Welcome to What's Happening!
This information is provided from members across Canada and North America.
(FNEN is not responsible for this content)
For Participation in an online, ongoing communication regarding Environmental issues, concerns, etc. please check out FNEN's Environmental Forum at: www.turning-point.ca
Turning Point is a website dedicated to information sharing regarding First Nations issues and commujnications.
We would like to thank KNet in Ontario, for hosting and helping set up this website. They have done great work for First Nations across Canada and particularly in Ontario.
Check out: www.knet.ca

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WALK FOR WILD SALMON BRINGS 7000 PEOPLE TO LEGISLATURE LAWN, VICTORIA, B.C., MAY 2010

Walking For Wild Salmon - A 500 kilometre walk, from all over B.C. and elsewhere to the capitol Victoria, like a massive migration of fish, to parliament buildings ends with approximately 7000 people on legislature lawn. In support of Alexandra Morton's Get Out Migration from Pt. McNeill, people who love wild salmon, packed cars, buses and trucks, set out on foot and some even on horseback for Victoria, arriving on May 8th after two weeks of steady walking....with lots of people waving and honking in support along the way, to show government and industry that wild salmon are a priority for the health and welfare of the west coast and much more.  From Clayoquot Sound; Cosy (Quoashinis) and her partner Courtney Caton, daughter Laterra and their 4 year old son Brennan along with Steve (Lawson) and myself, a little family consisting of 3 generations, some walking, some driving in support vehicles with signs saying "CAUTION, WALKERS ON ROAD", were off to Victoria.  Others joined us such as Elder Rose Wilson and family from Ucluelet and tourists from all over the world would stop and walk with us.The support along the way, from the people of the west coast, was amazing!  Hot food was being dropped off for us all the way to Qualicum.  Mostly wild salmon sustained us...hot chowders, salmon sandwiches, smoked salmon, dried salmon, Indian Candy, even Pizzas were dropped off to us.  The help and kindness and support along with the food buoyed our spirits, even when aching joints and legs and blistered feet impeded the journey.  Cosy was really a trooper, determined to walk every step in spite of everything.After our muscles and sore feet healed a bit, we made our way down island through Nanoose where Chief Wilson Bob and others such as the Nanoose streamkeepers feasted all the walkers on fresh clams, wild salmon, lasagna and more while speeches and drumming dedicated to the sacredness of the wild salmon carried us through the evening.  In Nanaimo, we were escorted into the centre of town by the Scottish Pipe Band in full kilt.  With a dozen pipers and drummers leading the way and hundreds of others joining us, it was a moving and powerful experience.  A brass band then welcomed the walkers to the town square playing "When the Saints Come Marching In".  The chief of the Nanaimo First Nations spoke in support as well as others from the community of Nanaimo.  As we proceeded down island, crowds grew and joined us.  Audiences packed halls to overflowing to hear Alexandra Morton speak at Galiano Island and elsewhere.The City of Cowichan organized a welcoming at the Duncan Aquatic Centre and hundreds of people showed up from the area and Gulf Islands with salmon signs, then marched together to the Duncan town square where Alexandra, Cosy and the young First Nations women walking with them (Molina Dawson 14, of Kingcome Inlet who walked from Pt. McNeill, Terri Lee Manson 13 who walked from Pt. Alberni and Laterra Lawson, 11, from Tofino) were honored with drums, sashes, blankets and crowns.  All along the way, First Nations welcomed us and helped us on our way.  Tsartlip and others met the walkers and sang prayers for the walk and the wild salmon.In Sydney, we met up with the paddlers coming from Hope down the Fraser River and across the Straights.  One was a 13 yr. old boy (he turned 13 on the paddle) named Will Neuman who inspired us with his determination and kindness. These young people really deserve accolades for what they accomplished and their care and concern for the wild salmon and all they are connected to.Another packed auditorium in Sydney's Mary Windspear Centre where over 500 people watched a brief film on the devastating effects of salmon farms around the world and cheered as Alexandra spoke from her heart about the wild salmon.  We launched out the next morning at 7:30 from the Salish Sea Aquarium where a beautiful presentation of pictures from the walk adorned the walls and music inspired all who attended.  Hundreds of people were there to be led by the horses and wagons from the Clayoquot Wilderness Resort to Centennial Square (28 kilometres away) by 2:00pm.  The excitement in downtown Victoria is hard to describe.  Centennial Square was packed with thousands of First Nations, most in full regalia from all over British Columbia, drumming and singing.  Cars and vehicles were stopping in the middle of the streets and drivers were getting out and leaving them where they stood, abandoning them to join in the march and celebration.  The First Nations truck in front of us as well as the car behind us hemmed us in and with no drivers in them, we had no choice but to join in and do the same.  (It cost us later to get it  but the police had been trying to contact us for quite awhile before towing it out of the way.) We had police escorts all along the route, they were incredibly kind in helping to keep the walkers safe, opening up intersections and taking care of everyone.  We were astounded by the crowds that met and joined in along the way.  A brass band was carried along on a flat deck truck keeping everyone happy.  First Nations drummers led the march the final 2 kilometres to the legislature where there were more crowds waiting.  When we got to the parliament building steps and looked back out over a packed lawn, we couldn't see any end to the lines of people still coming down Government St.  We estimated, along with others such as Alexandra, around 7,000 people (the Parliament Building grounds hold 20,000 people and were more than 2/3 covered).  It was a sea of people, color, signs and banners calling for fish farms out of B.C. waters and supporting B.C.'s wild salmon.  The crowd went wild when Alexandra Morton spoke, their cheers and applause didn't stop for a long time. It was heartwarming to see that energy and outpouring of appreciation for someone who has done so much to protect the coast's wild salmon and life.  It was Laterra's 12th birthday on May 8th, the day of the rally at the legislature.  As we stood amidst the thousands of First Nations and others, we all sang "Happy Birthday" to her.  Quoashinis, her mother, spoke to the crowd saying "I know  that this planet will be in good hands with young people like these".Molina Dawson, Laterra Lawson and Terri Lee Manson all sang, along with Holly Arntzen and her partner, the song "I Am The Future, We Are The Future".  These young women along with all the walkers who made this long journey were so impressive.  Watching Cosy limping along in the pouring rain was heartwrenching but her determination and dedication along with all these young women and Alexandra and her crew was truly amazing and I honor them deeply.  Laterra wrote a speech for this occasion as she was asked to speak and although she didn't get a chance to say the words she wrote, here is her speech ..."Hi, my name is Laterra.  I'm 11 years old.  I'm Nuu Chah Nulth from the Tofino area.  I have walked from Tofino for the Wild Salmon because they are so important to me and everyone else in B.C.  It's my birthday today (12 yrs) and if I could make one wish, it would be to take all the fish farms out of B.C.'s waters now!"

