Native American Protest Riles Canada

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Wall Street Journal

January 3, 2013, 6:31 p.m. ET
Native American Protest Riles Canada

By ALISTAIR MACDONALD And PAUL VIEIRA

OTTAWA—A three-week-long hunger strike by a Native American chief in Canada over alleged abuses of land rights and other grievances is stoking wider protests that are also spilling over into the U.S.

Theresa Spence, chief of the Attawapiskat First Nation in Northern Ontario, was on the 24th day of a hunger strike Thursday that she says won't end until Prime Minister Stephen Harper agrees to meet with Native American chiefs to address the alleged wrongdoings.

Mr. Harper has declined to meet the chief. Canada's minister responsible for aboriginal affairs, John Duncan, has said he would meet with Ms. Spence. But she has refused the offer, calling Mr. Duncan a "program manager," Ms. Spence's spokesman said.

Ms. Spence has cited provisions in a recent budget bill that she argues weakens environmental protection on native land, and alleged violations to treaty accords over proposals to lease territory belonging to First Nations, a group of native peoples.


Read more: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887324374004578219870563300446.html

[the devil]

1. One issue, and it's with the WSJ, not DU

Ms. Spence should be recognized as a Native Canadian, not Native American.

I know, I know...everyone in North America and South America is technically American.

[tama]

3. She's native attawapiskat

and native American.

European invaders and their states of US, Canada etc. don't deserve title "native" as long as they don't treat Earth like home to live but place to rob and spoil.

[dipsydoodle]

8. Look after the land and the land will look after you.

Europeans lost the plot completely.

[Puha Ekapi]

15. We look at the U.S./Canadian border...

...as an artificial construct created by the white man. It really has no meaning to our people.

[the devil]

16. True enough

borders, time, money...all are really artificial constructs...

[awoke_in_2003]

2. Well, his people...

were here before Canadians, Americans, and Mexicans- the three countries that occupy the continent of North America. He is a native American, IMO.

[AtheistCrusader]

4. Indigineous people.

They didn't call it 'america'.

[awoke_in_2003]

5. Well, they probably didn't call themselves...

indigineous either.

[AtheistCrusader]

7. It's an adjective in our language.

Not a proper name. It's the same as calling them 'the people who were here before Europe discovered this land'. Just shorter.

[Posteritatis]

10. "First Nations" is the standard term in Canadian parlance. (nt)

[countryjake]

6. Here's a less rw view of Chief Theresa Spence...

and also the Idle No More movement:

What's at stake for First Nations communities involved in the Idle No More movement


http://www.globalsaskatoon.com/primer/6442778794/story.html

Statements from concerned politicians, a series of road blockades and hunger strikes are sweeping the country as the national Idle No More movement crosses Canada.


Idle No More Flash Mob smack in the middle of Bellis Fair Mall on Dec. 24, 2012

[tama]

11. See also

http://www.democraticunderground.com/12524791

[countryjake]

12. Hiding signs & drums til the Circle is full...

would have been a better tactic there in CO. It looks like they jumped the gun before everyone had gathered (or probably the mall knew what they were planning) so security was able to break the circle easily.

Unbelievable about that one guy busted for taking pics thru the window OUTSIDE the mall. Bastards!

Thanks, tama!

Solidarity!

[Pachamama]

9. Harper's strategy - let the chief die from hunger strike

Because then he really doesnt have to meet her or the other chief's.....in this lifetime.....

[Fire Walk With Me]

13. Not just Canada. There will be a Round Dance in Oakland tomorrow

http://www.democraticunderground.com/12524787

and there was just one in Colorado, where:


"Broomfield police (303-438-6400) told mall cops 'If they look Native American, tell them to leave.'”

http://www.democraticunderground.com/12524791

This is huge and will not soon go away. It is about more than the destruction of the water on their land, or the theft of their land by the Keystone XL pipeline companies.

[countryjake]

14. So they WERE racially profiling at Flatirons Mall!

Racist bastards, I figured that out after watching some of the videos from CO, you could tell by the looks on faces that they'd been threatened before it even began.

[Fire Walk With Me]

17. Link to interactive map of Jan. 11 global solidarity actions:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/12524882