Written by Rikki Watson. The Trudeau administration committed to building the centre when Chief Simon Fobister and Jane Philpott, minister of Indigenous Services, met in 2017. Pollution meant the English-Wabigoon River had to be closed to commercial fishing. [11] However, time has not lowered the levels of mercury in the Wabigoon River system as the paper and pulp industry in Dryden and the Canadian government had originally told the residents. We have borne 54 years of poison and inaction – we need a firm timeline and a realistic budget to get this cleanup done as soon as humanly possible. At blockade headquarters, he pours over maps with webs of roads and networks of blotches on them. After you have parked your vehicle in the secure lighted parking lot in Morson, you board one of our comfortable cruisers for … [7] Some of the health issues associated with the consumption of the mercury infested fish in the Asubpeeschoseewagong First Nation community includes numbness, hearing loss, headaches, dizziness and limb cramps. [8][9][10] Both the paper and chemical companies ceased operations in 1976, after 14 years of operations. Grassy Narrows unveils mercury treatment centre design but wonders whether government is committed to building it. Only time will tell how this David and Goliath tale will unfold and whether treaties can be made to work for both non-Aboriginal and Aboriginal people. Fobister says it doesn’t smell like sewage the way it used to. Grassy Narrows reminds Canada of unkept promises as AFN sets its priority agenda. Grassy Narrows is located on Garden Lake, a small lake connected by a meandering creek that leads to the magnificent English River. But the province does not formally recognize the Grassy Narrows Traditional Land Use Area. Story continues below advertisement. Finally, helped by Olthuis, a lawyer and researcher, the community received roughly $7 million in 1985 for compensation, job creation and economic development. [25][7], On September 8, 2007, Ontario announced that it "had agreed to begin discussions with Grassy Narrows First Nation on forestry-related issues. Marie, Ontario and thus were given the name Saulteaux. Treaty Three Police Service provides policing for the reserve, Places adjacent to Asubpeeschoseewagong First Nation, (ORDER IN COUNCIL SETTING UP COMMISSION FOR TREATY 3), CS1 maint: BOT: original-url status unknown (, Portal:Indigenous peoples of the Americas, Treaty 3 between Her Majesty the Queen and the Saulteaux Tribe of the Ojibbeway Indians at the Northwest Angle on the Lake of the Woods with Adhesions, "Census Profile, 2016 Census English River 21, Indian reserve [Census subdivision], Ontario and Kenora, District [Census division], Ontario", Registered Population Official Name Grassy Narrows First Nation 149, "Treaty 3 between Her Majesty the Queen and the Saulteaux Tribe of the Ojibbeway Indians at the Northwest Angle on the Lake of the Woods with Adhesions", "Passing on Ojibway Lifeways in a Contemporary Environment", "Grassy Narrows residents eating fish with highest mercury levels in province", "Ontario knew about Grassy Narrows mercury site for decades, but kept it secret", "The interwoven history of mercury poisoning in Ontario and Japan", "Province ignores information about possible mercury dumping ground: Star Investigation", "Former Dryden, Ont. On the way back we cross the Wabigoon River. A medical centre provides basic health care to residents and open Monday to Friday. All Rights Reserved. Grassy Narrows First Nations chief hails more funding for mercury treatment centre. The ultimate goal of the blockaders is Asubpeeschoseewagong jurisdiction over their customary lands, giving them the ability to protect their boreal homeland and access its wealth and opportunity. [5] From 1876 to 1969 schooling was at McIntosh Indian Residential School, a residential school in McIntosh, Ontario. Grassy Narrows has struggled successfully for fair treatment in the past. [21] Walleye remains dangerous for those with long-term exposure to the consumption of the fish as walleye contains approximately 13-15 times the recommended levels of mercury. This highway provides connection to Kenora, 68.7 km (42.7 mi) to the south. [25] Additionally, Indigenous people believe that people may learn from fish and learn cultural practices by fishing. 