We live on one of the most amazing and beautiful islands in the world, where the gifts of nature are incomparable.  Surely this is something to treasure and protect and our wild salmon are a key to this abundance for all.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>  WINTER OLYMPICS IN VANCOUVER OVER AND DECLARATION ON RIGHTS OF INDIGENOUS PEOPLES STILL NOT ENDORSED BY CANADA

After much aplomb regarding Indigenous Peoples and the four host First Nations for the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, B.C., Canada, The US and Canada are the only two countries to not sign the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. (Australia and New Zealand are in the process) DRIP as it is known in brief, has been endorsed by over 140 countries world wide, yet these two North American giants still refuse to sign this document.  Some mention ha was made recently   by the Federal Government to "modify" the declaration and possibly move to have it approved but considering that history is still being made in British Columbia where the Olympics took place and where many First Nations communities still have not signed treaties with the Federal Government, Aboriginal Title still exists and overrides many efforts at a variety of measures to control jurisdiction on traditional land and waters.  One must wonder at the concepts that the government states regarding "modified" Aboriginal Title in treaty negotiations as well as a "modified" Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.  Modified has become another of those cliches being used to indicate adjustments from the natural state, especially in regards tp food that is genetically "modified". Alternations from the natural state in relation to this planet seem to be all too commonplace these days.  Respect for Indigenous connections, traditional knowledge and relations to the land and life and the Rights of Indigenous Peoples may help a civilization badly in need of balance and reconnection to the natural world.  (commentary by S. Hare, FNEN)

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Okanagan Band in B.C. blockades to stop Tolko Logging Company from destroying watersheds in their traditional territories. 

Recent Blockades by the Okanagan First Nation to prevent ongoing logging of the forests in their area have stopped Tolko Industries from continuing however, an agreement to come to the table to find common ground is taking place.  (more info will be posted shortly)

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TURTLE ISLAND DEFENDERS OF THE EARTH (TIDES) met in Vancouver for 4 days at the end of November, 2009

In the second meeting of TIDES in two years, approximately 150 people gathered over a period of four days in Vancouver to share ideas, concerns, issues and  to meet other Indigenous people and supporters from across the country and around North America dealing with environmental issues in their traditional territories. 

Elders,Hereditary Chiefs, leaders,  Band Chiefs and Councillors, Native Youth and Women, Indigenous Groups, plus many others gathered together to share information and food and to help each other in support of protection of life and health in their regions.  Representatives from Aboriginal communities in the regions of the Tar Sands in Alberta ,told stories of high cancer rates and intimidation as well as loss of wildlife and waters due to one of the largest industrial polluted sites on the planet.  Oil and gas exploration as well as gas pipelines and industrial processing has turned this once beautiful land into a hell on Earth and the Alberta Tar Sands is shaping up into being one of the biggest environmental disasters affecting the water all the way into the Arctic Ocean as well as everyone and everything that lives in its path.  This was just one of the many concerns expressed as destructive industrial practices and "development" impact the lives of Aboriginal Peoples who have lived from the land and waters for eons across North America.

