Land and First Nations

Mushkegowuk First Nations of North Eastern Ontario opposed to Land and Resource extraction

Indigenous Land and Resource Extraction

Mushkegowuk First Nations will not tolerate prejudiced attittudes being expressed by segments of the mining exploration industry in Ontario.

Moose Factory, ON -The Mushkegowuk First Nations of North-Eastern Ontario are very alarmed over the on-going prejudiced attitudes being expressed by segments of the mining exploration industry in Ontario. Grand Chief Stan Louttit stated today that "it has become clear that the mining exploration system is broken. When companies believe they can ignore the Treaty rights of First Nations, as in the case of Wahgoshig First Nation, there is a fundamental problem that needs to be fixed".

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The Jubilee Fund is mapping the future!

Mushkegowuk Council was awarded $2500 as part of the Jubilee Fund; and annual grant set up jointly by MCC Canada and Mennonite Church Canada, as an acknowledgement of the Indigenous communities working to preserve their homelands.

With this last years' grant, Mushkegowuk Council Lands and Resource Department recieved a 'Plotter' used to scan and print maps as part of Mushkegowuk's Land Use Planning Project, involving eight First Nations along the west coast of James Bay and Hudson's Bay.

The maps will identify traditional historical and ecological knowledge, formatted with the help of elders and harvesters, for the purpose of protection from industrial extraction and development.

A Sacred Space

Representatives from Guatemala and Honduras meet with Chief Walter Naveau of the Mattagami First Nation and other First Nations representatives from the Timmins area, along with Lyndsay Mollins Koene, from the Mennonite Central Committee. Photo: Amanda Kistler

On the evening of Thursday, April 26, after a delegation from Central America, had attended the Goldcorp Annual mtg., MCCO was instrumental in working with Mining Watch Canada, to facilitate a 'space', where indigenous voices could come together and hear each other's stories.  First Nations and Tribal Councils were present, along with the delegation, that told each other of their histories, the present conditions of their communities, their struggles with Mining companies, and  the hopes of people in two different Americas; the similarities were striking.   After meaningful discussion, Reina Gamora of Honduras, had this to say to Indigenous community members in the room from Northern Ontario, "I look at Canada, as a Nation that defends the Human Right of others, but as I listen, I am surprised to hear that it has many problems (Indigenous relations), that are not yet resolved". 

As the evening ended, many in the room felt that to work toward an exchange would be worthwhile; both Canadian, and Central American Indigenous participants, welcomed the other to their homes.  MCC will continue work with Mining Watch, around the concept of an exchange.

Lyndsay Mollins Koene
Aboriginal Neighbours Coordinator