1869 Hudson Bay Company transfer of Rupert’s Land to the Crown. Grassy Narrows First Nation leaders want a commitment in writing from the province to cleanup a nearby river that is contaminated with mercury. On the road into Grassy Narrows, a sign that once warned about forest fires reads “Our future depends on forests. [8][9] Workers from the industry have admitted that there are a multitude of hidden mercury containers near the Wabigoon River that has caused health problems among the Asubpeeschoseewagong First Nation community to be a continuous issue. Grassy Narrows, ON, is the common name for both a reserve and an Ojibwe First Nation. ... Chief David Rundle petitions to relocate to Grassy Narrows/Sandy Bar to farm. “We will not rest until our fish are safe to eat again.” “We have borne 54 years of poison and inaction — we need a firm timeline and a realistic budget to get this cleanup done as soon as humanly possible,” Grassy Narrows Chief Simon Fobister said Thursday in response to Glenn Murray’s comments. Although the Asubpeeschoseewagong people themselves say that they have always lived along the Wabigoon-English River northeast of Lake of the Woods, most historians believe that the ancestors of the Northern Ojibway were first encountered by Europeans near what is now Sault Ste. Lands and resources that once sustained them now sustain corporations far away, and the forest is harmed in the process. Potatoes were grown on a community plot. 1840 Methodist Mission established in Norway House. The discovery of mercury poisoning in 1970 was a devastating blow to Grassy Narrows. In some regions of Africa, like Malawi, climate change can also lead to landslides, hailstorms, and mudslides. [8], Conversely, the mercury contamination by the pulp and paper industry may be defined as environmental racism. On Thursday, Grassy Narrows Chief Simon Fobister sent out a response to Murray’s comments, inviting Premier Kathleen Wynne to put this “historic … The community fears mass logging will lead to damage to local habitat.[27]. The province’s review of the Gordon Rd. [4], On the lands they selected under Treaty 3, the old reserve, the cycle of seasonal activities and traditional cultural practices of the Ojibway were followed. The Grassy Narrows band began seeking compensation in 1970. Miller pegged the timeline to finish the buildings at between 18 and 36 months. He would not say whether logging infringes on treaty rights. The First Nation is headed by a Chief and four councillors: The First Nation is a member of the Bimose Tribal Council, a regional non-political Chief's Council, who is a member of the Grand Council of Treaty 3, a political organization. The fur trade shifted this practice toward trapping smaller animals and trading their furs. September 21, 2003. [16][17] In other words, the closure of the fishery affected the once-booming tourism industry, where locals acted as guides for out of town fisherman. March 2, 2016 NDP critic for Aboriginal Affairs, France Gélinas, says it is time for the provincial government to act on promises to clean up mercury contamination of the English-Wabigoon River in Grassy Narrows and provide the community 100 kilometres north of Kenora with safe drinking water. Grassy Narrows First Nations youth are renowned for their activism, art, and leadership in spite of mercury burden Today Grassy Narrows released a ground-breaking new report by renowned mercury expert Dr. Donna Mergler. 1870 + Decline of the fur Trade. On August 17, 2011, First Nation supporters won a victory in court, when "Ontario's Superior Court ruled that the province cannot authorize timber and logging if the operations infringe on federal treaty promises protecting aboriginal rights to traditional hunting and trapping." Maan Alhmidi / The Canadian Press. It flows west and joins the Winnipeg River. Community member Judy DaSilva says of the blockade, ‘It was the last thing we could do because everything around us was disappearing. Randy Fobister has been elected as the new chief at Grassy Narrows. The reserve is also part of the provincial riding of Kenora-Rainy River and federal riding of Kenora. Grassy Narrows declared a state of emergency over its unsafe drinking water in 2015, after a boil-water advisory had already been in place for nearly two years, as … Grassy Narrows First Nations youth are renowned for their activism, art, and leadership in spite of mercury burden Today Grassy Narrows released a ground-breaking new report by renowned mercury expert Dr. Donna Mergler. The Clarion Lakeside Inn in Kenora is still undergoing repairs and renovations after a fire in January. Participation in the North American fur trade was initially through trading of furs trapped by other tribes, but soon the Saulteaux acquired trapping skills and emigrated to their present location as they sought productive trapping grounds. [16] That being said, it is due to the fact that the soil in the river and the sediment contains high levels of mercury that the fish in the Wabigoon River system may no longer be safely be ingested. Matthew Coon Come, National Chief of the Assembly of First Nations, showed his support at the blockade Feb.27. The winters were spent trapping for the Hudson's Bay Company, the summer gardening and harvesting wild blueberries which together with skins were sold for supplies. In Grassy Narrows First Nation v Ontario (Natural Resources), 2014 SCC 48, the Supreme Court of Canada (“SCC”) unanimously determined that Ontario has the jurisdiction under the Crown to take up land covered by the Ontario Boundaries Extension Act, SC 1912, c 40, s 2, Treaty No. The reserve has one school, Sakatcheway Anishinabe School, the serves students from junior kindergarten to grade 12. “Minister Seamus O’Regan came to Grassy Narrows but he came to Grassy Narrows offering an assisted living home, that’s not what we’re asking for,” said Chief Rudy Turtle. Rudy Turtle, chief of Grassy Narrows, hopes he keeps that promise. 