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December 13, 2012 Northern Ontario’s First Nation Voice since 1974
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Attawapiskat chief starts hunger strike Spence says she’s ‘willing to die’ Lenny Carpenter Wawatay News
Attawapiskat Chief Theresa Spence said she is willing to go the distance as she prepared for a hunger strike in Ottawa that began on Dec. 11. “I’m willing to go – willing to die for it,” she said. Spence said she will end the hunger strike once the federal government and a representative of Queen Elizabeth II agrees to meet with First Nations leaders and involve them in the legislative process that affects First Nations across Canada. At this point, she said, the federal government sees each chief, including National Chief Shawn Alteo, as nothing more than a “spokesperson” for their communities and people. “We have to be more than a spokesperson, we need to be part of government,” she said. Last January, First Nations leaders across Canada met with the prime minister and Gov.-Gen. David Johnston. During the meeting, dubbed the Crown-First Nations gathering, the federal government promised an improved relationship with First Nations. Spence said the meeting was a failure because, as far as she can tell, there is currently
“If I see a commitment from the Crown and the prime minister to sit down and talk with us about these great changes without involving our chiefs, that’s when I’ll stop.” -Chief Theresa Spence
“no relationship” between the federal government and First Nations. Instead, the federal government is unilaterally passing legislation affecting education, water protection, and the rights of First Nations people, as well as cutting funds to tribal and regional councils – all without consulting First Nations leaders, Spence said. Spence said their grandfathers made treaties with the government in good faith to share the land, its resources and to live in harmony. And while First Nations have honoured their side of the treaty, the government “took advantage of us.” “They’re violating our treaties and it’s time to tell the government to stop,” Spence said. Spence announced her decision during the Assembly of
Brent Kaesler/Special to Wawatay News
Chief Theresa Spence of Attawapiskat stands in front of Canada’s Parliament building with MP Charlie Angus on day one of her hunger strike.
ᓇᐯᐗᐠ ᑭᐗᓂᔑᓂᐠ ᒣᑾᐨ ᑲᑭᒪᔑᑭᔑᑲᐠ ᑭᒥᑲᐗᑲᓀᐗᐠ ᐁᑭᓇᓇᑕᐗᐸᒪᑲᓀᐗᐨ ᐱᑐᕒ ᒧᐣ ᑲᓇᑕ ᕒᐁᐣᒍᕒᐢ
ᓂᔑᐣ ᐱᐗᓇᐠ ᓇᐯᐗᐠ ᑲᑭᐗᓂᔑᓄᐗᐨ ᑲᑭᑯᐡᑯᒪᔑᑭᔑᑲᐠ ᑭᒥᑲᐗᑲᓀᐗᐠ ᐁᐱᒪᑎᓯᐗᐨ ᐁᑭᑭᒋ ᓇᓇᑕᐗᐸᒪᑲᓀᐗᐨ ᑲᑭᑕᑶᐗᐨ ᑲᓇᑕ ᕒᐁᐣᒍᕒᐢ, ᓂᔑᐣ ᓄᑎᓂᑫᐎ ᐱᒥᓭᐎᓇᐣ, ᐗᓭᔭ ᐱᒥᓭᐎᐣ, ᒥᓇ ᐊᓂᔑᓂᓂᐗᐠ ᑲᓇᓇᑕᐗᐸᒋᑫᐗᐨ ᒥᓇ ᐊᓂᔑᓂᓂᐗᐠ ᑲᐎᒋᑐᐗᐨ᙮ “ᒥᐁ ᐁᓀᑕᒪᐣ ᐁᑭᒥᓄᓭᐠ ᑲᑭᐃᓯᓭᐠ ᐅᐅᐌ,” ᐃᑭᑐ ᒉᒥ ᐢᑐᕒᓬᐠ, ᐅᐣᑌᕒᐃᔪ ᓇᓇᑕᐗᐸᒋᑫᐎᐣ ᑲᑭᑲᓇᐗᐸᑕᐠ ᑲᐊᓄᑭᑕᐗᐨ ᐅᐣᑌᕒᐃᔪ ᔑᒪᑲᓂᔕᐣ᙮ “ᐅᑭᐱᑭᐌᐎᓇᐗᐣ ᓂᔑᐣ ᔭᐎᔭᐣ ᐃᐃᒪ ᐃᐡᑯᓂᑲᓂᐠ ᑫᒋᓇᐨ ᒋᑭᑲᐗᒋᐗᐸᐣ ᑭᐡᐱᐣ ᐁᑲ ᑭᒪᒋᒋᑲᑌᐠ ᓇᓇᑕᐗᐸᒋᑫᐎᐣ ᒋᒥᑲᐗᑲᓀᐗᐨ᙮” ᑲᑭᐗᓂᐊᑲᓀᐗᐨ ᓇᐯᐗᐠ, ᒪᐃᐠ ᑯᐢᑕᒋᐣ ᒥᓇ ᐳᕒᒍᓬ
Virgil Wesley after being rescued.
