Two First Nations setting up encampment near proposed bridge to Ring of Fire

Globe and Mail

2 days ago

A political decision one thousand kilometres from Jeronimo Kataquapit's home in a remote First Nation near James Bay set the course for his summer.
Now, the 20-year-old from Attawapiskat First Nation, his father, mother and older brother are headed upriver in two 24-foot freighter canoes on a 400-kilometre journey to 'reassert First Nations' presence' near the Ring of Fire region in northern Ontario.
The family hopes to make it to their final stop, near a proposed bridge over the Attawapiskat River, by Saturday.
There, they will meet a contingent from Neskantaga First Nation as the two communities unite to build a quasi-permanent encampment — and make a political statement.
'This is our home. This is our own territory, not just Attawapiskat's, but every nation in the area,' Kataquapit said in a recent phone interview with The Canadian Press, speaking from under a tarp in his canoe as his father navigated small rapids.
They brought more than 200 litres of gasoline to run the 25-horsepower motors on their canoes. A generator also powers their Starlink kit that gives them access to high-speed internet from anywhere in order to document their travels on social media and stay connected to the outside world.
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The family left Attawapiskat on June 16 for the journey Kataquapit has dubbed 'Here We Stand,' which he said is a call to action to First Nations to show the federal and provincial governments they want to be consulted before any further development and mining in the mineral-rich Ring of Fire.
The idea crystallized for Kataquapit in late May when Ottawa introduced Bill C-5, which Prime Minister Mark Carney's government said is designed to speed up major projects deemed to be in the 'national interest.'
That bill, which was fast-tracked through the House of Commons and is now before the Senate, came on the heels of the similar Bill 5 that was rammed through the provincial legislature at Queen's Park in Toronto.
A part of that legislation gives Ontario's cabinet the power to suspend provincial and municipal laws in so-called special economic zones in order to speed up projects such as mines. Premier Doug Ford has said the Ring of Fire would be the first such zone.
Both pieces of legislation prompted outrage and protests at Queen's Park and Parliament Hill by First Nations who say the bills trample their rights and ignore their concerns.
First Nations across the country, particularly those in northern Ontario, have warned they could turn to blockading roads, railways and mines if the legislation is not repealed.
'There's no way the governments can amend those bills,' Kataquapit said. 'Get rid of it, then maybe we can discuss other things.'
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Neskantaga First Nation members have already flown to the Ring of Fire encampment site to prepare it and they plan to head back there this week to meet Kataquapit and his family, said Chief Gary Quisess.
About a dozen Neskantaga community members made their way by boat plane to the proposed river crossing, built a dock and are ready to dig in for the long haul.
'It's going to be a little, small community,' Quisess said. 'Our message is simple: no one will cross the Attawapiskat River without our free, prior and informed consent.'
Neskantaga wants the governments to help its community first before agreeing on any development deal. Its nursing station flooded two months ago and remains boarded up, Quisess said.
The First Nation also holds a notorious record — it has been living under a boil-water advisory for 30 years.
'We live in a third world,' he said.
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The province has proposed three roads that would connect the provincial highway system to two First Nations, Webequie and Marten Falls, as well as the mining exploration site known as Eagle's Nest inside the Ring of Fire. That proposed mine is owned by Wyloo, an Australian company.
Two environmental assessments have been completed and a third one is underway for those roads. The completed reports have said the roads will take four to six years to build.
Two bridge crossings of the Attawapiskat River have also been proposed.
Both Neskantaga and Attawapiskat First Nations reside on the Attawapiskat River some 450 kilometres apart and they revere the waters that have provided life and sustenance for generations. They plan to live off the river and the land once entrenched near the Ring of Fire.
'The river is a very sacred area, many of our ancestors are buried along the shoreline, where they lived before,' Quisess said.
In the days before his family's departure, Kataquapit held lengthy meetings with leadership to inform the rest of the community about the provincial and federal legislation. They also made several dozen Attawapiskat First Nation flags and family flags.
Those flags are painted with handprints, signatures and messages like 'Kill Bill 5.' Kataquapit has been planting them on the shore along the river route.
Some days, his family travels nine hours and up to 60 kilometres. Other days are slower and shorter, with the canoes moving between four and seven kilometres per hour, he said.
'Around this time the river really starts to dry up, so it's really shallow in some parts, so we have to get off the boat and put on our long boots and drag the boats,' he said.
'It's just slow and steady travel. It's been long, it's been tough, but we are going to get there to stand with Neskantaga for all First Nations.'