Pam Palmater

Dear rabble readers:

As a mom, lawyer, professor, author, activist, a Mi’kmaw citizen, and member of the Eel River Bar First Nation, I’m worried, angry, motivated, and of course, active. We face incredible obstacles towards achieving justice and reconciliation.

There are many things to do. For me, one way to make a concrete contribution is to make a concrete contribution to rabble.ca. It really does matter. If you can please, please support rabble.ca‘s independent progressive journalism right now at rabble.ca/donate.

We need rabble.ca to tell the stories that need to be heard. When it comes to media, in the early days of the Idle No More movement, and before, rabble was a key resource for people to learn about, share, and discuss the movement. That’s still true to this day. From Kinder Morgan and the Trans Mountain pipeline construction, to the crisis of murdered and missing Indigenous women, rabble.ca is our great forum for debate and real information. I’m happy to report that rabble has been a strong supporter of my work for years and helped share the work of many other Indigenous activists.

A good example of the rabble.ca difference is in the current Liberal government’s portrayal in mainstream media around its relationship with Indigenous communities. The truth that needs to be told is Trudeau’s betrayal of First Nations people, and therefore his betrayal of all Canadians.

The fact is that Trudeau told Indigenous people that he would recognize our legal right to veto any development on our territories. That means the right to say no to pipelines. This, as we know, hasn’t happened. Justin Trudeau has betrayed us. He has approved two major pipelines, Kinder Morgan and Enbridge Line 3. These pipelines, if built, would destroy the very lands and waters on which we all depend, First Nations and Canadians alike. And as the Trans Mountain pipeline has gone through the process of being approved, appealed, bought out, and sold (all without proper Indigenous consultation), rabble.ca has not let up on Trudeau and other pipeline supporters.

I’m asking you to please do what you can to support rabble.ca. rabble is a great forum for debate and real information, and if you can contribute, please do so now at rabble.ca/donate. If you can’t afford a donation, please encourage a friend or colleague who can. Word of mouth means a lot in grassroots struggles, and that is what this is.

What we need in Canada is an independent media system that is tuned to the activism that fights for a more just, wise, and equal world. That’s what rabble is. Please help us on our path to common purpose and make change at rabble.ca/donate.

Thanks,

Pam Palmater

Pam Palmater has been a practicing lawyer for 20 years and is currently an Associate Professor and the Chair in Indigenous Governance at Ryerson University.