ᓂᓇᐢᑯᐢᑌᓇᐣ ᐅᒪ ᑲ ᐧᐃᑐᒋᑲᑌᐠ ᑲ ᑭ ᐃᐧᑕᓂᐧᐊᐠ ᑭᒋ ᐊᑐᐢᑫᐧᐃ ᒧᓇᐃᑫᐧᐃᐣ ᑭᒋ ᐅᑭᒪᐤ ᑲᐧᐃ ᐊᐸᐊᐠ ᓀᐢᑕ ᑲᐧᐃ ᓇᓇᑕᐧᐃ ᑭᐢᑫᓂᑕᐠ ᐊᓂᐃ ᑫᐧᑲᓇ ᑲ ᐧᐃᒧᓇᐊᑭᐠ᙮ ᑲ ᐃᔑ ᑕᐧᐯᑕᒪᐠ ᒪᑲ ᐁᑲ ᐃᓂᓂᐧᐊᐠ ᑭᒋ ᑭ ᐊᔑᒋᒋᐠ ᐁ ᓄᒋᑕᓂᐧᐊᓂᓂᐠ ᐅᒣᓂᐤ ᑭᒋ ᐅᑭᒪᐤ ᐁᑲ ᑲᓇᑫ ᑲ ᑭᐢᑌᓂᑕᐧᒪᐟ ᐃᓂᓂᐧᐊ ᑎᐱᓇᐧᐁ ᐅᑐᓇᔓᐧᐁᐧᐃᓂᓂᐤ ᑲᓄᓱᓀᐊᒥᓂᒋ ᐅᑎᑕᐢᑲᓄᓯᐧᐃᓂᓂᐤ ᓀᐢᑕ ᑲ ᐃᔑ ᐅᑭᐢᑫᓂᑕᒧᐧᐃᓂᓂᐤ ᐁᑲ ᑲᓇᑫ ᑲᐧᐃ ᐳᓂᑕᐟ ᑲᒥᑯᐡᑲᒋᒋᑫᒋᐠ ᐅᑕᐢᑭᓂᐠ᙮
We oppose the proposed Ring of Fire and Canada’s Regional Assessment for this mineral resource development project. We believe there is no basis for us to meaningfully participate in the Regional Assessment when Canada is not demonstrating an appreciation for our inherent laws, customs and knowledge nor a willingness to move away from colonial assertions of jurisdiction.

ᑭᒥ ᐅᑭᒪᐤ ᐊᐢᑭᐠ ᐃᑌᑫ ᑲ ᐃᔑ ᐅᑭᒪᑲᑕᐠ ᓀᐢᑕ ᑲᓇᓇᑲᒋᑕᐟ ᑲ ᐊᑎ ᐃᑕᔭᓂᐠ ᑲ ᐊᑎ ᐱᑐᔑᐸᓂᐠ ᑲ ᐃᑕᔭᐠ᙮ ᑭᒋ ᐅᑭᒪᐤ ᑭᓪᐳᓪᐟ  ᑲ ᐃᔑ ᓂᓯᑐᑕᐠ ᐳᓀᓂᒥᑐᐧᐃᓂᓂᐤ ᐁ ᐃᔑ ᓂᓯᑐᑕᐠ ᐊᒋᑫᐣ ᐱᑯ ᑭᒋ ᐊᑎ ᒧᓂᐯᒋᑲᓂᐧᐊᓂᓂᐠ ᑲ ᐃᔑ ᐅᑕᐢᑭᐧᐊᐠ ᓀᐢᑕ ᐁ ᐃᐧᑌᐟ ᑭᒋ ᐧᐊᐧᐃᒋᐊᐠ ᐃᐢᐱ ᐁ ᐊᓂᒧᑕᒪᑐᒋᐠ ᑲ ᐃᔑ ᒪᒪᐧᐊᐱᒋᐠ᙮ ᒧᓇ ᒪᑲ ᑲᓇᑫ ᐊᐧᐊ ᑭᒋ ᐅᑭᒪᐤ ᐧᐃᐱᐧᓴᐸᒣᐤ ᐃᓂᓂᐧᐊ ᑭᒋ ᑭᐢᑌᓂᑕᐧᒪᐟ ᑲ ᐃᔑ ᐱᒪᑎᓯᓂᒋ ᐅᑕᐢᑭᓂᐠ᙮ ᒪᑲ ᐁᐧᐃᑐᑕᐠ ᐁᐧᐃ ᐊᐸᒋᑕᐧᐊᐟ ᐃᓂᓂᐧᐊ ᑲ ᐃᔑ ᑭᐢᑌᓂᑕᒥᓂᒋ ᐅᑎᑕᐢᑲᓀᓯᐧᐃᓂᓂᐤ ᓀᐢᑕ ᐅᑭᐢᑫᓂᑕᒧᐧᐃᓂᓂᐤ ᑲ ᐃᔑ ᓇᑲᑲᒋᑕᓂᒋ ᒥᓯᐧᐁ ᐊᐢᑭᐠ ᐃᑌᑫ ᐅᒣᓂᐤ ᑲᐧᐃᓄᒋᑕᐟ᙮