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TAR SANDS DEMONSTRATIONS IN SCOTLAND

Demonstrations against the participation of the Royal Bank of Scotland for helping to fund the ongoing Tar Sands project in Alberta, Canada, took place in November, 2009.  Elders from Canada and members of the Indigenous Environmental Network in the U.S. attended and spoke, causing concern and an examination into the environmental impacts of the bank's investments.  This is in preparation for the Global Climate Conference coming up in Copenhagen in December where Canada will be represented by one of the highest carbon footprints in the world due mostly to effects of one of the largest oil and gas developments on the planet. The tar sands project in in Alberta has been found to potentially killing Indigenous People downwind and downstream from the emissions through cancer and other rarely found diseases.  It is also a major destroyer of migrating waterfowl where one of the largest man made lakes containing oil residues entices birds to land en route along their migrating flyways.  People are hired to scrape dead ducks off the surface regularly.  This lake is a result of waters from the Athabasca River being diverted in use for oil and gas production which is growing daily.   

For More Information: Contact IEN at ien@igc.org

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 Agent Orange in Canada

In the 1960's, US military used 24D (Agent Orange) to defoliate forests during the war in Vietnam.  Here in Canada, in the 70's and 80's, 24D was being used as a cheap defoliant in the forests of New Brunswick and across Canada.  It was used in concentrations higher than that used in Vietnam where many vets as well as Vietnamese civilians became sick with cancer after its use. 

In towns such as Gagetown and Enniskillen in New Brusnwick, where the defoliant was heavily sprayed, many people have died of cancer and many more are living through this and other diseases such as spina bifida.  The town of Enniskillen is a ghost town, where people fled due to the spraying and disease.  Many abandoning their homes and possessions in an effort to avoid the chemical.  More than a million litres were sprayed in New Brusnwick between 1956 and 1984 while the US had banned its use on American soil.

Chris Arsenault has written about it in his honors thesis at Dalhousie University and now in a book called "Blowback, A Canadian History of Agent Orange and the War at Home". 

When Agent Orange was falling over forests in New Brunswick, Elizabeth May and others whose homes nearby were being affected by the blowback, got together to file a lawsuit against Dow Chemical, a court case they lost but were effective in the end by helping to get its use curtailed in Canada.  The National Film Board of Canada has this film on archive. 

In British Columbia, articles were written entitled "killing spring on Vancouver Island" documenting the amount of the defoliant being used throughout the forests and watersheds of the area.  Rachel Carson brought media attention to this herbicide and pesticides in her book called "Killing Spring".  In some lakes of Vancouver Island, the legacy is almost a total loss of salmon after runoff killed young fish year after year. 

Many people link DDT with the polio epidemics of the 40's and 50's and there is a widespread rethinking of the use of pesticides and herbicides in the minds of people everywhere.  Unfortunately, the results of many of these chemicals are residual and remain in the soil and plants, weakening the systems although the manufacturers claim that many wash away.  We are still dealing with Roundup and other chemicals that haven't been proven to be harmless over decades and many remain to be seen or proven.  Unfortunately the onus is on the public rather than the manufacturer to prove harm, a situation that needs to be reversed. 

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ELDER JOSEPHINE MANDAMIN: WALK FOR THE WATER

April 2009

Anishinabe Elder Josephine Mandamin has walked 17,000 miles in a dedicated spiritual journey that is concerned about environmental collapse.  She is from Manitoulin Island in Georgian Bay where fish and clear water used to be part of her lifestyle.  Over the years she has seen the waters poisoned and the life in it disappear. In 2003 she was moved to pick up her copper pail and circle the Great Lakes in an effort to make the message clear that "the water is sick and people really need to fight for that water, speak for that water and love the water."Many others joined her, some from FNEN, as well as throughout the region. 

In 2005, 60 scientists studying the Great Lakes predicted irreversible collapse of the ecosystem of the waters if positive change didn't happen soon.  Every spring, Josephine and a group of followers have walked the periphery of this enormous body of water.  This year they will be walking the St. Lawrence River to the Atlantic Ocean.  There is so much poison in this waterway that one quarter of the Beluga whales that live in it have cancer.  At every tributary the walkers offer tobacco and prayers of thanks and healing to the water.

Many First Nations territories have been harmed by the pollution and destruction of the waters and land due to big industries and profit making at the expense of all around it.  The waters know no boundaries and affect us all, it is the lifeblood of both Mother Earth, humans and all life.  Through her caring and prayers, this powerful energy is being carried around the world for all. 

To support her, contact her at mandamin@shaw.ca

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Turtle Island Defenders of Earth met in Winnipeg, Nov. 12th to 15th 2008 to share issues and build a stong mutual suppport network

A group of more than 80 First Nations individuals, groups and supporters gathered for three days at the Friendship Centre in Winnipeg to share stories, issues and concerns regarding the challenges faced across Canada and on Turtle Island. Some of the issues involved the destruction of traditional land and waters, resource extraction, toxic wastes and community health,  impacts on fish and wildlife and much more. The gathering was called in order to become more informed of the issues, to meet and share with others personally and to build a strong mutual support network across the country to help deal with these problems.