3 (1873) (“Treaty 3”), thus limiting First Nation harvesting rights. And no timeline has been given for the next phase of design or construction. [7] The Dryden Chemical company discharged their effluent into the Wabigoon-English River system. Don’t destroy it! ← The 1990s: CPJ in the eye of several storms. Police say runaway Hong Kong politician probed for security crime . Residents of Grassy Narrows First Nation, about 100 kilometres northeast of Kenora, Ont., have grappled with long-standing mental and physical health issues due to toxic mercury levels in the nearby English-Wabigoon River. Several lakes are accessable to you from our camp. [7] Therefore, it is because the Indigenous guides did not feel comfortable suggesting that tourists eat the fish contaminated with mercury and because the tourists did not wish to ingest fish with high levels of mercury that the fishing tourist industry no longer exists in the Asubpeeschoseewagong First Nation community. Treaties, trees and sharing: A frontline report, March 2003. The implicit lesson seems to be that the students’ future is linked to insistence on a new approach to the forest, one not centered around trucks hauling the opportunities of their homeland away while they sit in classrooms preparing for jobs that may not exist. From 1876 to 1969 McIntosh Indian Residential School was the closest school in McIntosh, Ontario. ““I didn’t do that last night. It was past midnight as we stood around the bonfire beside a logging road in northwestern Ontario. The band said the construction timeline of two to three years is “achievable” as long as “Canada cooperates.” Grassy Narrows residents first began to … Current minister of Indigenous Affairs visited Grassy Narrows in March to sign an agreement with the community to build the Care Centre but no agreement was signed. In 1871, Grassy Narrows First Nation, together with other Ojibway tribes, made a treaty with the Canadian government, The Crown, in the person of Queen Victoria, giving up aboriginal title to a large tract of land in northwestern Ontario and eastern Manitoba, Treaty 3 between Her Majesty the Queen and the Saulteaux Tribe of the Ojibbeway Indians at the Northwest Angle on the Lake of the Woods with Adhesions. The English River is 615 kilometers long with a drainage basin of 52,300 square kilometers. Traditionally, Ojibwe hunted large game for subsistence. Work was available as hunting and fishing guides and cleaning tourist lodges. [31] There is no hospital on the reserve; thus, more advanced care requires transfers to Kenora. [28] There were no immediate injunctions issued to stop logging activity, however. Meanwhile, Fobister said he fears his community will bear the consequences of the mercury contamination until the river is cleaned up, noting such a process could prolong the ordeal for several more generations of Grassy Narrows residents. “Our people want to have a say in the state of our forests, participate in the opportunities and maintain our way of life into future generations,” says Leo Jourdain, Grand Chief for Treaty Three, the political organization for 28 First Nations in the region. They migrated northward and westward during the late 17th and early 18th centuries in search of animals to supply the fur trade. Grassy Narrows is asking for $88.7 million be put into a trust to cover construction and maintenance costs over the next 30 years. He succeeds Rudy Turtle, who had also run in the last federal election. She returned to the community in August with her two younger children, Gabrielle, 3, … Elsewhere across Northern Ontario, huge sections of land are being opened up for forestry or mining development, without consideration for Aboriginal rights and jurisdiction. Abitibi-Consolidated has been harvesting trees in the area. The reserve is connected to areas beyond by local roads connecting with Highway 671. The Canadian wilderness is an awesome adventure. Grassy Narrows Lodge is located on Miles Bay, deep in the heart of beautiful Lake of the Woods, Ontario, Canada. Grassy Narrows First Nations chief hails more funding for mercury treatment centre. Pristine wilderness, canoeing, and fishing are readily accessible. [16] Additionally, studies have found that the Asubpeeschoseewagong First Nation have experienced hypertension, stroke, as well as lung, stomach, psychiatric, orthopedic and heart diseases due to eating fish with high levels of mercury. [29] Later released documents, after freedom of information requests, revealed concerns by local biologists that were never followed up on.