ᑲ ᐃᔑ ᒪᐧᑲᓯᓇᐃᑲᑌᐠ ᐃᓂᓂᐧᐊᐠ ᑲ ᐅᒋ ᐧᐊᓇᔑᐧᐊᑎᒋᐠ ᑲ ᐃᔑᓇᐧᑲᑭ ᐃᓂᓂᐧᐃ ᐃᐡᑯᓂᑲᓇ ᑲ ᐃᔑ ᓇᓇᑲᑕᐧᐁᓂᑕᐠ ᑭᒋ ᐅᑭᒪᐤ ᐃᓂᓂᐧᐊ ᐅᒋ ᓀᐢᑕ ᑲ ᐃᔑ ᐸᐸᑲᓂᐱᑕᐠ ᐃᓂᓂᐧᐊᐢᑭᔭ᙮
ᑲ

Canada’s Minister of Environment and Climate Change, Minister Guilbeault, has recognized that reconciliation means activities done on our land must be ‘with our collaboration, and with a seat at the table.’  And yet, the Regional Assessment for which Canada now seeks our views, has not been about how to respect Indigenous jurisdiction, but rather how to fit our Indigenous values, traditions and knowledge into a Canada-led process.

The Indian Act and its reserve system continues to structure Canada’s engagement with First Nations, using divide and conquer tactics to fragment our rights and create divisions both within and between communities.

ᑭᒋ ᐅᑭᒪᐤ ᐁᑯᒪ ᐧᐊᑐᑕᐠ ᐅᐅ ᑲᑎᓂᐱᑌᓯᓇᑌᓂᑭ᙮
Canada’s approach stands contrary to the following:

• ᑲᑭᐢᑌᓂᒋᑲᑌᓂᑭ ᐅᑕ ᐃᑌᑫᐢᑲᒥᐠ ᐃᓂᓂᐧᐊ ᐅᒋ᙮ ᑭ ᐃᐧᑕᓂᐧᐊᓄᐸᐣ ᑭᒋ ᐸᔭᑌᑕᑯᑕᓂᐧᐊᓂᓂᑭ ᐃᓂᓂᐧᐊᐠ ᐅᑌᐸᑫᓂᑕᑯᓯᐧᐃᓂᐧᐊᐧᐊ ᑭᒋ ᒪᓇᒋᑕᓂᐧᐊᓂᓂᑭ ᑲ ᐃᔑ ᐱᒪᑎᓯᒋᐠ᙮ ᐁᑲ ᐊᐧᐁᓂᑲᓇ ᑭᒋ ᑭ ᐅᓇᔓᐧᐊᑕᒥᓂᒋ ᐅᑌᐸᑫᓂᑕᑯᓯᐧᐃᓂᐧᐊᐧᐊ ᑭᒋ ᐧᐃᑕᒪᐟ ᑭᒋ ᐅᑭᒪᐤ ᑭᒋ ᐃᓂᓇᒪᑕᐠ ᑲ ᐃᔑ ᓇᑲᑕᐧᐁᓂᑕᒪᐠ ᑭᑕᐢᑭᓇᐤ ᑲ ᐃᔑ ᓇᐧᑲᐠ ᐁᐧᐸᒪᔑ ᐯᒋ ᓂᔑᐧᐊᓇᒋᑕᒋᐠ ᑲ ᐅᔑᑕᒋᐠ ᐊᐸᑎᓯᐧᐃᓇ ᑭᒋ ᐯᒋ ᐅᑎᓇᑭᐠ ᑲ ᐃᔑ ᒥᔑᑲᓂᓂᐠ ᑭᑕᐢᑭᒥᓇᐤ᙮
• The principles enshrined in the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples which safeguards the individual and collective rights of Indigenous people, imposing a duty on Canada to achieve our free, prior and informed consent before any development or use of resources on our land occurs;

• ᐳᓀᓂᒥᑐᐧᐃᐣ ᓀᐢᑕ ᐧᐃᒋᐊᐸᑎᓯᒥᑐᐧᐃᓂᓂᐤ ᑲᓇᓇᑲᒋᑕᐟ ᑭᒋ ᐅᑭᒪᐤ᙮ ᒧᓇ ᑲᓇᑫ ᑕᐧᐯᔦᓂᑕᑦ ᑲ ᑭ ᐯᒋ ᐃᐧᑕᓂᐧᐊᓂᓂᐠ ᑲᔭᐡ ᐁᐧᑲᓂ ᐱᑯ ᔕᑯᐨ ᐧᐁᒥᐢᑎᑯᔑᐧᐃ ᐱᒪᑎᓯᐧᐃᓂᓂᐤ ᐁᓄᓱᓀᐊᐠ ᑲ ᐧᐃ ᐃᔑ ᑐᑕᐧᐊᐟ ᐃᓂᓂᐧᐊ ᓀᐢᑕ ᐅᑕᐢᑭᒥᓂᐤ᙮
• The Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada which calls on Canada to reject the ‘doctrine of discovery,’ long used to justify colonial sovereignty over Indigenous lands;

