Indigenous Youth Movement “Here We Stand” Departs for Journey on James Bay

ATTAWAPISKAT, ON:  The Indigenous youth-led movement Here We Stand has departed from Attawapiskat to embark on a two-week journey into James Bay to document the vast, downstream and interconnected waters that would be directly threatened by the proposed Ring of Fire mining development.

Throughout their travels, Here We Stand, will invite the public to join them via daily live-streamed updates and social media posts showcasing the waters, coastline, and the rich biodiversity—including whales, polar bear, caribou, and thousands of snow geese—that call this region home.

By documenting this remote region that few are able to visit first-hand, Here We Stand hopes to bring awareness to the many interconnected rivers and the unique biodiversity that lies downstream of the proposed Ring of Fire.

 

“Where I call home, is one of the last remaining pristine, intact, and vast ecosystems left on the planet. They are called the peatlands and are known to us as the breathing lands of Mother Earth. They store billions upon billions of tons of carbon and sequester millions of tons each year,” shared Jeronimo Kataquapit, founder of Here We Stand. “I want people to see that what happens here, in the peatlands where the Ring of Fire is proposed, is inherently connected to the life of the Bay, our life, our health.” 

 

With the emergence of legislation such as Bill 5 and Bill C-5, major projects such as the Ring of Fire are actively being fast-tracked to override important environmental protections that preserve one of the last remaining, intact, vast carbon sinks on the planet. There has never been a more important time to highlight the downstream region that will be affected by something as significant as the proposed Ring of Fire. 

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Jeronimo Kataquapit, Here We Stand
herewestandcta@gmail.com