Tuesday, August 13, 2024

National Native News

Photo courtesy Mercury Justice For Grassy Narrows / Facebook

A northern Ontario First Nation is appealing to an international human rights commission over mercury contamination that has continued for decades.

As Dan Karpenchuk reports, the Grassy Narrows First Nation has also said it would sue the governments of Canada and Ontario over the contamination.

The moves are aimed at getting those governments to do more to tackle the mercury contamination of the English-Wabigoon River system in northern Ontario.

Grassy Narrows First Nation recently told a virtual hearing of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights that many of its members have lost hope, and that many struggle with work or school.

They say after decades of mercury poisoning they want justice.

Canada is one of 35 member states of the Organization of American States, which oversees the IACHR.

Judy DaSilva of Grassy Narrows says many in her community, up to 90%, live with the debilitating symptoms of mercury poisoning.

“Our way of life has been totally destroyed. Like our people were proud fishermen and land users, and hunters. And then the poison came and took all that away. And our social and economical fabrics have been broken.”

Most of the contamination comes from the fish caught locally.

A recent study by researchers at Ontario’s Western University shows that waste water from the Dryden paper mill is mixing with mercury dumped in water decades ago to make methyl mercurate, an even more toxic cocktail.

In the 1960s and 1970s, the mill dumped nine tons of mercury into the river.

Grassy Narrows Chief Rudy Turtle wants action now.

“Especially with the new generation and the children that are growing up the river should be cleaned up for them and they should be compensated because they are still taking mercury into their system.”

The mill’s owner says it only recently bought the company and would review the study.

But the First Nation is suing Ontario and the federal government alleging that the governments’ allowed the river system to be contaminated and then failed to do something about it and at the same time authorizing industrial activities that made the situation even worse.

Chief Turtle says he believes something would have been done if it had happened to a different region and population.

He wants authorities to ban industrial land use in or near the territory.

Meanwhile, construction is expected to begin soon on a Mercury Care Home and take up to three years to complete.

Work is already underway on a new health care facility.

Ottawa says it has committed to the construction of a new water treatment plant, but lawyers for the First Nation call those actions a band-aid solution.

(Courtesy Cheyenne River Youth Project)

A Native youth art festival recently celebrated its 10th anniversary on the Cheyenne River Reservation in South Dakota.

Kathleen Shannon has more.

The RedCan Graffiti Jam is an art showcase set on the Eagle Butte campus of the Cheyenne River Youth Project, a Lakota youth advocacy organization founded in 1988.

This year’s event featured hoop dancing, poetry reading, community meals, skateboard painting and a rock band from Rapid City.

Fourteen graffiti artists from across the world made nine murals in the campus’ art park and the greater community.

Given the group’s mission to provide opportunities for kids, its Executive Director Julie Garreau says the jam is about more than art.

“You know, it’s community development. It is youth development. I would also say it’s like cultural reclamation. I think it’s language revitalization, because we’re using Lakota language on our walls. I think it’s also healing.”

Garreau says the jam was designed as a one-time event a decade ago to improve decrepit buildings in town. But it was so well-received, she says the organization keeps hosting it.

She adds next year, the group has been invited to bring a version of the RedCan Jam to the Smithsonian Folklife Festival.

This story includes original reporting by Kate Mothes for Arts Midwest.

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