Joseph Mandamin waits for the arrival of Edward George, who is paddling alongside the Water Walkers to raise awareness for water issues in the Great Lakes.
Across Turtle Island Canada Day 2017 marked a day of Indigenous celebration of cultural survival, protest, and ceremony from over 150 years of colonization. In order for Canada to have become the wealthy G8 country it is today- treaties upholding Indigenous land rights were broken, Indigenous people were starved onto reservations, and Indigenous children were forced into residential schools. Over time Indigenous voices were silenced. Well not anymore.
To confront the mainstream Canada Day 150 celebrations, Idle No More sent out a call for A National Day of Action to “Unsettle Canada 150” in support of Indigenous self-determination over land territories and resources. In Toronto, Idle No More unsettled the Minister of Indigenous and Northern Affairs, Carolyn Bennett’s annual picnic hosted at the Spadina Museum. “We’re here to reframe the Canada 150 celebrations that Canadians are so excited about,” said Idle No More activist, Tori Cress (Anishinaabe). Demands from the group include implementing the United Nations Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous People, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s calls to actions. “We demand change and a Nation to Nation relationship,”explained Cress. “As long as they only deal with Assembly of First Nations, there is no Nation to Nation relationship, it’s just Settler State to Settler State relationship”
Elsewhere in Toronto, grandmother Josephine Mandamin and The Sacred Water Walkers and Paddlers held a ceremony to honour and give thanks to the water on Ward’s Island. The ceremony was not in protest rather the Walkers and Paddlers wanted to raise awareness about a petition that they started on the House of Commons website: Petition E-1030. “We’re hoping that others will start to think about the water the way Anishinaabe people do,” explained one of the paddlers, Edward George (Anishinaabe). “We started a petition to begin this conversation about giving legal personhood to the Great Lakes, it’s been done in four other countries and think it could be done here.”
MUSKRAT Magazine’s Erica Commanda joined the actions and walk and here are some highlights: All photos by Erica Commanda.
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- Idle No More enter Spadina Museum, where Carolyn Bennett’s picnic was held, singing drumming.
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- Crystal Sinclair, Sue Lynn Manon and Sigrid Kneve lead the protest.
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- Anastasia Qupee and Simeon Tshakapesh, Grand Chief and Deputy Grand Chief of the Innu Nation, respectively, arrived unannounced to join the protest and confront Carolyn Bennett over the way foster care services are taking youth away from their communities.
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- INAC Minister, Carolyn Bennett stated that the decolonization process needs to start right away and that we need to create a new system for Indigenous children in foster care. Were they just empty words? Only time can tell.
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- Protecting the water was also an important message of the protest.
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- Flags representing the Haudenosaunee, Two Row Wampum and Canada are set down over the lawn during the protest.
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- Blackfoot Hereditary Chief, Davyn Calfchild holds the Haudenosaunee flag as Idle No More enters the picnic grounds.
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- Protester with a beautiful hand painted drum.
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- Implement UNDRIP Poster at Idle No More Protest | Image source: Erica Commanda
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- Canada Flag is held upside down with the words #shame150 written on it representing 150 years of broken treaties, stolen land, colonization and assimilation practices upheld by the Canadian government.
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- Anishinaabe Elder, Josephine Mandamin arrives on Ward Island and is welcomed by a marching band.
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- Joseph Mandamin waits for the arrival of Edward George, who is paddling alongside the Water Walkers to raise awareness for water issues in the Great Lakes.
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- A firekeeper tends to the fire as it rained before the ceremony started. The rain was said to be a blessing for the water ceremony.
