Action will be taken against industry if the Idle No More movement is not heard by the federal government soon Peter Collins said.
The chief of Fort William First Nation stood with around 200 people just South of the James Street Bridge Sunday. It was part of the most recent national day of protest, partly in support of Attiwapiskat Chief Theresa Spence who is entering her third week of a hunger strike. But first and foremost, Collins said it’s about Prime Minister Stephen Harper coming to the table to have nation-to-nation conversations with First Nations about water, the environment and natural resources.
Chiefs across the country have been in conference calls recently, planning another day of action Jan. 16.
“We’re talking about shutting down their industries in mining and forestry whatever it may be,” Collins said over chants, drums and car horns.
The natural resource industry is planning on investing $650 billion in Canada over the next decade and yet First Nations will see no benefit Collins said even though nation-to-nation treaties were singed more than 100 years ago.
“When do we see the benefits of those treaties,” he said.
Legislation handed down by the federal government affects everyone in the country, not just First Nations. Collins said when HST was first proposed First Nations protested because it also affected everyone. Non-Aboriginals are only now starting to see that.
“It wasn’t just about us it was about all Canadians across the country,” he said.
Dave Poulin stood in the crowd wearing a sign that read “I’m a white guy. I stand with First Nations.” He said it’s time that Canadians everywhere stood up to the Harper government.
“I can’t just sit back and observe this from the sidelines,” he said. “It affects all of Canada. We have to make a stand now before everything is gone.”
The rally, which slowed traffic on the bridge, is the largest Thunder Bay has seen so far since Idle No More protests began earlier this month. Co-organizer Joyce Hunter said word is spreading.
“We need to hit the reset button on the treaty relationship,” she said.
