View this post on Instagram The Asubpeeschoseewagong Netum Anishinabek (Grassy Narrows First Nation) people have lived with the consequences of one of the worst cases of environmental poisoning in Canadian history. A chemical plant, built in Dryden, ON in 1962, discharged 10 000 kg of mercury into the extensive English-Wabigoon water system, destroying the community's livelihood, major food source, and health. On Canada Day - after Canada celebrated #Indigenous History Month in June - The Doug Ford government announced an Act which will allow the provincial government to eliminate environmental assessments for commercial clear-cutting on Crown forest land. The Nations now fears another round of mercury posioning. The government says it is “ending duplication” by removing logging activities from the Environmental Assessment Act, which falls under the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks. Now, logging plans and practices will only be answerable to the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry, and its Crown Forest Sustainability Act. “Basically, the act deals with trees, deals with how to make them commercially available, deals with wildlife, but it is not a statute about how to protect human health,” says Joseph Castrilli, a lawyer with the Canadian Environmental Law Association. Studies have shown that clear-cut logging, which is the practice in the crown Boreal forest lands that surround the Grassy Narrows traditional territory, releases mercury that had previously settled in the soil. “If you clear-cut an area with watershed, you are going to end up with mercury in the water system,” Castrilli said. “The only issue is how quickly and how much.” * For the past 50 years, Grassy Narrows has been fighting for river remediation, recognition of the long-term health effects of mercury exposure on their community, and support for health care. “My people are dying” said Judy Da Silva, Anishinaabe mother and grandmother. Please consider donating to support Grassy Narrows with the link in bio at @grassy.narrows.solidarity ! * @thetorontostar#freegrassynarrows #indigenousland #landback A post shared by RAVEN Trust (@raven_trust) on Jul 13, 2020 at 1:03pm PDT
The Asubpeeschoseewagong Netum Anishinabek (Grassy Narrows First Nation) people have lived with the consequences of one of the worst cases of environmental poisoning in Canadian history. A chemical plant, built in Dryden, ON in 1962, discharged 10 000 kg of mercury into the extensive English-Wabigoon water system, destroying the community's livelihood, major food source, and health. On Canada Day - after Canada celebrated #Indigenous History Month in June - The Doug Ford government announced an Act which will allow the provincial government to eliminate environmental assessments for commercial clear-cutting on Crown forest land. The Nations now fears another round of mercury posioning. The government says it is “ending duplication” by removing logging activities from the Environmental Assessment Act, which falls under the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks. Now, logging plans and practices will only be answerable to the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry, and its Crown Forest Sustainability Act. “Basically, the act deals with trees, deals with how to make them commercially available, deals with wildlife, but it is not a statute about how to protect human health,” says Joseph Castrilli, a lawyer with the Canadian Environmental Law Association. Studies have shown that clear-cut logging, which is the practice in the crown Boreal forest lands that surround the Grassy Narrows traditional territory, releases mercury that had previously settled in the soil. “If you clear-cut an area with watershed, you are going to end up with mercury in the water system,” Castrilli said. “The only issue is how quickly and how much.” * For the past 50 years, Grassy Narrows has been fighting for river remediation, recognition of the long-term health effects of mercury exposure on their community, and support for health care. “My people are dying” said Judy Da Silva, Anishinaabe mother and grandmother. Please consider donating to support Grassy Narrows with the link in bio at @grassy.narrows.solidarity ! * @thetorontostar#freegrassynarrows #indigenousland #landback
A post shared by RAVEN Trust (@raven_trust) on Jul 13, 2020 at 1:03pm PDT