[R-G] Fwd: [Lfd] Algonquin Youth and supporters refusing to leave Gatineau MP's office]

[Anthony Fenton]

Begin forwarded message:

> From: NOII
> Date: June 26, 2008 12:08:40 PM PDT (CA)
> To:
> Subject: [Lfd] Algonquin Youth and supporters refusing to leave  
> Gatineau MP's office]
>
> <please forward widely>
>
> Emergency Action Update
> ALGONQUIN YOUTH AND SUPPORTERS REFUSING TO LEAVE CONSERVATIVE MP
> LAWRENCE CANNON'S OFFICE
> Support Urgently Needed for Algonquins of Barriere Lake
>
> Today a group of Algonquin youth and supporters entered MP Lawrence
> Canon's office to demand a meeting with him. They are refusing to
> leave until this happens. Anyone able to come to the Buckingham
> constituency office to lend support is invited to attend.
> They've been told they will be arrested unless they leave.
>
> ================================================
> CONTENTS
>
> 1) UPDATE FROM INSIDE MINISTER CANNON'S OFFICE
> 2) THE DEMANDS
> 3) BACKGROUND INFORMATION
> 4) MINISTER CANNON'S OFFICE LOCATION AND CONTACT INFO
> ================================================
>
> 1) UPDATE FROM INSIDE MINISTER CANNON'S OFFICE:
>
> "Our group, composed of Algonquin youth and supporters, successfully
> entered Minister Cannon's Buckingham riding office, 25 minutes from
> Ottawa, at 11:30am today, Thursday, June 26th. Minister Cannon is not
> around and his staff have been mum about his whereabouts. But spirits
> are high and people are settling in and getting comfortable, despite
> the fact the Minister Cannon's staff have turned off the air
> conditioning in an attempt to force people to leave the office. At
> first Minister Cannon's staff offered to arrange meetings with low
> level bureaucrats instead of a meeting with Minister Cannon, but we
> are refused to take the bait. Now we've been told that Minister Cannon
> has no involvement or responsibility for Barriere Lake, and that if we
> do not leave we will be arrested. We intend to stick it out until our
> demands are met.
>
> We would love to have supporters form the surrounding region come to
> Minister Cannon's office to join us. The more the merrier, and
> supporters may help deter any police action. Alternately, if you can't
> come to Minister Cannon's office, we encourage people to call or fax
> his various offices and request that he meet with us."
>
> 2) DEMANDS
>
> We are members of the community of Barriere Lake and their supporters.
> We are peacefully occupying Minister Lawrence Cannon's office. We
> demand:
>
> i) A meeting with Lawrence Cannon, MP for the Barriere Lake community.
> ii) That the government oversee a leadership re-selection process,
> with outside observers, recognize the resultant Customary Chiefs and
> Council, and  end all interference in the internal governance of
> Barriere Lake.
>
> 3) BACKGROUND INFORMATION
>
> [ ] NO COUPS D'ETAT ON ALGONQUIN LAND
> [ ] END INDIAN AFFAIRS' MANIPULATION OF TRADITIONAL GOVERNMENT
> [ ] HANDS OFF BARRIERE LAKE
>
> For twenty difficult years, the small Algonquin community of  
> Barriere Lake,
> 3 hours north of Ottawa, has been struggling to hold the government  
> to their
> word. In 1991, they signed a landmark resource co-management and  
> sustainable
> development agreement with Canada and Quebec to protect Algonquin  
> land uses,
> to conserve the forest and wildlife, and to give them a share in the
> resource revenue from the logging and hydro projects on their  
> traditional
> territories. Corporations extract $100 million a year -- Barriere Lake
> receives nary a penny.
>
> The Canadian government walked away from the agreement in 2001.  
> Instead of
> fulfilling their obligations, the Federal Department of Indian  
> Affairs has
> ousted the Customary Chief and Council and illegally appointed a  
> minority
> faction as the leadership, in an attempt to scrap the agreement.
>
> * Despite several Quebec Hydro dams on their territory, the  
> community is
> forced to use aging diesel generators to provide power.
>
> * The housing crisis in the community has reached tragic  
> proportions, with
> most living in moldy, often condemned houses. As many as 18 people  
> live in
> one house.
>
> * The Surete du Quebec has been used to forcibly impose and maintain  
> the
> authority of the government-backed minority faction.
>
> * Children have been prevented from speaking Algonquin in school by  
> teachers
> hired by outsiders—a grim throwback to residential schools.
>
> Join us in Gatineau, and support the community as it demands that the
> government respect the law and uphold their agreements.
>
> MORE INFO: barrierelakesolidarity.blogspot.com
> CONTACT: barrierelakesolidarity at gmail.com
>
> 4) MINISTER CANNON'S OFFICE LOCATION
>
> It's about a 25 minute drive from Ottawa. The address is:
> 127 Joseph Street
> Buckingham, Qc
> J8L 1G1
> Map link:
> http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&client=safari&rls=en&q=127%20joseph%20street%20gatineau%20quebec&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=wl
>
> All of his contact info is described here:
> http://www.lawrencecannon.com/EN/contact_lawrence/
>
>
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