It was a powerful group of people, many of the whom have had experience in dealing with trying to protect their land and resources from industrial development.  The experiences and knowledge of the group, from Elders to youth, helped to strengthen the committment and dedication many feel in dealing with such issues in remote areas and across such a large land mass.   

A new network was formed entitled TIDE, Turtle Island Defenders of Earth. Many  people volunteered to help maintain information and support in order to assist in the ongoing effots of those traditional people working to bring about protection and the health and integrity of Mother Earth and All OUr Relations. 

for more info:
Indigenous Environmental Network
PO Box 485
Bemidji, MN 56619 USA
Email: ien@igc.org
Web: www.ienearth.org

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Ontario Court of Appeal says jailing of 7 aboriginal protesters was too harsh

Mon Jul 7, 6:04 PM By Michael Oliveira, The Canadian Press TORONTO - There was no reason to "bring down the hammer" on seven aboriginals who were incarcerated and fined after protesting against mining projects in their communities, the Ontario Court of Appeal ruled Monday in calling the six-month sentences "too harsh." Six members of the Kitchenuhmaykoosib Inninuwug (KI) First Nation served almost 10 weeks in jail, while Ardoch Algonquin First Nation leader Bob Lovelace was jailed 14 weeks for contempt-of-court charges related to blockades in areas north of Kingston, Ont., and Thunder Bay, Ont. In late May, the Ontario Court of Appeal reduced their six-month sentences to time served, and on Monday, it released its reasons for the decision, saying imprisoning the protesters only magnified the "estrangement of aboriginal peoples from the Canadian justice system." The court also dismissed the fines of between $10,000 and $25,000 the protesters faced. Lovelace said he was thrilled by the decision, which he hoped would allay protesters' fears of being jailed when they rally or man blockades for causes they believe in. "I did do three-and-a-half months in jail, and that's three-and-a-half months lost out of my life, but I guess if it brings some clarification to aboriginal rights, that was time well spent," Lovelace said. "I think it's really significant because it says to people who have a legitimate cause that when governments are not willing to meet their obligations or their responsibilities - particularly with First Nations people, but I think with citizens in general - then it's not the court's responsibility to punish you. It's really their responsibility to uphold the rule of law but also to do it in a just and reasonable way." The protesters had been trying to stop mining on their traditional lands and complained the Ontario government had not consulted with the communities before giving the companies the go-ahead to begin drilling. A panel of three judges ruled the aboriginals' right to protest "cannot simply be dismissed as illusory, flawed or weak," and that Superior Court Justice George Smith failed to consider their plight and handed out sentences that were "too harsh." "That the court found it necessary to imprison the (protesters) simply serves to emphasize the gulf between the dominant culture's sense of justice and this First Nation's sense of justice," the decision states. "Imprisonment, far from being a meaningful sanction for the community, had the effect of pitting the community against the justice system." The panel said the Supreme Court of Canada has ruled that judges must take into account all available sanctions other than imprisonment and give particular consideration to the circumstances of aboriginal offenders and the "unique systemic or background factors" that may have spurred their offences. "(Smith) focused exclusively on punishment and deterrence, both specific and general," the decision states. "He said nothing about promoting reformation and rehabilitation of leaders of a First Nation community." Lovelace said he was relieved the court waived the fines and also found the protesters were entitled to their costs of the appeal. "My faith in the Canadian justice system is strengthened," he said. Deputy Grand Chief Alvin Fiddler of the Nishnawbe Aski Nation, which represents 49 Ontario aboriginal communities, said the decision is meaningful for all First Nations and leaders who are fighting to protect their land. "It's a good decision for communities to be able to say no, and they won't be jailed for doing that," he said. But KI First Nation spokesman Sam McKay, who spent 10 weeks in jail, said the news is promising but doesn't guarantee better relations with the government. "They've failed to recognize Supreme Court rulings that they could have taken into consideration before putting us into jail, so will they want to recognize this? That's the question."

__._,_.___First Nations Leaders Imprisoned for Peacefully Protecting Their Territory from Mining

The KI (Kitchenuhmaykoosib Inninuwug First Nation) are prisoners of conscience

by Rachel Ariss, Legal specialist in the Department of Sociology at
Lakehead University
The Globe and Mail
March 20, 2008

As of this week, Chief Donny Morris and five other band council
members of Kitchenuhmaykoosib Inninuwug First Nation sit in jail.
They were sentenced on Monday to six months in prison by Mr. Justice
Patrick Smith of the Ontario Superior Court in Thunder Bay.

So what "crime" did they commit?

KI First Nation leaders signed Treaty 9 in 1929 to protect their
ability to feed themselves in their homeland (600 kilometres
northwest of Thunder Bay) by hunting, fishing and trapping, and to
prevent the encroachment of early miners and loggers. The native
community saw the treaty as a peaceful way to share the land with
newcomers, while remaining connected to the land's sustenance and
sacredness.

But in the winter of 2005-06, Platinex, a mining-exploration company,
tried to drill on land for which it had staked a claim pursuant to
Ontario's mining laws but which land also is subject to Treaty 9. KI
First Nation members protested on the site, preventing the drilling
from proceeding. The company sued for damages and sought an
injunction to prevent further protests.

