Saskatchewan 71 year old First Nation elder, Emil Bell, continues to fast and speak out
Hunger strike aimed at Harper's First Nations policies
By Charles Hamilton, The StarPhoenix January 5, 2013
SASKATOON,SK--January 05/2013- Emil Bell has been on a hunger strike since Dec. 12/12 in support of Chief Theresa Spence and the Idle No More movement. Bell spoke Saturday, January 05, 2013 at an event supporting the movement at the White Buffalo Youth Lodge in Saskatoon.
Photograph by: Greg Pender , The StarPhoenix
A 71-year-old man from northern Saskatchewan says will continue his hunger strike until he sees some major change from Prime Minister Stephen Harper in his policy concerning First Nations people.
"Right now we are seeing this man say one thing and do exactly the opposite," said Bell at an Idle No More Rally in Saskatoon on Saturday. "We need to get rid of this man. Period."
Bell has been living on a diet of soup broth and vitimans and hasn't consumed solid food in nearly a month. He began his hunger strike on Dec. 12 as an act of solidarity with Attawapiskat Chief Theresa Spence and to add his support to Idle No More movement, sweeping the country.
Prime Minister Harper has agreed to meet with First Nations leaders on Jan. 11 and Spence said she's planning to attend the talks but won't end her hunger strike, which began Dec. 11, until next week's meeting actually occurs and it produces meaningful results.
Bell echoed Spence Saturday, saying he is wary of any promises made by the Prime Minister. "Whenever the Prime Minister says something I'm not going to jump up and down until I see it," Bell said.
Bell's strike began around the same time as Idle No More protests sprouted up around the country in opposition to bill C-45, the government's omnibus budget bill, which makes changes to environmental laws as well as changes to the Indian Act.
Despite Harper's meeting with First Nations leaders, the movement is showing no signs of slowing down. At the rally in Saskatoon, more than 200 people showed up and more protests and rallies are already planned for the coming weeks.
"It's not going be an end to it. Idle No More is a people's movement," said Perry Bellegarde, the chief of the Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations (FSIN), at the rally.
"I've always called these unifying rallies. When you bring together the people, the youth, the elders, the women, the men, the leadership that's the only way to go. You can feel the energy in the room."
Bellegarde will be among First Nations leaders meeting on Tuesday and Wenesday in Ottawa this coming week to prepare for the Jan.11 meeting with Harper.
The hunger striking Bell says he hopes Harper will "deal honestly" with the leaders, but says he needs to see "an almost complete reversal" in government policy before he will consume solid food.
"If I don't seriously see something happening to protect mother earth and future generations I guess we are going to have to continue," Bell.
This is not the first time he has gone on a hunger strike. In 2011, he did so as a protest to nuclear waste storage in Saskatchewan. Bell says despite the lack of food he is feeling strong and healthy, thanks in part to the support from across the country.
"I'm feeling very good. The mind is very strong. Thanks to all the prayers and all the different ceremonies that are happening... It tends to make you stronger when people pray for you" Bell said.