| Grassy Narrows |
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The Grassy Narrows First Nation lives at the border of Ontario and Manitoba, near Kenora. Under a 1873 treaty (known as Treaty 3), the Grassy Narrows First Nation was given the right to engage in hunting and fishing on its traditional lands. Since that time, the community has relied on these activities for subsistence. However, forestry operations have threatened the Grassy Narrows community. In the 1970s, pollution from a pulp and paper mill contaminated local rivers with mercury, which has caused serious health problems in the community. More recently, clearcutting on Grassy Narrows’ land has seriously undermined the community’s ability to hunt and fish because it has destroyed wildlife habitat. Nearly 50% of the community’s traditional land-base has already been clearcut. The Grassy Narrows First Nation has been resisting the destruction of its land and livelihood for decades and have formally declared a moratorium on all industrial activity within the community’s traditional land use area. They repeatedly asked Abitibi and Weyerhauser (the companies responsible for clearcutting in the region) to halt operations in their forests, and when this failed, members of the community started a blockade in an attempt to prevent logging trucks from removing timber (2002). After years of protest, AbitibiBowater announced that it will stop using wood from Grassy Narrows at its Fort Frances pulp mill and that it is seeking to give up its license to manage logging in the contested Whiskey Jack Forest (June 4th, 2008). It is not yet clear whether logging will continue in order to supply Weyerhaeuser or under what conditions. The plight of the Grassy Narrows First Nation has gained the attention of environmental and human rights groups from around the world. The people of Grassy Narrows must be protected from further harm from large-scale logging until recently announced forest management negotiations with the community have run their course. For more information please visit: |