Idle No More – Montreal, Friday at Noon

****An English version will follow****

FRANÇAIS:

17/12/2012 – Mouvement historique – Les autochtones se réunissent sous la bannière Idle No More pour dénoncer les politiques du gouvernement Harper – Joignez-vous à eux le 21 décembre à Montréal.

Suivant l’impulsion d’un mouvement spontané, lancé par le mot-clic #IdleNoMore sur Twitter, des manifestants se sont rassemblés à travers le Canada le 10 décembre dernier pour protester contre l’adoption du projet de loi omnibus C-45 et contre l’indifférence du gouvernement du Canada à l’égard des Premières Nations. Le slogan, véritable appel à la mobilisation autochtone, a depuis fait boule de neige et motivé des dizaines de manifestations allant de Vancouver à Halifax, et maintenant Montréal.

Afin de faire écho à la grande manifestation prévue le 21 décembre à Ottawa, des membres des Premières Nations du Québec et leurs sympathisants se réuniront pacifiquement à Montréal ce vendredi. Ils témoigneront par le fait même de leur appui à la chef d’Attawapiskat Theresa Spence qui a débuté une grève de la faim le 11 décembre dernier, afin de réclamer une rencontre avec le Premier Ministre Harper et la Reine. Au cours de la dernière semaine, l’Assemblée des Premières Nations du Québec et du Labrador (APNQL) et l’Assemblée des Premières Nations du Canada (AFN) ont donné leur appui officiel à Theresa Spence et réclamé que le Premier Ministre accepte de la rencontrer.

La manifestation du 21 décembre se veut un premier effort de mobilisation au Québec et les membres du mouvement entendent poursuivre leurs actions jusqu’à l’établissement d’un réel dialogue de nation à nation entre le gouvernement du Canada et les Premières Nations. Ils invitent également toutes les organisations sympathiques à leur cause à le manifester publiquement et à se joindre à eux le 21 décembre.

Contacts
Mélissa Mollen Dupuis, Widia Larivière,
Amanda Tap’we IronStar, Marie-Celine Charron idlenomoreqc@gmail.com

Pour plus d’informations sur le mouvement Idle No More:
Le site web officiel: http://www.idlenomore.ca/

La page Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/IdleNoMoreCommunity?ref=ts&fref=ts
Les comptes Twitter canadien et québécois: @IdleNoMore / @IdleNoMoreQC
Groupe Facebook Idle No More – Québec: http://www.facebook.com/groups/466954116690346/
Un site web regroupant les faits saillants du mouvement: http://peuplesvisibles.tumblr.com/

—————-
ENGLISH:

Historic movement – Indigenous people unite under the Idle No More banner to denounce Harper government policies – Join them on December 21 in Montréal.

17/12/2012 – Under the impulse of a spontaneous movement launched with the #IdleNoMore hashtag on Twitter, protesters joined across Canada on this past December 10 to protest against the adoption of omnibus bill C-45 and the Canadian government’s indifference regarding First Nations. Truly appealing to indigenous people to rally, the slogan has since gathered momentum and motivated dozens of protests from Vancouver to Halifax, and now in Montréal. To echo the big demonstration planned in Ottawa on December 21, members of Québec’s First Nations and those who support them will meet peacefully in Montréal on Friday. They will express their support to Chief of Attawapiskat, Theresa Spence, who has undertaken a hunger strike since December 11, demanding a meeting with Prime Minister Harper and the Queen. This last week, the Assembly of First Nations of Quebec and Labrador (AFNQL) and the Assembly of First Nations (AFN) have officially given their support to Theresa Spence and demanded that the Prime Minister accept to meet her. The demonstration on 21 December is meant as a first mobilization drive in Québec. The movement’s members intend on continuing their efforts until a true nation-to-nation dialogue is established between the government of Canada and the First Nations. They also invite all organizations who are sympathetic to their cause to express it publicly and to join Friday’s demonstration.

Idle No More Demonstration in Montréal
21 December at noon Cabot Square (Atwater / Sainte-Catherine)

Contact
Mélissa Mollen Dupuis, Widia Larivière
Amanda Tap’we IronStar, Marie-Celine Charron
idlenomoreqc@gmail.com

For more information on the Idle No More movement:
The official website: http://www.idlenomore.ca/

The Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/IdleNoMoreCommunity?ref=ts&fref=ts
The Canadian and Québec Twitter accounts: @IdleNoMore4 / @IdleNoMoreQC
The Idle No More – Québec Facebook group: http://www.facebook.com/groups/466954116690346/
A website documenting the movement’s main events: http://peuplesvisibles.tumblr.com/

Read Full Post »

Hunger Strike As First Nations Serve Notice

Open letter on behalf of the First Nations leaders to the Right Honourable Governor General David Johnston and the Right Honourable Prime Minister of Canada Stephen Harper

OTTAWA, Dec. 16, 2012 /CNW/ – On behalf of the National Executive of the Assembly of First Nations, we write today regarding an urgent matter requiring immediate attention.  As First Nations leaders from coast-to-coast-to coast, those with inherent rights and title and those with whom the Crown has entered into Treaty, we collectively raise our voices about the critical situation facing First Nations.

On December 11^th, 2012, Chief Teresa Spence commenced a hunger strike to call attention to the dire conditions which many First Nations communities and peoples face, and to protest the disrespect and shameful treatment of First Nations by the Government of Canada.   She has stated that she will remain on this hunger strike until a meeting is achieved between the Crown (including provincial Crown representatives where the provincial Crown is involved as in Treaty 9) and all Treaty First Nations to discuss the Treaty relationship and our respective obligations and outstanding issues.  This situation creates an urgency that is foremost in our minds and is a direct correlation to the humanitarian crises being faced in many First Nations communities today

The Government of Canada has not upheld nor fulfilled its responsibilities to First Nations, as committed to by the Crown including at the Crown-First Nations Gathering January 2012.  Canada has not upheld the Honour of the Crown in its dealings with First Nations, as evidenced in its inadequate and inequitable funding relationships with our Nations and its ongoing actions in bringing forward legislative and policy changes that will directly impact on the Inherent and Treaty Rights of First Nations. Treaties are international in nature and further indigenous rights are human rights, both collective and individual and must be honoured and respected.

We seek an immediate commitment to a meeting with you as the representative of the Crown, together with the Prime Minister of Canada, to demonstrate respect and attention to the priorities set by First Nations.  All First Nations across Canada stand united and in solidarity in advancing this urgent call for action and attention.

Respectfully,

National Chief Shawn A-in-chut Atleo
In behalf of the National Executive of the Assembly of First Nations

SOURCE: ASSEMBLY OF FIRST NATIONS

For further information:Contact information:

Jenna Young, AFN Communications Officer 613-241-6789, ext 401 or cell: 613-314-8157 or jyoung@afn.ca

Alain Garon, AFN Bilingual Communications Officer 613-241-6789, ext 382 or cell: 613-292-0857 or agaron@afn.ca

Read Full Post »