It was the KI First Nation, however, that received an interim
injunction based on the irreparable harm it would suffer if drilling
went ahead as Platinex had planned. The injunction was granted on
condition that the parties negotiate toward an agreement that would
allow Platinex to drill. Ontario joined as intervenor, talks between
the three parties followed, but no agreement could be reached.

The court lifted the injunction last May and imposed an agreement,
proposed by Platinex and Ontario. KI First Nation members were
ordered to allow Platinex onto their land to drill. When they did not
do this, they were found in contempt of court.

In other words, when the people of the KI First Nation asserted their
treaty rights - to secure sustenance from the land, to live on the
land in accordance with their spiritual beliefs, and to share the
land, as equals, with the newcomers - their leaders were jailed.

Three laws converge in this place.

The first, since time immemorial and the one that is sacred to the
people of KI, is to follow the duty given to them by the Creator to
protect the land for future generations. According to this law, the
people of KI did not have to follow the court order. In all
conscience, they could not allow Platinex to drill.

Exploratory drilling - and its accompanying noise, campsite, drill
pad, machinery, fuel drums, helicopters and trucks - poses an
unacceptable risk of damaging the Big Trout Lake area, a place of
reliable hunting and fishing sites, trap lines, regular berry
harvesting and burials of still-remembered family members.

The second law, Treaty 9, was a covenant made between equals to share
the land, allowing both peoples to live peacefully together.
According to this law (and the Supreme Court has affirmed that
governments must consult with and accommodate first nations before
doing anything that may infringe treaty rights), it is the Ontario
government and Platinex that have to do things differently. Jailing
the KI leadership will not lead Ontario to properly consult with and
accommodate the community's concerns - it may do the opposite.

The third law is Ontario's Mining Act, with its outdated free-entry
staking system. The contradiction between the Mining Act and KI's
treaty rights is key to understanding why the native leaders are in
jail.

The act allows anyone to stake a claim anywhere on Crown land and, as
soon as it is filed with the government, it is valid. The act does
not mention that all Crown land in Ontario is governed by treaties
with first nations people. It doesn't even include the minimal first
step of requiring companies or the ministry to communicate with first
nations about exploration. The system makes money for Ontario and,
especially, for mining companies.

Ontario has long resisted fulfilling its treaty promises, perhaps
hoping that impoverished remote communities will not fight for their
rights. Its pattern has been to resist until there is a crisis, until
the damage of broken trust with aboriginal peoples has been
entrenched - Ipperwash and Caledonia are the most recent and most
publicized evidence of this pattern.

Ontario has failed in its duty to consult, accommodate and, more
important, to reconcile with first nations communities across the
province. First nations people and their supporters are tired of this
deliberate failure.

Many aboriginal and non-aboriginal people in this province want to
find a way forward, out of the poverty, racism and despair facing
many first nations communities, toward living together peacefully and
respectfully.

Some of these folks were at the courthouse in Thunder Bay on Monday.
Others attended the courthouse in Kingston when Bob Lovelace, a
member of the Ardoch Algonquin First Nation, was sentenced in
February to six months in jail for opposing mining exploration on his
community's traditional lands. We will not go away.

The KI Six have been in jail since Monday, March 17^th, 2008. They are in jail because
they believe they have a spiritual duty to protect the land for
future generations, and they believe that drilling the land is not
protecting it. They are in jail because they believe they have
legally recognizable treaty rights that remain meaningful as long as
they can maintain their homeland in its pristine state.

The KI Six are prisoners of conscience.

Clearly, the dispute between the KI First Nation and Platinex is a
crisis. But a Band-Aid solution from Ontario is not enough. It is
time for all of us, aboriginal and non-aboriginal, to stand up with
the KI community and demand justice, and to continue demanding
justice until we have true reconciliation between aboriginal and
non-aboriginal people in Ontario.

...................................................................

  --
 Jamie Kneen
Communications & Outreach Coordinator ofc. (613) 569-3439
 MiningWatch Canada cell: (613) 761-2273
 250 City Centre Ave., Suite 508 fax: (613) 569-5138
 Ottawa, Ontario K1R 6K7 e-mail: jamie@miningwatch.ca
 Canada http://www.miningwatch.ca
 Skype: jamiekneen

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Percy Schmeiser Wins over Monsanto but 

