Attawapiskat Chief Theresa Spence has begun her hunger strike in Ottawa today and she has pledged to continue until Prime Minister Stephen Harper (and the Queen of England) agree to respect colonial and Canadian treaties and work with First Nations in Canada.
She has offered herself as an ogichidaa-kwe for her people and in solidarity with other First Nations community of resistance across Canada until her demands are met or she meets her “ancestors.”
In order to support Theresa Spence, last night a group of women decided that they would like to personally hold a day of fasting to give their strength of Spirit to her, the Attawapiskat community and other First Nations communities across Canada.
Please sign up to participate in the fast here!
The Idle No More campaign has set fire to Canada’s dangerous complacency in the face of First Nations poverty, lack of education, clean water, control of resources and self-autonomy.
While Chief Spence will conduct her fasting ceremony in Ottawa, supporters in Toronto will hold a one day fast to support Chief Spence on Friday Dec 14, 2012. This is the fourth day since her announcement that she would partake in the fast.
According to the progressive news site www.rabble.ca, “Attawapiskat Chief Theresa Spence took part in a ceremony this morning on Victoria Island to mark the beginning of an indefinite hunger strike demanding justice and respect for her people and for all First Nations in Canada.
Yesterday, at a press conference on Parliament Hill, Chief Spence told reporters: “I am willing to die for my people because the pain is too much and it’s time for the government to realize what it’s doing to us.”
To read the full rabble.ca article, please see this link.
All we ask is that you refrain from eating or drinking for 24 hours (or participate as much as you are physically able, all support is valuable) and direct your strength of Spirit to fellow fasters in Toronto and other First Nations communities across Canada by supporting Chief Spence. Please note that Toronto stands on Indigenous land of the Mississauga of the New Credit.
To connect with other Toronto fasters, please check out this Facebook support page.
To connect to the wider Canadian fasting call out, please check out this Facebook page.
For more information on the Idle No More Campaign, please see this link.
For news of the Idle No More demo in Toronto on Monday December 10, 2012 – International Human Rights Day – please see this link.
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