Idle No More & Defenders of the Land Solidarity Statement – Idle No More

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Idle No More &

Defenders of the Land

 

Statement of Solidarity for the Northern Trappers Alliance

 

PROTECT & DEFEND THE LAND & WATER

Idle No More and Defenders of the Land support and acknowledge the Northern Trappers Alliance in protecting and defending their lands and waters against mineral company’s exploration and extraction activities that will inevitably impact their health, environment and sources of livelihood.  In the long term, this impact will adversely affect all peoples.

la_loche_map-1.jpgNovember 19th 2014: the Northern Trappers Alliance “Holding The Line”, Dené people of Ducharme, began blockading the only road leading to lands that corporations, specifically Cenovus Energy Inc., want access and to prevent numerous other oil companies access to exploration camps beyond that point. The lands in question are located near LaLoche, SK within Treaty No. 10 Territory about 600 kilometres north of Saskatoon and about 100 kilometres east of Fort McMurray. Exploration and subsequent extraction of resources are impacting the hunting of the Métis and Dené peoples, and as trappers who rely on the landsto sustain their livelihood, it’s their main source of food.   Métis hunter and trapper Don Montgrand, reported, “When I drove up to my trap line, a helicopter followed overhead of me, all the way. That’s 106 km.”  The hunters and trappers are finding roads leading to their trap lines blocked by security gates.  The rush to explore the north for mineral and oil exploration is affecting wildlife and fish already impacted from nearby Fort McMurray and trespassing on their inherent lands.  These actions are being done without their free prior and informed consent.

Trappers are making a stand because for the past 6 ½ years, there has been a mad rush on mineral and oil exploration. This rush along with the province’s “let it burn” forest fire policy in the region, has decimated wildlife and destroyed cabins which negatively impacts their ability to thrive and make a living in a culturally sustainable way within their home territory. “It’s taking food off of our table”,  states Bobby Montgrand.

Deals have been struck with the LaLoche Mayor and Council (Ducharme is outside of the municipal boundaries of LaLoche) and the Clearwater River Dené Nation Chief and Council. Due to Confidentiality Agreements between the two aforementioned groups, no information and no compensation reached the trappers and families who are most impacted.

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“We’ve had enough!  The animals are disappearing. Even the minnows are dying in the lakes.  All of the chemicals they are dumping and burning in our local landfills and what they are leaving in the bush and running into the lakes.  Even the people are dying of cancer and some are pretty young. We buried six in the last few months when we used to see maybe one person die of cancer in a year”, claims local trapper D. Montgrand.

The trappers are concerned that they are being ignored and driven off of their lands by oil and mineral companies, like Cenovus from corporate headquarters Calgary, Alberta. “When these companies are done destroying our north there will be nothing for our children to live on”, stated Bobby Montgrand.

Some Information above from Facebook group description found here:https://www.facebook.com/groups/616057965183898/

 

**UPDATE**

December 1, 2014: RCMP Serve Injunction to Northern Trappers Alliance “Holding the Line” Camp

 

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According to updates from the Northern Trappers Alliance, who have braved icy winter conditions to blockade oil and gas territories on their land, the 

RCMP have issued an injunction and have moved in…

This morning, reports have come in that the RCMP has moved the trailer blocking the road, and threatened anyone blocking the road with arrest…

You can call LaLoche RCMP at 306-822-2010 to demand that they remove themselves from the Dene lands and halt their assault on the Holding the Line camp…READ MORE

Warrior Publications: https://warriorpublications.wordpress.com/2014/12/01/rcmp-serve-injunction-to-northern-trappers-alliance-holding-the-line-camp/

“Holding the Line” – Northern Trappers Alliance

The following video features the Indigenous people who are on the ground defending the land with the tools they have access to:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vf_Td-L1QE8

 

Please support their dedication & perseverance by contacting:

Don Montgrand: (306) 822-3181

Bobby Montgrand: (306) 822-2704

Email: susnaghe@sasktel.net

 

“We’ve had enough!…there will be nothing for our children to live on”