In November, Legal Advocates for Nature’s Defence (LAND) joined by our grassroots clients, the Friends of the Attawapiskat River (the Friends), attended the Western Mining Action Network’s biennial conference, Mining Justice in the Climate Crisis in Tiohtià:ke (Montreal).
Together with mining-impacted communities, allies and NGOs, lived experiences about the impacts of mining on Indigenous sovereignty, climate change and biodiversity loss were exchanged and Indigenous voices elevated – sharing stories of collective action and how Indigenous laws are being used to protect lands and waters.
Over several days, impacted community members from the United States and Canada shared stories of the injustices caused by extractive industries. From the Cree community of Chisasibi in Quebec to the Paiute (Nuumu), Shoshone (Newe) and Timbisha peoples in Yosemite Valley in California, it became acutely obvious that no matter where, resource extraction causes disproportionate impacts to Indigenous rights, their health and lands. And yet, a key theme raised by speakers was hope as a form of resistance.
We created this short film, which we invite you to watch, about our reflections on the power of collective action for justice in the face of environmental harm. As mentioned by Rick Cheechoo, a member of the Friends, the conference brought together “a lot of beautiful people wanting to make change with our relationship to the land, the water, and the air. To protect those and to make them healthy again.”
As LAND together with the Friends shared, scaling-up Indigenous protected and conserved areas is critical to advancing Indigenous self-determination and environmental protection in the face of urgent threats mining projects pose to land, water and wildlife. Together, we spoke about efforts being led by the Indigenous grassroots in Treaty 9 to protect their lands and waters from the impact of extractive activities in the ‘Ring of Fire’ which threatens one of the last remaining intact peatland (muskeg) ecosystems in the world.
Our film, We Are the River, was also screened, giving further voice to the strength and determination of the grassroots and paddlers who came together in 2023 to paddle down the Attawapiskat River in the Fall of 2023.
Access to justice is crucial to Northern and remote Indigenous communities in Ontario whose environmental and Indigenous rights face imminent threat. Legal services strengthen Indigenous community members’ knowledge of their rights and their ability to participate in decisions regarding law reform, project decision-making and consultations. The pace at which extraction projects are moving ahead has accelerated due to an increasing demand for critical minerals. It is important to recognize the urgency at which we need to fight for our lands and waters in the north.
As said by Mike Koostachin, founder of the Friends, “We have to say something. Our mother earth needs help. We have to think of the future up ahead, not just tomorrow but for generations. What’s going to impact our rivers, our waterways, our land.”