protest_0

 Native rights are human rights, you can’t take them away.

JUNE 24 DAY OF ACTION FOR INDIGENOUS RIGHTS @ 11:00 AM

Queen’s Park; South lawn.

CANADA CAN’T HIDE GENODICE

Note: Please do not wear bandanas, keep them in your pocket if you do.

*

INDIGENOUS ASSEMBLY @ 4:00 pm – 8:00 pm

Council Fire (439 Dundas Street East) 

**

With all the government's attempts to make Canada look perfect in the world's eyes this weekend, and with activists pointing fingers at global governments and economies, we must be truthful regarding our own record of human rights.

 

This kind of accountability must be important to any activist who wants to be the change they want to see.

 

How we treat ourselves and each other as brothers and sisters on the land we are blessed to be able to share is what will give our hearts courage.

 

Because it takes courage to confront the truth: Canada likes to play coy on the world stage and present itself as a world example but our "glowing hearts" cannot shine bright and true until we have the integrity to face our own shadows here on Mother Earth on the land we call Canada; and Canada's dirty big secret is our treatement of First Nations communities.

Case in point, Canada can spend $ 2 Million to build a fake lake but cannot afford to provide First Nations reserves with clean drinking water.

When the G8/G20 comes to Canada in June let's tell the world the real story about Canada's record on Indigenous rights: 

 

--Canada is continuing its policy of assimilation and extinguishment of Aboriginal rights, title, and Treaty rights. Canada's collusion with Ontario to bring in a new 'Harmonized Sales Tax' is only the latest unilateral extinguishment of Aboriginal and treaty rights

--Canada is the only country still opposing the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples; the other three countries opposed to it have changed their vote or are reconsidering. We recognize the importance of the UN Declaration in protecting the rights of Indigenous peoples in Canada as well as the rest of the world"

--Canada continues to criminalize Indigenous activists who stand up for Aboriginal and treaty rights - even though these rights have been affirmed by the Canadian constitution and the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples

--Canada's policies of dispossession and control continue to create extreme poverty and social distress for Indigenous Nations across Canada. 

--Canada's resource economy is based on the exploitation of Indigenous lands. Industrial gigaprojects like the tar sands threaten the health of communities, culture and the land.

 

**

 

Here's the call out from Defenders of the Land

"Canadians who respect human rights and want to protect our environment need to realize that Aboriginal and Treaty Rights are the only legitimate means of challenging big government's and big business' unconditional monopoly on decision-making.  The G8/G20 framework is the mechanism through which globally structured companies will consolidate money and power at the expense of domestic and Indigenous economies.   The G8/G20 is a top down approach to decision making. 

When the G8/G20 comes to Canada in June let's tell the world the real story about Canada's record on Indigenous rights: a continued policy that aims to terminate Indian Peoples by removing our land and resource base and denying us the right to self-determination, under the power of the Indian Act and the Department of Indian Affairs."

**

OUR RIGHTS AS NATIVE PEOPLE AND HUMAN BEINGS by Red Power United from its June 24 call out:

1. Native peoples have the right as a collective or as

individuals, of all human rights and fundamental freedoms as

recognized in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, 

Canadian Human Rights Acts,  Charter of the United Nations,

the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and international

human rights law.

 

2. Native peoples have the right to the recognition,

observance and enforcement of treaties, agreements and

other constructive arrangements concluded with Government

or their successors and to have the Government honour and

respect such treaties, agreements and other constructive

arrangements.

 

3. Native peoples have the right to self-determination. By

virtue of that right they freely determine their political status

and freely pursue their economic, social and cultural development.

 

4. Native individuals have the rights to life, physical and

mental integrity, liberty and security of person.

 

5. Native peoples; particularly Native women and children

shall have the Right to full protection and guarantees against

all forms of violence and discrimination.

 

6. Native peoples have the collective right to live in freedom,

peace and security as distinct peoples and shall not be

subjected to any act of genocide or any other act of violence,

including forcibly removing their children.

 

7. Native peoples and individuals have the right not to be

subjected to forced assimilation or destruction of their

culture.

 

8. Native peoples shall not be forcibly removed from their

lands or territories. No relocation

shall take place without the free, prior and informed consent

of the Native peoples concerned and after agreement on just

and fair compensation  and, where possible, with the option

of return.

 

9. Native peoples have the right to their educational systems

and institutions providing education in a manner appropriate

to their cultural methods of teaching and learning.

 

10. Native peoples have the right to participate in decision-

making in matters which would affect their rights, through

representatives chosen by themselves in accordance with

their own procedures, as well as to maintain and develop

their own decision-making institutions.

 

a) In Canada, First nations, Métis and Inuit people represent

three percent of the population, yet they constitute

approximately 60 percent of the inmates in prisons and jails.

When brought before the courts Native people cannot hope to

get a fair hearing from non Native judges, jurors and court

officials.

Therefore, we  want Native people to be tried in *The Gladue

Court systems:

http://www.aboriginallegal.ca/gladue.php by a jury of

people who understand how colonization and oppression

contributes to these  disproportionate numbers.

 

11. Native peoples have the right to maintain and develop

their political, economic and social systems or institutions, to

be secure in the enjoyment of their own means ofsubsistence

and development, and to engage freely in all their traditional

and other economic activities.

 

12. Native peoples have the right, without discrimination, to

the improvement of their economic and social conditions,

including, the areas of education, employment, vocational

training and retraining, housing, sanitation, health and social

security.

 

13. Native peoples have the right to the lands, territories and

resources which they have traditionally owned, occupied or

otherwise used or acquired.

 

14. Native peoples have the right to own, use, develop and

control the lands, territories and resources that they possess

by reason of traditional ownership or other traditional

occupation or use, as well as those which they have

otherwise acquired.

 

15. Native People have a legal right to recognition and 

protection to these lands, territories and resources. Such

recognition should be conducted with due respect to the

customs, traditions and land ownership, systems of the

Native peoples concerned.

 

16. Native peoples have the right to redress, by means that

can include restitution or, when this is not possible, just, fair

and equitable compensation, for the lands, territories and

resources which they have traditionally owned or otherwise

occupied or used, and  which have been confiscated, taken, 

occupied, used or  damaged without their free, prior and 

informed consent.

 

a) Unless otherwise freely agreed upon by the peoples

concerned, compensation shall take the form of lands,

territories and resources equal in quality, size and legal

status or of monetary compensation or other appropriate

redress.

 

17. Native peoples have the right to the conservation and

protection of the environment and the productive capacity of

their lands or territories and resources. Government should

 establish and implement assistance programmes for Native

peoples for such conservation and protection, without

discrimination.

 

18. Native people have the right to effective measures be

taken by government to ensure that no storage or disposal of

hazardous materials shall take place in the lands or territories

of indigenous peoples without their free, prior and 

informed consent.

 

a)  Government shall also take effective measures to ensure, 

as needed, that programmes for monitoring, maintaining and

restoring the health of Native peoples, as developed and

implemented by the peoples affected by such materials.

 

19. Native peoples have the right to determine development

  or use of their lands or territories and other resources.

 

20. All the rights and freedoms recognized herein are equally

guaranteed to male and female Native individuals.

 

* Under the Indian Act; in respect to taxation: GST, HST, PST taxes.

Tax exemption is not a tax loophole but a constitutional right of

Aboriginal people, reflected in Section 87 of the Indian Act.

 

#30#

 

 

Krystalline Kraus

krystalline kraus is an intrepid explorer and reporter from Toronto, Canada. A veteran activist and journalist for rabble.ca, she needs no aviator goggles, gas mask or red cape but proceeds fearlessly...