100% First Nations Owned
Photo by Eric Mack
ᐌᐢᓬᐃ, ᓇᑲᒋᐗᐠ ᑲᓇᑕᐌᒋᑫᐗᐨ, ᑭᓇᓇᑯᒧᐗᐠ ᑲᑲᑭᐳᓂᒋᑲᑌᓂᐠ ᒋᓇᓇᑕᐗᐸᒪᑲᓀᐗᐨ ᒥᓇ ᑲᓂᓇ ᔭᐎᔭᐣ ᑲᑭᐎᒋᑐᓂᐨ᙮ ᑲᑭᒪᒐᐗᐨ ᐱᐗᓇᐠ ᑭᒪᒋᐱᓱᐗᐠ ᐢᑭᑐᐣ ᐁᐎᐊᑌᐸᑭᑕᐌᐗᐨ ᐃᐃᒪ ᐗᓂᐦᐃᑫᐗᑲᐦᐃᑲᓂᐠ ᓂᑭᒥᓇᐣ ᓯᐱᐠ, ᑯᒋᐱᑯ 45 ᑕᓱᑎᐸᐦᐊᐸᐣ ᑭᐌᑎᓄᐠ ᐱᐗᓇᐠ᙮ “ᐌᐸᒋᑯ ᑲᑭ ᐃᐡᑾᒪᒐᐗᐨ ᑭᑭᒋ ᒪᔑᑭᔑᑲᐣ ᒥᓇ ᐎᐸᐨ ᓂᔓᒥᓯᐟ ᑯᐣ ᑭᐸᑭᔑᐣ ᐃᐃᐌ 24 ᑕᓱᑎᐸᐦᐃᑲᐣ ᒥᓂᑯᐠ,” ᐃᑭᑐ ᒑᐣ ᒪᐠᓂᓬ, ᑲᐱᒥᐎᒋᑫᐨ ᐅᓂᑲᓂᑕᒪᑫ 3 ᑲᓇᑕ ᕒᐁᐣᒍᕒᐢ ᑲᓇᓇᑕᐗᐸᒋᑫᐗᐨ᙮ ᑲᑭᒪᔑᑭᔑᑲᐠ ᑭᒪᒋᓭ ᓇᐯᐗᐠ ᑲᑭᒪᒐᐗᐨ ᑎᓭᒼᐳᕒ 3᙮ ᑭᒥᑲᐗᐗᐠ ᒣᑾᐨ ᑎᓭᒼᐳᕒ 7᙮ ᐎᐸᐨ ᑭᐗᓂᐦᐃᑎᐗᐠ ᒣᑾᐨ ᑲᐱᒥᐱᓱᐗᐨ ᒥᓇ ᑭᐗᓂᐡᑴᐁᑕᒧᐗᐠ ᒥᓇ ᑭᐊᓂᑕᑲᔭ ᐊᑯᓇᐠ -15C᙮ See page 3
First Nations Special Assembly on Dec. 6. She said many chiefs, including Atleo, have expressed support for her initiative. On Dec. 8, Spence returned to Attawapiskat to meet with the band council, Elders, and her family. She also took part in a sweat lodge ceremony in preparation for the hunger strike. Spence originally intended for the strike to begin on Dec. 10, but poor weather conditions delayed her flight to Ottawa until the next morning. On Dec. 11, a sunrise ceremony was conducted on Victoria Island, just upriver from the Parliament Hill grounds. Spence then made her way to Parliament Hill, where she will sit during the day of her hunger strike. When she arrived on Parliament Hill, Timmins-James Bay MP Charlie Angus presented her with gifts to help her keep warm. In the evenings, she will return to Victoria Island to spend the night. Spence said she will hold the hunger strike as long as it takes. “If I see a commitment from the Crown and the prime minister to sit down and talk with us about these great changes without involving our chiefs, that’s when I’ll stop,” she said.
National protests target feds
Lenny Carpenter/Wawatay News
Community members in the Thunder Bay area rallied outside the Aboriginal Affairs office in Fort William First Nation as part of the Idle No More grassroots movement. See story on page 6.
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