Tzeporah Berman Speech to the Alberta Teachers’ Association • October 13, 2018 CHECK AGAINST DELIVERY
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Thank you. And deep thanks to the ATA for both inviting me to speak today and for continuing to support an open dialogue in the face of intense pressure. I would like to begin by acknowledging and respecting that we are gathered today on Treaty 6 territory, and specifically on the traditional territory of the Enoch Cree First Nation. Whew. It’s been quite a month. For me, it’s given that old saying “don’t shoot the messenger” new meaning and importance. The debate over this speech has revealed a deep underbelly of fear in Alberta, for good reason. Change is hard, and in the climate era there are no easy answers. Given the importance of oil and gas production to Alberta’s economy, the fluctuation of price, the destabilizing impact of new technologies like electric cars and renewable energy, the growing opposition to new fossil fuel projects and infrastructure at home and around the world – it is no wonder people are angry and