On October 31, 2013, Canada’s Federal Environmental Review Panel submitted an extensive report with their major findings regarding Taseko’s plan to mitigate adverse impacts of the “New Prosperity” gold-copper mine, a project proposed on the lands of the Tsilhqot’in First Nation. Weeks earlier, the Panel heard considerable testimony from members of the Tsilhqot’in community. The Panel was required to review information presented by Indigenous groups in British Columbia.
On November 7, the Tsilhqot’in community members appeared in Canada’s Supreme Court to assert their title to traditional lands. This comes more than 20 years after a lawsuit was filed against the government of British Columbia over commercial logging on land the Tsilhqot’in claim as traditionally theirs.
On October 15, 2013, James Anaya, United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, concluded an eight-day trip to Canada. During the trip, Anaya visited several locations, meeting with government officials and First Nations with the intention of examining the human rights of Canada’s Indigenous population. Summarizing the findings of his trip, Anaya had tough words for the Canadian government in a statement published on October 15.
ACTION ALERT - LET'S SAVE FISH LAKE FOR ALL TIME!
Reposted from First Peoples Worldwide
Idle No More is calling for an international Day of Action to be held in communities around the world on October 7th, 2013.
The Federal Environmental Review Panel that will decide on the fate of the “New Prosperity” Mine in British Columbia, Canada came to a close at the end of August after 63 days of intense testimony. The panel was attended by members of the Tsilhqot’in Nation, including youth, elders, chiefs, and spiritual leaders from across British Columbia.
By Hannah Ellman
“The tar sands are taking, and we need to give back. Our giving back is our sacrifice, to stand in the rain and walk.”—Sue Deranger, Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation (ACFN) elder
In the past 20 years in Canada, over 600 mothers, daughters, sisters, grandmothers, cousins, aunts, and best friends have gone missing. That’s six hundred lives that have suddenly, mysteriously ended – no note, no motive, sometimes hardly even a clue, leaving behind questions, uncelebrated birthdays, motherless children, heartbroken partners, and emptiness. 600 Indigenous women have gone missing or been murdered, and often it seems as though nobody even cares.
Land Acknowledgement
We acknowledge that we are headquartered on Massachusett land, in Cambridge, MA, and we thank the past, current, and future Indigenous stewards of this territory.