Herbicide Tolerant “Clearfield Wheat” is now registered in Canada

 Sent: Thursday, March 20, 2008 2:25 PMSubject: [gene-allies] Percy and Louise Schmeiser win! A day for celebration! Percy Schmeiser wins over Monsanto’s Roundup Ready Canola seed in Small Claims Court…."Monsanto's out-of-court settlement with Schmeiser ($660.00) is pennies but…..a bigger win is that Monsanto (the owner of the seed)is responsible for the contamination of the GMO in the farmer’s field and crops, the farmer doesn’t have to do the clean-up; s/he can hire it done and the owner of the seed will pay the bill.- the owner of the seed is responsible for the contamination. - the farmer doesn't have to do the clean-up; s/he can hire it done. - the owner of the seed will pay the bill.  SIGNIFICANCE OF MONSANTO'S FINANCIAL SETTLEMENT WITH THE SCHMEISERSOVER HERBICIDE-TOLERANT (RoundUp Resistant) CANOLA (And it is very helpful against BASF's wheat.)  Many thanks to the genius and persistence of Percy and Louise Schmeiser!   Percy and Louise Schmeiser have broken the mafia-like intimidation capability of the chemical-biotech corporation Monsanto. There is now a way around the "we'll take you to court" bullying and manipulation. Monsanto uses the threat of the court system (OUR court system) to break people financially. They have been able to use the courts to silence anyone who gets in its way, in both the U.S. and in Canada.  The reason that Percy and Louise Schmeiser were able to persist through to the Supreme Court of Canada when Monsanto took them to court was because of determination, but also because hundreds of people chipped in to help pay the legal costs.  Then Percy & Louise took Monsanto to court - small claims court. Monsanto settled out of court, in spite of the fact that Percy & Louise refused to sign a "standard release form" (a gag order). Percy and Louise have tested out a successful new strategy. The irony is that a $660.00 small claims settlement is monumental in its implications..   DETAILS OF THE SCHMEISER ACTION THROUGH SMALL CLAIMS COURT (contract = "standard release form")  Legal Precedent  1) The original contamination in 1997 that led to the Supreme Court;  2) a follow-up contamination of Louise's organic garden by GM canola, which the Schmeiser’s took Monsanto to small claims court, but the case was dismissed. Percy had photos, witness testimonials, and spray tests as evidence but the court said that because he did not have genetic testing done, the proof was inconclusive;  3) another contamination event of one of their fields that was originally infested with Monsanto's GM canola. They asked Monsanto to clean up the plants. Monsanto came, tested the plants, determined they were indeed Roundup Ready, and said that they would clean up the contamination only if the Schmeisers signed a contract. The contract gagged the Schmeisers from speaking about the contamination and made it impossible for them to seek damages for any "past, present, or future" harm caused by the GM canola "volunteers". The Schmeiser refused, had the GM canola cleaned up, and sued Monsanto in small claims court for $660 expense and won!  http://www.canada.com/saskatoonstarphoenix/news/story.html?id=563c7d70-7435-4671-b364-9808cf025541&k=89275  ===================== CHEMICAL GIANT BASF'S HERBICIDE-TOLERANT WHEAT RE: Schmeiser gets cheque from Monsanto, SP, Wednesday, March 19, 2008 Monsanto and Schmeiser got tied up over herbicide-tolerant canola. Thisspring BASF is advertising its herbicide-tolerant wheat on rural radiostations. (BASF is an international chemical company from Germany withrevenues in the billions of dollars. Like Monsanto it designs plant lifethat will not die when sprayed with its chemicals.)  In 2003 thousands of people from across Canada fought down Monsanto'sherbicide-tolerant wheat: food designed by the criterion that it can be sprayed with chemicals and survive.  Wheat is a centre-piece of our Canadian food supply. Another reason why Monsanto's herbicide-tolerant wheat was defeated:- Plants that are resistant to chemical applications eventually become super weeds. Super weeds have to be attacked with stronger chemicals. (We know the danger of Nature's evolutionary process through the development of super-bugs that are resistant to existing antibiotics.)  In Canada there are more acres sown to wheat than to any other crop. That this crop should become one sown to corporately-owned, herbicide-tolerant seed is not acceptable. The disease and developmental problems associated with existing chemical loads on the environment argue against it, as does the development of resistant plants. The Government (Canadian Food Inspection Agency) licenses crops for theCanadian food supply. The CFIA is paid by us, to serve the public interest."Clearfield wheat", designed through a process called "muta-genesis", servesthe interest of BASF.  BASF can learn from the Schmeisers. Monsanto (rival to BASF) came to the Schmeiser's place to address contamination by Monsanto's herbicide-tolerant canola. They tested the plants, determined they were indeed Roundup Ready, and said they would clean up the contamination only if the Schmeisers signed a contract (a "standard release form"). The contract gagged the Schmeisers from speaking about the contamination and made it impossible for them to seek damages for any "past, present, or future" harm caused by the GM canola "volunteers". The Schmeisers refused, had the GM canola cleaned up, and sued Monsanto in small claims court for their $660 expense. They won – Monsanto paid out-of-court.  Percy and Louise Schmeiser have removed the manipulative capability of the "standard release form", a vehicle to prevent information from spreading.  Monsanto is notorious for using the court system to silence those who get in its way. Legal costs can easily bankrupt a farmer. Schmeiser's victory through small claims court lights a way for others.    (4) STRATEGY FOR BASF'S HERBICIDE-TOLERANT "CLEARFIELD" WHEAT  CFIA (Cdn Food Inspection Agency, part of Agriculture Canada) Crop varieties have to be registered by the CFIA in order to be grownlegally in Canada.The President of the CFIA is Carole Swan, (613) 221-3737.  Prior to the CFIA, you can find Carole by google: http://geo.international.gc.ca/latin-america/peru/whats_new/default-en.aspx?id=1949 "A Canadian delegation headed by Carole Swan, Associate Deputy Minister of Industry Canada and made up of government and private sector representatives participated in the 6th APEC TEL Ministerial Meeting hosted by Peru from May29 to June 3rd, 2005." (ii) http://canadagazette.gc.ca/partII/1999/19990623/html/sor246-e.html  The wheat is already registered.  "VITERRA" IS THE SELLER OF BASF'S HERBICIDE-TOLERANT (CLEARFIELD) WHEAT. The address and phone number for every one of the places where Clearfield wheat can be bought is listed on BASF's website. 

