Earth

Kichesipirini Algonquin First Nation Applauds AFN Bravado in Asserting Inherent Rights

December 13, 2009

Leadership of the Kichesipirini Algonquin First Nation were very encouraged by the emerging consensus amongst First Nation representatives to have independent access to educational and legal advise that would assist them in furthering their inherent and inalienable rights as the descendents of the Indigenous Peoples of Canada.

Representatives of the Kichesipirini community were particularly impressed with this heightened resolve amongst Canada’s Indigenous Peoples since the Kichesipirini has been using its unique position as still sovereign and traditional government not having signed a Treaty or come under domestic policy to actively promoting these very rights at the international level on behalf of Indigenous Peoples supporting emerging Canadian nationality and full independence.

Relying on the numerous conflicts of interests and historical misinformation entrenched within the existing land claim negotiations process the Kichesipirini community has been refusing all inducements to corruption, collusion or forced collaboration consistent with the existing policy, insisting instead that there need be developed appropriate third party adjunction at the international level for negotiation if there is to be certainty and the perception of justice.

To further such necessary institutional developments the Kichesipirini has used its inherent title and jurisdiction to responsibly present a caution against certain held property advertised for sale within unceded territory for the establishment of The Pimadiziwin Centre, a proposed Kichesipirini Kichi Sibi Anishnabe Community Centre and Independent Institute of International Indigenous Justice Studies.

The Dialogue Denied Us

The leadership of the Kichesipirini Algonquin First Nation continue final edits on document that raises serious questions concerning chronic public exposures to dangerous environmental contaminants and that such ongoing deliberate exposure is directly associated with ongoing government and industry refusal to recognize Kichesipirini as a verifiable historical Algonquin nation, and our continued assertions of the legal and moral right to exercise our inherent and inalienable traditional governance role.

The Kichesipirini Algonquin First Nation became very concerned about possible hidden agendas associated with the blatant refusal to address Kichesipirini assertions in connection with land claim negotiations. Of particular concern is the reliance on flawed "negotiations" as a means to circumvent the law to resolve Aboriginal claims consistent with the legal requirements of purposeful fact-finding processes and adherence to historical truth as is required with litigated land claims.

Such circumventions of the legal process denied Kichesipirini their rightful role as protectors and responsible government.

Kichesipirini community members suspected that the many irregularities, especially the allocating of public monies and certain inflated responsibilities and jurisdictions regarding the Algonquin Nations particular relationship with the Manhattan Project and nuclear industry to Aboriginal communities that did not possess such authority, to be indicative of a systemic refusal to genuinely inform the public about the issues, thereby blocking all chances to actual accountability and examination of the facts, and that such demographic manipulations were probably indicative of some larger issues.

November 17, 2009

The Kichesipirini Algonquin First Nation, an Indigenous Peoples of Canada, thank the Head of the Information and Evidence Unit, Office of the Prosecutor, International Criminal Court for their most recent correspondence regarding specific and subsequent communication submissions.

The Kichesipirini Algonquin First Nation, an Indigenous Peoples of Canada, are very appreciative of the valuable time and consideration given, and are pleased that the information that we have submitted will be maintained in the Office of the Prosecutor, International Criminal Court archives.

The Kichesipirini Algonquin First Nation, an Indigenous Peoples of Canada, appreciates all aspects of the correspondence and will certainly continue to maintain a strong interest in the work and mandate of the International Criminal Court, as well as continuing our expression of concerns with appropriate national and international bodies.

Yours sincerely,

Paula LaPierre
Principal Sachem
Kichesipirini Algonquin First Nation
Kichi Sibi Anishnabe
Canada

A Place at the Table?
The Great Bear Rainforest and ForestEthics

from "Offsetting Resistance: The effects of foundation funding from the Great Bear Rainforest to the Athabasca River", a special report by Dru Oja Jay and Macdonald Stainsby.

Released September, 2009.

http://www.offsettingresistance.ca/

Nuxalk Nation hereditary chief Qwatsinas (Ed Moody) explains that logging was causing concerns for his people on the Central BC Coast around Bella Coola, and that resistance began because “In the boom of the 1960’s and 1970’s, a rush [for logging companies] to get all the timber they could” was already underway. In response, “There was action with the hereditary chiefs and the elder people, and eventually the band council.” In 1994, the Nuxalk Nation invited Environmental Non- Governmental Organizations (ENGOs) large and small into their territory to see large scale clearcut logging then well underway.

“We sat down and discussed the pros and cons of any kind of relationship, and we set up a protocol and signed a protocol agreement.” The alliance with Greenpeace and smaller ENGOs Forest Action Network, People’s Action for Threatened Habitat and Bear Watch, says Qwatsinas, “started out really basic. The key people signed the agreements and we had our goals and our objectives and what we want to do to protect the environment.”

