Panel discussion and musical performances.
Topics to be addressed include the spiritual significance of the area on the Ottawa River in the heart of Canada’s capital; Aboriginal land title and rights; the Asinabka vision of the late Algonquin leader Grandfather William Commanda for the site; Algonquin communities’ perspectives; settler/ally activism on this issue; and corporate/colonial incursions on Indigenous collective well-being.
Saturday Dec. 19, Noon-2pm
at Southminster United Church
15 Aylmer Ave at Bank St by the canal, Ottawa
Unceded Algonquin Territory
Facebook event page – please invite your friends!
Print and display the poster: 8.5×11 pdf file
Free admission – as part of PHIL OCHS FESTIVAL www.ochsfest.ca 10am-6pm
SPEAKERS:
- Albert Dumont “South Wind” – Algonquin community activist, volunteer, poet, storyteller and spiritual advisor
- Romola Thumbadoo – Coordinator, William Commanda’s Circle of All Nations/Asinabka Chaudiere Site Work
- Douglas Cardinal – World-Class Organic Architect, Anishinaabe Elder and First Nations Activist.
- Christal Ratt – Anishnabe Mitchikinabikok Inik: Algonquin of Barriere Lake
- Peter Di Gangi – Research and Policy Director, Algonquin Nation Secretariat
- Julie Comber (Vela) – Singer-songwriter researcher settler-ally; member of Freeing Chaudière Falls and its Islands
SINGERS:
- Spirit Flowers
- Tito Medina
- Vela
- Kevin Schofield
- Barbara Dumont-Hill
MC:
- Michael Desautels – Student & Labour Action Committee, Freeing Chaudière Falls and its Islands
— ACTION ITEM —
Please support the three demands as outlined in the “Call to Support Protection of Sacred Waterfalls Area” from four Algonquin First Nations.
Have your group or organization endorse the list of demands and communicate these to the relevant government officials — and individually write to these officials with your support of these demands, as well as questioning why no levels of government (except Quebec) have even acknowledged, let alone engaged with, the chiefs’ communications to them on this matter.
List of email contacts:
pm@pm.gc.ca, minister@aadnc-aandc.gc.ca, premier@ontario.ca, info@ncc-ccn.ca, Jim.Watson@ottawa.ca, maire@gatineau.ca, hello@zibi.ca
ie: Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Indigenous Affairs Minister Carolyn Bennett, Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne, National Capital Commission chair Russell Mills, Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson, Gatineau Mayor Maxime Pedneaud-Jobin, and Jonathan Westeinde of Windmill Development Group
Also – Quebec Premier Phillippe Couillard contact form
AFNQL resolution (passed November 19 2015):
http://equitableeducation.ca/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/R%C3%A9solution-Algonquin-Nation-sacred-waterfalls-area-ang-.pdf
AFN resolution (passed December 8 2015):
https://freethefalls.ca/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/Resolution-Algonquin-Nation-sacred-waterfalls-area-Eng.pdf
— BACKGROUND MATERIALS FROM EQUITABLEEDUCATION.CA —
- If Algonquin chiefs oppose “Zibi” condos and the media’s not there, does it make a sound? (December 2015)
- Nine Algonquin chiefs, AFNQL oppose ‘Zibi’ condos and resolve to protect sacred area in Ottawa/Gatineau (November 2015)
Interdependent media & in-person learning opportunities for those who are inspired to be part of movements for social justice.