 Email from:
Sandra Finley
Leader
Green Party of Saskatchewan
Saskatoon SK S7N 0L1
306-373-8078
sabest1@sasktel.net
www.sandrafinley.ca

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  *This water walk took place in May 2008 

For more information, see contacts below
 

Women's Water Walk to Protect Our Waters*
Subject: Anishinabe Ikewug Ga Naa Wendamin Nibi 2008
*Anishinabe Ikewug Ga Naa Wendamin Nibi 2008*
 
 Booshoo, Tansi, Greetings!
 
 Our traditional teachings tell us that Anishinabequay was given the great
 responsibility of taking care of and protecting the sacred nibi (water)
 which is the life blood of our Mother Earth. As we look at our rivers and
 lakes we hear the spirit of the water calling out to us urging us to help
 her heal so our children seven generations from now will have clean, pure
 water to drink.
 
 We have heard her and in response to her pleas Anishinabequay is organizing
 a Sacred Water Walk that will take us around our 3 main lakes in
 Manitoba over the next three years.
 
Barb Cameron - barb_cameron@yahoo.com
 Adrienne Atkinson aatkinson@ginew.ca (204)427-2384(w) or (204)427-3672(h) or
 (204)209-0091(cell)

 *Kitchi Meegwetch*
 Kimberley Wilde
 Department of Native Studies
 204 Isbister
 University of Manitoba
 Winnipeg, MB
 R3T 2N2
 phone: (204)474-9266
 fax: (204) 474-7657
 email: wildek@ms.umanitoba.ca

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Scientists fear 'tipping point' in Pacific Ocean
From: GuuJaaw, President of the Haida Nation

Sent: Sunday, February 24, 2008 11:39 PM
Subject: Forwarded from seattlepi.com:

Scientists fear 'tipping point' in Pacific Ocean
Scientists have documented that low oxygen levels that killed
sea life in 2006 were the lowest in a half-century -- and that
for the first time, parts of the ocean off our coast were
measured with zero oxygen; 2007 was not much better.

* Read the full article at:
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/351374_oceans15.html

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Grassy Narrows Youth Gathering and Pow Wow

June 24th, 25,26, 2008

Contact: ojibwediva@hotmail.com

or phone 807 925-2574

or 1-800-667-2129

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"Global Message: 2008

"Our beautiful world is facing many crises.... It is not a time to pretend everything's good.

"We must now help people to understand the need for environmental protection. We must teach people to understand the need for environmental protection. We must teach people that conservation directly aids our survival. We are all here on this planet, as it were, as tourists. None of us can live here forever. The longest we might live is a hundred years. So while we are here we should try to have a good heart and to make something positive and useful of our lives. Whether we live just a few years or a whole century, it would be truly regrettable and sad if we were to spend that time aggravating the problems that afflict other people, animals, and the environment. The most important thing is to be a good human being."  -His Holiness the Dalai Lama

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MiKMag Poet Rita Joe passes:

"If you write in a positive way, or think in a positive way about your culture … it will come back positive. I was brainwashed. 'You're no good,' I was told every day at Shubie [residential school]." ...MiKmag Poet Laureate Rita Joe of Eskasoni  1931-2007 (Her philosophy has been to find the beauty in every place or circumstance and to keep an upbeat attitude about life.)

"You just have to put your effort into it and be positive. Don't try to work on the negative stuff."

A long-time activist who wrote numerous articles about native issues, Joe also served on the Queen's Privy Council for Canada, one of the few non-politicians ever to do so. She was given the Order of Canada in 1990 and also won the Nova Scotia Writers Federation Prize.

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Message from Chief Arvol Looking Horse... Feb. 2007

Mitakuye (my relative), I, Chief Arvol Looking Horse, of the Lakota, Dakota, and Nakota Nation, ask you to understand an Indigenous perspective on what has happened in America; what we call "Turtle Island."  My words seek to unite the global Community through a message from our sacred ceremonies to unite spiritually, each in our own ways of beliefs in the Creator. We have been warned from Ancient Prophecies of these times we live in today, but have also been given a very important message about a solution to turn these terrible times around. To understand the depth of this message you must recognize the importance of Sacred Sites and realize the interconnectedness of what is happening today, in reflection of the continued massacres that are occurring on other lands and our own Americas. 

