Lake and 30 non-native supporters peacefully blockaded highway 117 in
Northern Quebec, while a Christian Peacemaker Team observed the action.
The Government-backed minority faction currently in power had fed
information about the blockade plans to the Quebec police, who established a
significant presence before the blockade was set up. They issued threats of
mass arrest, dismantled the blockades, and followed protesters down the
highway in a high-speed chase until the access road to the Barriere Lake
reserve, where Algonquins and their supporters are maintaining a presence.
Community spokesperson Marylynn Poucachiche has been arrested for
obstruction and mischief and is currently detained.
Once again, the community needs the public to make it clear right now that
this treatment is unacceptable, that the Algonquins have suffered enough
division at the hands of the government, and that the signed agreements need
to be honoured.
On October 6th, the first peaceful blockade of Highway 117 - a tactic of
last resort, after months of being ignored or dismissed by the Canadian and
Quebec governments - was met with violent repression, including tear-gassing
and pain compliance. In the last few weeks, forestry companies were
discovered cutting new logging roads without consent from Barriere Lake's
legitimate leadership - a violation of the November 2007 ban on new forestry
operations in the Trilateral territory. Despite decades of struggle and
these recent developments, the community refuses to back down.
"Instead of doing the dirty work of the federal government, Quebec should
implement its agreements and immediately lobby the federal government to
deal fairly with our community," said Norman Matchewan, a community
spokesperson. "Charest's brutal treatment of our community shows his
government has absolutely no respect for the rights of Indigenous peoples,
which should be an urgent matter of debate during the provincial election."
The Algonquins were promising to maintain the blockade until Canada and
Quebec committed in writing to honour their agreements and Canada appoints
an observer to witness and respect the outcome of a new leadership selection
in Barriere Lake in accordance with their Customary Governance Code.
*** What you can do right now to help: ***
We need people to let the government know that they support the demands
Barriere Lake has been fighting for for decades.
Please take 15 minutes to phone or fax a letter, see below for a model
letter, or modify and send a *sample letter.
*You can do that here:*
.http://barrierelakesolidarity.blogspot.com/2007/10/blog-post.html
*Stephen Harper*, Prime Minister of Canada
(fax: 613-941-6900)
*Lawrence Cannon*, Transportation Minister and MP for Pontiac
(613 992-2940 Fax: 613 944-9376)
*Chuck Strahl*, Minister of Indian Affairs
(819 997-0002, Fax: 819 953-4941 )
*** More information: ***
Demands, and a list of groups that have endorsed them:
http://barrierelakesolidarity.blogspot.com/2008/03/mission.html
Video of the October 6th blockade: http://blip.tv/file/1391794
A quick visual introduction to the community:
http://www.dominionpaper.ca/articles/1947