[30]. The closest airport is Kenora Airport and provides connections to other large communities including Thunder Bay and Winnipeg. “We’re not shying away from our responsibility,” Osborne says, noting ongoing communication with Grassy Narrows. In December 2014, a request for an individual environmental assessment into the impact of clear-cut logging was denied by the province. The people continued to live in their customary way, each clan living in log cabins in small clearings; often it was 1⁄2 mi (0.80 km) to the nearest neighbour. From 1962 to 1970, a paper mill … Asubpeeschoseewagong First Nation (also known as Grassy Narrows First Nation or the Asabiinyashkosiwagong Nitam-Anishinaabeg in the Ojibwe language) is an Ojibwe First Nations band government who inhabit northern Kenora in Ontario, Canada. Previously he worked with Mennonite Central Committee. Provincial spokesperson Shawn Stevenson says there is extensive “consultation” with Grassy Narrows on forestry planning, but when pushed on how much say Aboriginal people have, says “[Aboriginal] input on site-specific issues,” is “considered” in forest planning. Miller pegged the timeline to finish the buildings at between 18 and 36 months. The lodge is sheltered and remote. Meanwhile, Fobister said he fears his community will bear the consequences of the mercury contamination until the river is cleaned up, noting such a process could prolong the ordeal for several more generations of Grassy Narrows residents. As this game of jurisdictional hot potato goes on, the trees keep falling. Pointing to a purple blotch where he shares a cabin with a Grassy Narrows trapper, he says, “If they cut here, we’ll have to pretend we’re living in a forest.” He cares about old growth forests and a way of life. Treaties and trees. The ultimate goal of the blockaders is Asubpeeschoseewagong jurisdiction over their customary lands, giving them the ability to protect their … Finally, helped by Olthuis, a lawyer and researcher, the community received roughly $7 million in 1985 for compensation, job creation and economic development. Mashford-Pringle cited Grassy Narrows First Nation, where a pulp and paper mill led to mercury poisoning the water systems. As we awaited the loggers – who haul at night on roads leading to the pulp and paper mill 80 km south in Kenora – there was a heightened energy in the air. [22], The amount of mercury present in fish as of 2012 was low according to Health Canada, that being said, a health advisory still remains in effect. There were deer and moose on the reserve which were hunted for meat and supplemented by fish. Grassy Narrows’ Chief Simon Fobister responded saying “I invite the Premier to put this historic commitment in writing and sign it alongside me in proper ceremony so that we can know it is real. Nor are Grassy Narrows residents alone in seeking access to the wealth and opportunities that surround them. Meanwhile, Fobister said he fears his community will bear the consequences of the mercury contamination until the river is cleaned up, noting such a process could prolong the ordeal for several more generations of Grassy Narrows residents. The Ontario government says it’s ‘ending duplication’ by removing logging activities from the Environmental Assessment Act. For almost 50 years, the river system—a foundational element of the Grassy Narrows culture—-that the community relies on for food and water has been contaminated with mercury as a result of industrial pollution. Although the framework agreement is a legally binding contract, Grassy Narrows will have to wait a bit longer for “the machinery of government” to work through the issue of long-term funding, as Miller put it. Grassy Narrows First Nation, or the Asubpeeschoseewagong First Nation, is a small First Nations community in northwestern Ontario. Hornepayne First Nation recently joined the Grassy Narrows blockade and in February, Aroland First Nation began blocking Highway 43. 1840 Methodist Mission established in Norway House. "[26] The provincial government appointed former Supreme Court of Canada and Federal Court of Canada Chief Justice Frank Iacobucci to lead these discussions. In a 1998 letter, Abitibi wrote to Grassy Narrows: “We realize the way we manage the forest may be considered catastrophic, but we also believe that in the long run it is best for the forest.”. It was a “roving blockade,” part of a high-stakes game of cat and mouse between the Anishinaabe people of Asubpeeschoseewagong (Grassy Narrows First Nation) and Montreal-based logging giant Abitibi Consolidated. [8] The former spokesman for Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada, Chris Bentley claimed that the policies pertaining to the environment have since been amended to prevent occurrences like the disposal of mercury by the pulp and paper industry in Dryden. White people seldom entered the reserve except for the treaty agent who visited once a year. [16] Ivy Keewatin claimed that on the guided tours that she once conducted, she would take the attendees to a particular area in order to eat deep-fried pickerel (walleye). The coloured blotches, Billard explains, are areas already cut or slated for cutting. 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