I have been learning about these important issues since the age of 12, upon receiving the Sacred White Buffalo Calf Pipe Bundle and its teachings. Our people have striven to protect Sacred Sites from the beginning of time. These places have been violated for centuries and have brought us to the predicamentthat we are in at the global level. Look around you. Our Mother Earth is very ill from these violations, and we are on the brink of destroying the   possibility of a healthy and nurturing survival for generations to come, our children's children. 

Our ancestors have been trying to protect our Sacred Site called the Sacred Black Hills in South Dakota, "Heart of Everything That Is," from continued violations. Our ancestors never saw a satellite view of this site, but now that those pictures are available, we see that it is in the shape of a heart and, when fast-forwarded, it looks like a heart pumping.The Dine have been protecting Big Mountain, calling it the liver, and we are suffering and going to suffer more from the extraction of the coal from there and the poison processes used in doing so. 

The Aborigines have warned of the contaminating effects of global warming on the Coral Reefs, which they see as Mother Earth's blood purifier. The Indigenous people of the rainforest relay that the rainforest are the lungs of the planet and need protection. The Gwich'in Nation has had to face oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge coastal plain, also known to the Gwich'in as "Where life begins!" The coastal plain is the birthplace of many life forms of the Animal Nations. The death of these Animal Nations will destroy Indigenous Nations in this territory. As these destructive developments continue all over the world, we will witness many more extinct Animal, Plant, and Human Nations, because of mankind's misuse of power and their lack of understanding of the "balance of life." The Indigenous people warn that these destructive developments will cause havoc globally. There are many, many more Indigenous awarenesses and knowledge about Mother Earth's Sacred Sites, her Chakras, connections to our spirit that will surely affect our future generations.There needs to be a fast move toward other forms of energy that are safe for all Nations upon Mother Earth. 

We need to understand the types of minds that are continuing to destroy the spirit of our whole global community. Unless we do this, the powers of destruction will overwhelm us. Our Ancestors foretold that water would someday be for sale. Back then, this was  hard to believe, since the water was so plentiful, so pure, and so   full of energy, nutrition, and spirit.Today we have to buy pure water, and even then the nutritional minerals have been taken out; it's just empty liquid.

Someday water will be like gold, too expensive to afford. Not everyone will have the right to drink safe water. We fail to appreciate and honor our Sacred Sites, ripping out the minerals and gifts that lay underneath them as if Mother   Earth were simply a resource, instead of the Source of Life itself. Attacking Nations and having to utilize more resources to carry out destruction in the name of peace is not the answer! We need to understand how all these decisions affect the Global Nation; we will not be immune to its repercussions. Allowing continual contamination of our food and land is affecting the way we think. A "disease of the mind" has set in world leaders and many members of our global community, with their belief that a solution of retaliation and destruction of peoples will bring Peace. 

In our Prophecies it is told that we are now at the crossroads: Either unite spiritually as a Global Nation, or be faced with chaos, disasters, diseases, and tears from our relatives' eyes. We are the only species that is destroying the Source of Life, meaning Mother Earth, in the name of power, mineral resources, and ownership of land, using chemicals and methods of warfare that are doing irreversible damage, as Mother Earth is becoming tired and cannot sustain any more impacts of war. 

I ask you to join me on this endeavor. Our vision is for the peoples of all continents,regardless of their beliefs in the Creator, to come together as one at their Sacred Sites to pray and meditate and commune with one another, thus promoting an energy shift to heal our Mother Earth and achieve a universal consciousness toward attaining Peace. As each day passes, I ask all Nations to begin a global effort, and remember to give thanks for the Sacred Food that has been gifted to us by our Mother Earth, so the nutritional energy of medicine can be guided to heal our minds and spirits. This new millennium will usher in an age of harmony or it will bring the end of life as we know it. Starvation, war, and toxic waste have been the hallmark of the Great Myth of Progress and Development that ruled the last millennium. To us, as caretakers of the heart of Mother Earth, falls the responsibility of turning back the powers of destruction. You yourself are the one who must decide. You alone - and only you - can make this crucial choice, to walk in honor or to dishonor your relatives. On your decision depends the fate of the entire World. Each of us is put here in this time and this place to personally decide the future of humankind. Did you think the Creator  would create unnecessary people in a time of such terrible danger? Know that you yourself are essential to this World. Believe that!  Understand both the blessing and the burden of that. You yourself are desperately needed to save the soul of this World. Did you think you were put here for something less? In a Sacred Hoop of Life, there is

no beginning and no ending! 

Chief Arvol Looking Horse

for more info, check out: http://www.manataka.org/page108.html#12_Oct_2006

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Statement in Honor of Harriett Nahanee from FNEN

We honor Elder Harriett Nahanee who crossed over in February, 2007 at age 71, she was a Grandmother of the Earth and her heart was connected to the source of all that is good, we thank her for her great clarity and voice to protect our Mother Earth and All Our Relations for the present and generations to come.  For All Our Relations, FNEN

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