Feathers verus Guns: The Throne Speech and Canada's War with the Mi’kmaw Nation at Elsipogtog
*As I write this blog, Canada is at war with the Mi’kmaw Nation - again – this time in Elsipogtog (Big Cove First Nation) in New Brunswick. The Mi’kmaw have spoken out against hydro-fracking on their territory for many months now. They have tried to get the attention of governments to no avail. Now the Mi'kmaw are in a battle of drums and feathers versus tanks and assault rifles - not the rosy picture painted by Canada to the international community.
The
failure by the federal and provincial governments, as well as the Houston-based
fracking company, Southwestern Energy, to consult with the Mi’kmaw and obtain
their consent is what led to the protests all summer. According to their
web page: “In March 2010, the company announced that the Department of Energy
and Mines of the Province of New Brunswick, Canada accepted its bids for
exclusive licenses to search and conduct an exploration program covering
2,518,518 net acres in the province in order to test new hydrocarbon basins.”
In
response, the Mi’kmaw have led peaceful protests at hydro-fracking sites to
demonstrate their opposition and protect their lands and resources. They have
always asserted their sovereignty, ownership and jurisdiction over their
territory. There has been relatively little coverage of their actions, but they
have been active for months now. More recently, the company obtained an
injunction to stop the protest and it was served on protesters today.
It
is more than coincidental timing – it was obviously strategically calculated
with the completion of the Governor General’s Speech from the Throne and the end
of the United Nations Special Rapporteur James Anaya’s visit to Canada. This
morning, we awoke to reports from the Mi’kmaw of swarms of RCMP dispatched to
Elsipogtog to enforce Harper’s aggressive natural resource agenda. He has effectively
declared war on the Mi’kmaw.
This
is not the first time Canada has declared war on the Mi’kmaw. In 1981, law enforcement led an attack on
the Mi’kmaw at Restigouche to stop them from controlling their own Aboriginal
fishery. During this attack, Mi’kmaw suffered multiple injuries, some severe
and numerous arrests.
In
1998, the government intervened in Listuguj
because the traditional Mi’kmaw government shut down the logging company that
was stealing timber from Mi’kmaw lands and because the Mi’kmaw started to
harvest their own timber.
Between
1999 and 2001, Canada once again declared
war on the Mi’kmaw Nation at Esgenoopitij (Burnt Church First Nation) in NB to
stop them from fishing lobster. This was despite the fact the Mi’kmaw had
proven their treaty right to fish lobster at the Supreme Court of Canada. Law
enforcement rammed Mi’kmaw fishing boats, injured fisherman and issued numerous
arrests.
All
of these actions were done in violation of the numerous treaties between the Mi’kmaw
and the Crown which were peace and friendship treaties intended to once and for
all end hostilities and work together as Nation to Nation partners. Given that
our treaties are constitutionally protected, Canada’s actions are not only tyrannical
and oppressive, but also illegal.
Today,
in 2013, the government has once
again decided that brute force is the way to handle The Mi’kmaw women, elders,
and children drumming and singing in peaceful protest against hydro-fracking at
Elsipogtog. Media reports 200 RCMP officers were dispatched, some of them from
the riot squad, armed with shields, assault rifles, batons, tear gas, rubber
bullets, pepper spray and snipers. Some of the RCMP, in full camo, hid in the
woods, while the others formed a large barricade on the highway blocking any
movement by protesters.
The
Chief and Council were arrested, as well as numerous other protesters all while
scrambling cell phone signals, cutting live video feeds and blocking media
access to the site. Reports of RCMP pointing their assault rifles at elders and
snipers aiming their scopes at children led to the burning of several RCMP
cruisers. Yet, so far, the mainstream media has focused on the burning cars and
not the acts of violation and intimidation by RCMP on the Mi’kmaw.
This
heavy-handed deployment of heavily armed RCMP cops against women and children
shows Canada’s complete disregard for our fundamental human rights and freedoms,
and their ongoing disdain for Indigenous peoples. One RCMP officer’s comments
summarized government position perfectly: “Crown land belongs to government,
not to fucking natives”. The RCMP have it wrong - Mi'kmaw treaties never surrendered our lands and we are still the rightful owners.
Of
course, this sounds eerily similar to the words of former Ontario Premier Mike
Harris who was reported to have said of the protest at Ipperwash “I want the
fucking Indians out of the park”.
And
we all know what happened there – law enforcement killed a peaceful unarmed protester
named Dudley George. One might wonder if history is going to repeat itself. If
we look to the Speech from the Throne as any indication, Harper has sent Canada
on a direct collision course with First Nations – all in the name of resource
development.
Contrary
to the Governor General’s introductory comments about Canada using its military
force sparingly and that Canada responds “swiftly and resiliently to aid those
in need”, the strategic wording indicates a much more ominous plan. Canada’s
position vis-à-vis First Nations and natural resources is laid out as follows:
-
First
Nations are incapable of managing their own affairs and Canada will control them
and make them accountable via legislation;
-
Canada
owns the natural resources and will sell
them;
-
Canada
will make major investments in infrastructure to protect these natural
resources;
-
Canada
will increase military strength to protect Canadian sovereignty; and
-
Increased
military will protect Canada’s economy from terrorism.
In
other words, Canada does not recognize the ownership or rights of First Nations
to their lands, waters and natural resources and will expend billions to ensure
that no First Nations prevent the extraction of those resources. Canada and its
military have referred to First Nations as terrorists before, and will no doubt
be labeled as such when they defend their right to say no to mines or
hydro-fracking, like in Elsipogtog for example.
This
aggressive display of power and intimidation in Elsipogtog was not met with an
equal display of violence. Instead, the women, elders and children continued to
drum and chant and pray for the health and safety of their peoples, their Nation
and the lands and waters for all Canadians. Instead of scaring people away,
this unconstitutional show of force is being met with solidarity blockades all
over Canada and the United States.
Listuguj
in Quebec has blocked a bridge; Six Nations in Ontario has shut down a highway,
there are protests outside Canadian embassies in New York City and Washington;
and hundreds of rallies, marches, protests and blockades planned for later
today and tomorrow. The horrific images of police violence at Elsipogtog
inspired First Nations peoples all over Canada to collect supplies, send
warriors and advocate for justice. Harper has inspired Indigenous resistance
and action on the ground. There will be more First Nation protests and blockades in the coming days as well.
The
Idle No More flame that he lit last year has never faded – it was just waiting
to be fanned once again. The solution has always been there:
(1)
Respect
the Nation to Nation relationship (our sovereignty and jurisdiction over our
governments, lands and peoples);
(2)
Address
the current injustices (crises in housing, education, food, water, child and
family services, murdered and missing Indigenous women); and
(3)
Share
the benefits and responsibility to protect the lands, water and natural
resources like the treaties envisioned.
http://www.cbc.ca/player/News/Canada/ID/2412799896/
*Picture taken from Google images.
AGREE! Mohawk Nation
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