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Laura Calmwind, COO Youth Program Coordinator, presents the following message to the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (see follow up message from Arthur Manuel below)

KITCHENUHMAYKOOSIB INNINUWUG JOINT STATEMENT TO THE 7th SESSION OF THE UN PERMANENT FORUM ON INDIGENOUS ISSUES

Joined by: Mohawk Nation at Kahnawake, BC First Nations Leadership Council, Treaty Six from Canada, International Indigenous Economies and Trade Network, Western Shoshone Defense Project, Indigenous Environmental Network,

Opening in Oji-Cree

Dear Madame Chair,

I make this statement on behalf of Chief Donny Morris, Deputy Chief Jack McKay, Sam McKay, Bruce Sakakeep, Darryl Sainnawap, and Cecilia Begg of the Kitchenuhmaykoosib Inninuwug Nation, “KI”, as known by outsiders.

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.

In our territory, we are witnessing climate change now with changes in the ecosystem and our winters turning to rain rather than snow pack.

We have mining proposed in our territory – we discussed this as a people and decided that now is not the time for this activity – our water is more important than industrial development. Our leadership supported this decision.

Rather than honoring our leadership, the Ontario government has now jailed our Chief and the entire Council. They sit in jail now as we sit here in New York.

This is the kind of tough situation Indigenous Peoples always find ourselves when we stand up for Land Title and Treaty Rights. How are we supposed to protect the sustainability of our land if our leadership is imprisoned when they try to do so?

KI is a signatory to the 1929 adhesion to Treaty No. 9, and our flag shows the spirit and intent of the Treaty: yellow for as long as the Sun Shines; green for as long as the grass grows and blue for as long as the water flows. In the middle of our flag is a trout to signify sustenance for our peoples. All this would be taken away if the mining development was to go ahead.

We the peoples of KI are the peoples of the land - we have a legal and moral obligation to protect for future generations and we ask the UNPFII to do what it can to ensure safety for our leaders as they work to protect sustainability of our life sources during this time of Climate Change.

In particular to:

• Support the connection that Indigenous values, knowledge and activities are the environmental measurement that any commercial and industrial activity must be held accountable to in order to preserve ecological biodiversity.
• Support Indigenous Peoples’ right to “free, prior and informed, consent” as the basis of protecting the ecological biodiversity of their territories.
• Condemn the violations of the government of Canada and Ontario and call for the immediate and unconditional release of the leadership, chief and council of the Kitchenuhmaykoosib Inninuwug. 

Meegwitch 

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From: 'Arthur Manuel' <artmanuel@earthlink.net>
Sent: Tuesday, April 22, 2008 5:44 PM
Subject: KI Presentation to PFII April 22, 2008

Dear Friends:

I am glad to report that KI was called upon by the Chairperson of the Permanent Forum to give a presentation on Climate Change today. Laura Calmwind gave a very effective statement to the Permanent Forum. I have attached this KI Statement and two pictures of this very important elevation of the KI struggle to the international level.

The KI Statement received a very supportive round of applause from the participants of the Permanent Forum. Laura was also swamped by participants asking for her for copies of the KI statement. The KI Statement was a  Joint Statement with the Mohawk Nation at Kahnawake, BC First Nations Leadership Council, Treaty 6 from Canada, Indigenous Network on Economies and Trade, Western Shoshone Defense Project and the Indigenous Environmental Network.

It is also important to note that the government of Canada was in the audience.

Arthur
New York, New York

_________________________________________

Arthur Manuel
INET
e-mail: amanuel@telus.net
cell: 1 (250) 319-0688