• ᑲ ᑭ ᓇᑭᐡᑲᑐᓇᓂᐧᐊᑭᐸᐣ ᐊᐧᐃᔭᔑᔕᐠ ᓀᐢᑕ ᓇᓇᑲᐤ ᑫᐧᑲᓇ ᑲᓂᑕᐧᐃᑭᑭ ᐊᐢᑭᐠ ᐅᒋ᙮ ᓀᐢᑕ ᑭᓇᓇᐤ ᑲ ᐃᔑ ᑲᓇᐧᐁᓂᑕᒪᐠ ᑲ ᐃᔑᓇᐧᑲᐠ ᑲ ᐃᔑ ᐃᑕᔭᐠ᙮ ᐃᐧᑕᓂᐧᐊᐣ ᑭᓇᓇᐤ ᔕᑯᐨ ᑭᒋ ᓇᓇᑲᒋᑕᔭᐠ ᑲ ᐃᔑ ᐃᑕᔭᐠ ᐅᑌ ᐧᐃᓂᐯᑯᐠ ᐅᒪ ᐊᓄᐨ ᑲ ᐃᔑ ᒥᑐᓂ ᒥᑯᐡᑲᒋᐸᓂᐠ ᑲ ᐃᑭᐠ ᑲ ᐃᑕᔭᐠ᙮ ᑲ ᐃᔑ ᒥᑯᐡᑲᒋᐡᑲᑯᔭᐠ ᑭᐱᒪᑎᓯᐧᐃᓂᓇᐠ᙮
• The Convention on Biological Diversity which recognizes our integral role in ecosystem stewardship and dependence on biological diversity. This means protecting the muskeg of the Hudson Bay-James Bay lowlands which plays a critical role in mitigating global climate change and goes hand in hand with the protection of our rights and ways of life.

ᐸᓯᑯᑕ ᑭᒋ ᓇᐢᑯᐢᑕᒪᐠ ᐅᒪ ᑲᐧᐃ ᑐᒋᑲᑌᐠ ᑭᒋ ᐊᐸᑎᓯᐧᐃᐣ ᑲᐧᐃ ᐅᔑᑕᓂᐧᐊᐠ ᐁᑯᔑ ᓇᓇᐢᑯᑕ ᐁᑲ ᑭᒋ ᓂᔑᐧᐊᓇᒋᑕᓂᐧᐊᐠ ᑲ ᑭ ᐅᒋ ᐯᒋ ᐱᒪᑎᓯᐧᐊᑫᔭᐠ ᑲ ᑭ ᐃᔑ ᓇᐢᑯᒧᓇᓂᐧᐊᐠ ᑲᔭᐡ ᑭᐃᐧᑕᓂᐧᐊᓂᑯᐸᐣ ᐃᓂᑯᐠ ᑫᒐᑲᓯᑫᐟ ᐱᓯᑦ ᓀᐢᑕ ᐃᓂᑯᐠ ᑫᐱᒥᒋᐧᐊᐠ ᓂᐱᔾ ᓀᐢᑕ ᐃᓂᑯᐠ ᑫᓂᑕᐧᐃᑭᑭ ᒪᐡᑯᔑᔭ ᓀᐢᑕ ᐃᓂᑯᐠ ᑫᐱᒥᓂᐧᐁᐠ ᐁᐧᑲᓂ ᑲ ᑭ ᐃᔑ ᓇᐢᑯᒧᓇᓂᐧᐊᓂᑯᐸᓀ ᐃᐢᐱ ᑲ ᑭ ᒪᓯᓇᐅᑎᓱᓇᓂᐧᐊᐠ ᑭᒋ ᓇᐢᑯᒧᐧᐃᐣ ᐧᐃᐱᑯᓂᑲᑌᐤ ᒪᑲ ᑲ ᑭ ᐃᐧᑕᓂᐧᐊᓂᑯᐸᓀ᙮
We are rising up in opposition to the Regional Assessment for the Ring of Fire to protect our inherent and Treaty rights promised to us for as long as the sun shines, as long as the waters flow, as long as the grass grows, and as long as the winds blow.

ᐸᑭᑎᓇ ᑭᑕᔭᒧᐧᐃᐣ ᐅᑕ      
Add your voice!