“That was the common goal between the environmentalists and ourselves as the First Nation, the Nuxalk, still had the outstanding issue of the land question. There had been a process developed in British Columbia called the BC Treaty Process. We could see that it wasn’t what we wanted because it was very limited, was kind of corrupt and really bent towards the industry.”

As a State does Canada have the right to destroy important international environmental and scientific evidence regarding the increasingly scarce life sustaining resource such as clean water?

As a State does Canada have the right to destroy important international environmental and scientific evidence regarding the long-term effects of radioactive materials and our natural environment?

The Kichesipirini asserts that the protection of aquifers such as this are matters of international concern and character.

The Kichesipirini asserts that these matters, the ready access and proper stewardship of clean and safe drinking water are human rights.

Kichesipirini Algonquin First Nation continually asserts that environmental and economic issues in Canada are directly associated with our unresolved colonial past and that any long-term effective remedy must address this.

Kichesipirini Algonquin First Nation has been continuously asserting internationally that it is in the best interests of all Canadians that Canada work to develop appropriate de-colonization processes for the Indigenous Peoples of Canada.

The Kichesipirini Algonquin First Nation asserts that the protection of the Alliston Aquifer and its continued use as an important environmental monitoring resource must be considered a matter of international public interest and that it be in the best interests of the public to use this, in its highest condition, as a most appropriate background measure for monitoring nuclear and industrial contamination and determining effective remedial actions.

For further information please refer to;

http://www.dominionpaper.ca/articles/2858#comment-20027

[Indigenous Ipili human rights activist Jethro Tulin and traditional landowner Mark Ekepa from Papua New Guinea listen to NEVILLE "CHAPPY" WILLIAMS denounce Barrick Gold mine in sacred heartland of Wiradjuri People. PHOTO: Sandra Cuffe, 2008.]
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RE-POSTING EXCERPT FROM 'MOTHER AFRICA' BLOG - http://justiceinunjustworld.blogspot.com/ - BY AFRICAN HUMAN RIGHTS & SOCIAL JUSTICE ACTIVIST EVANS RUBERA, OUTSPOKEN CRITIC OF BARRICK GOLD MINING IN AFRICA:

[...]

Neville Chappy Williams, who has consistently opposed the open-pit mine at Lake Cowal in the middle of the Murray-Darling Basin, has delivered documents to the Deputy Canadian High Commissioner, Mr René Cremonese, and the Minerals Council of Australia in Canberra as part of the Global Day of Action against open-pit mining.

Neville Chappy Williams is a Traditional Owner of Lake Cowal and has fought many court cases against mining at Lake Cowal.

“It is my sacred duty to protect Lake Cowal and our ancient cultural heritage. We will never give up. I will fight to the bitter end.” Currently, he has halted the proposed expansion of the gold mine in Barrick v Williams in the NSW Court of Appeal.

“The Lake Cowal gold mine operated by Barrick Gold from Toronto, Canada is desecrating our sacred heartland of the Wiradjuri between the Kalara/Lachlan and the Murrumbidgee rivers in central west New South Wales."

[...]

Addiction to Death
July 11, 2009

Apparently Grouse Mountain near Vancouver will now install a giant wind turbine to produce new energy. While this begins I am resisting nicotine valiantly, creating a convergence of thoughts.

Addictions do strange things to the mind. An addicted mind will come up with all sorts of rationalizations-- all merely designed to allow the space for the addiction to live itself out. The raw justifications are endless-- feeding the addiction as a means of rewarding ones self for taking a break from feeding the addiction, for example.

I should state these thoughts are an interesting bunch for me, even closer than usual as I fight off the nicotine monster. “Monster”is a very apt term for it as well; human beings caught in the throng of a major addiction tend to negotiate in their thoughts as if the addiction were at the other side of a negotiating table. Worse, in the case of cigarettes-- you are essentially negotiating with something that will kill you.

Thoughts abound-- “Maybe I can smoke only after meals,” one might say. “I only smoke at the end of the day” is another. “I don't know how else to relax,” “I don't have the time to deal with the stress of quitting,” ad infinitum. Or, perhaps better said-- ad nauseum.

The majority of these mental twists include the idea that one can hold on to the addiction, and somehow not reap the 'rewards'. So too, then, are notions of the current fad: “Green shift”. The Green Shift supposes (much like smoking 'light' cigarettes) that an entire society can continue to consume energy, with little more than a few bumps as we slowly, surely shift towards 'green' energy sources.