| Ontario Unwilling to Stop Exploration | 13 May 08 |
 A network of First Nation and environmental organizations supported by a twenty prominent Canadians including Stephen Lewis, Margaret Atwood, and Sarah Harmer are calling on Premier Dalton McGuinty to put a stop to mineral exploration in traditional lands of two Ontario Aboriginal communities, and revise the Mining Act.Bob Lovelace and six KI members have been imprisoned for protesting against mineral exploration within their traditional lands of Ardoch Algonquin First Nation and Kitchenuhmaykoosib Inninuwug (KI). The Assembly of First Nations warns there will be similar conflict all over the north unless the Ontario Mining Act includes consultation and revenue sharing with Aboriginal peoples. "Ontario's mining legislation is over 100 years old and doesn't fit with modern society's understanding of ecosystems, climate change and human rights," says Anna Baggio, Director, Conservation Land Use Planning of CPAWS Wildlands League. KI made a recent joint statement at the 7th Session of the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues that "with regard to climate change and biodiversity, it is essential that as Indigenous Peoples we have security and protection when we work to protect our land, air and water." View May 22, 2008 Robert Kennedy Jr., NRDC letter to Ontario Premier McGuinty (PDF) View April 22, 2008 - Chorus of celebrities call for release of Bob Lovelace and the KI Six (PDF) View Kitchenuhmaykoosib Inninuwug Joint Statement to UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues View April 24, 2008 CBC article View April 24, 2008 Canadian Press article Sources: Wildlands League, Keewaytinook Okimakanak News, CBC, Canadian Press |
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