COP15 Biodiversity Summit, Montreal, December 6-19, 2022
Indigenous Peoples Lay Their Claims and Present Their Demands at COP15
Indigenous Peoples from Canada and the world put their demands and claims forward through various actions at the COP15 Biodiversity Summit in Montreal, that was held from December 6 to 19, 2022. Indigenous youth and allies disrupted Prime Minister Trudeau's opening speech on December 6 with chanting and drumming. They stood up and unfurled a banner which read, "Indigenous Genocide = Ecocide. To Save Biodiversity, Stop Invading Our Land. Colonialism Cannot Save You." As they were led out by security, they chanted, "Climate Leaders Don't Build Pipelines" and "Canada is Built on Stolen Land."
On December 14, under the theme "Land Back," Indigenous land defenders from Turtle Island (North America) and Abya Yala (Latin America) held a press conference to forcefully point out that Indigenous Peoples have been the custodians of Mother Earth for millennia and that Indigenous-led solutions, based on their sovereignty and thought material, are needed to advance the protection of biodiversity as a condition for the survival of the planet and humanity itself. They demanded that member states of the UN stop the genocidal policies of land and resource theft, degradation of Indigenous lands through resource extraction, and dislocation of Indigenous Peoples and attacks on their right to be.
Addressing the press conference, Mohawk artist, author and land defender Ellen Gabriel noted in her introduction, "Whether claiming to be progressive or otherwise, UN member states who are gathering here purportedly to defend biodiversity are the very ones responsible for the land dispossession of Indigenous Peoples. Human rights are interrelated, interdependent and interconnected. The violation of one means that you cannot enjoy your human rights to the fullest. That is how we as Indigenous Peoples see the world. The violation of Mother Earth means the violation of her peoples and our obligations to honour, respect, love and protect Mother Earth and all our relations. From pipelines, to chemical valleys, to forestry plantations, to urban sprawl, industrial farming and mining, Indigenous Peoples are facing the loss of their lands and resources to the extractive policies of governments and capitalist interests all around the world."
"In the face of this reality we are calling for Indigenous-led solutions to fight the climate crisis and widespread biodiversity loss," Ms. Gabriel said. She called on governments such as Canada's to respect Indigenous sovereignty and the right of Indigenous Peoples to their lands and waters as the basis of fighting against climate change and protecting biodiversity in a collaborative way. Sustainable development is based on the principles of prior, informed consent as embedded in the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, she said.
Yaroslava Montenegro spoke about the plight of the Mapuche Indigenous people of Chile who are being criminalized for defending their lands which are constantly being threatened by private forestry interests. She pointed out, "As Mapuche Indigenous people, territorial control, or Land Back as it's known in English, is fundamental to the reconstruction of our Nation and the ngen -- the spiritual beings that help bring balance to our Ñuke Mapu -- Mother Earth." Ms. Montenegro pointed out that the laws brought in to persecute the Mapuche during the time of the U.S.-installed Pinochet dictatorship are still on the books and are being used to steal their lands.
Uyunkar Domingo Peas Nampichkai, an Achuar leader from Ecuador, noted that it is vital to protect the Amazon rain forest as this is the "heart of Mother Earth." He spoke out against the private interests that have waged a campaign to violently displace the Indigenous Peoples of the Amazon and engage in forest and resources theft. He also denounced Canada for its role in displacing and stealing the resources of the Indigenous Peoples of Canada. He underscored that protecting Mother Earth needs to be a collaborative and respectful effort of the Indigenous Peoples and the peoples of the whole world who have to act now, collectively, to ensure the future of all peoples and the planet itself.
Another speaker was Sleydo' Molly Wickham, Wet'suwet'en land defender and spokesperson for the Gidimt'en Checkpoint. Wet'suwet'en land defenders are resisting the Coastal GasLink (CGL) Pipeline that is being forced through the sovereign territory of the Wet'suwet'en Nation without their consent and in violation of their laws. Sleydo' denounced the Canadian government's "touting Canada as a world leader in biodiversity, that they are protecting large land masses in so-called Canada and that they are providing millions of dollars to Indigenous Peoples to work on biodiversity." She pointed out that on December 8, 2022, while Canada was grandstanding at the COP15, CGL used explosives less that one kilometre from the Gidimt'en Checkpoint.
Sleydo' denounced the Trudeau government, the BC government and the RCMP and private security forces who are acting illegally on Wet'suwet'en territory terrorizing the people and wrecking the lands that the people depend upon for their being. They have prevented the people from hunting on their own territory and have destroyed the spawning grounds of the fish and eels that the Wet'suwet'en harvest for food. She pointed out that CGL has drilled part way under the headwaters of the Wedzin Kwa, which threatens the very being of her people. Sleydo' stated that as Indigenous people, "We know that our very existence relies on the biodiversity on our territories." She added, "We have the jurisdiction on biodiversity. We have the jurisdiction to control our lands, and to manage them according to our laws." She called on Canada to stop this illegal project on Wet'suwet'en territory and to respect Wet'suwet'en sovereignty.
Vanessa Gray, land defender from the Aamjiwnaang First Nation in the heart of Chemical Valley in Sarnia, denounced Canada for the impunity with which companies like Imperial Oil, Esso and Suncor have contaminated the home of her people for decades. "Our Indigenous traditions and teachings are directly rooted in the land. Our rights as Indigenous people protect the health of our environment for all future generations. When our communities face industrial violence, not only is our health impacted but our ability to practice our culture and our ceremonies are also impacted. Indigenous people stand together across colonial borders to fight the same extractive infrastructures and companies, we speak our own languages and uphold our responsibilities in solidarity with each other," she said.
Joziléia Daniza Jagso, an Indigenous activist and researcher from Brazil's National Association of Ancestral Indigenous Women Warriors (ANMIGA) addressed the press conference highlighting the efforts of land defenders in Brazil who have been organizing against the encroachments of private resource and lumber monopolies in the Amazon. She denounced the violent attacks of the Brazilian state which is criminalizing the resistance of the Indigenous Peoples for their rights.
The press conference was also used to announce the release of a new report by Indigenous Climate Action (ICA) entitled "Indigenous-led Climate Policy" which highlights the need for more Indigenous-led solutions based on respecting the rights and sovereignty of Indigenous Peoples as the solution to the climate crisis and widespread biodiversity loss. It was pointed out that for Indigenous Peoples "biodiversity means land back. It means upholding the rights of Indigenous Peoples and freeing the land from the grips of extractive economies that put a price tag on our lands and water."
The speakers at the press conference insisted that the final declaration of the COP15 Summit must put the concerns of Indigenous Peoples front and centre and also respect Indigenous-led solutions to ensure the protection of biodiversity and Mother Earth.
This article was published in
Volume 54
Number 27 - April 20 2024
Article Link:
https://cpcml.ca/Tmlm2024/Articles/MS542711.HTM
Website: www.cpcml.ca Email: editor@cpcml.ca