Rally for Kashechewan First Nation Demands Federal and Provincial Governments Permanently Relocate Community
The
Kashechewan
First
Nation
community
from
Northern
Ontario
demonstrated
on
Parliament
Hill
on
Tuesday,
April
30
to
demand
that
the
Trudeau
government
respect
its
promise
to
relocate
the
community,
following
the
tripartite
agreement
to
that
effect
signed
between
the
Kashechewan
First
Nation
and
the Ontario provincial and federal governments in 2017.
Many
children
and
youth
were
present
at
the
rally,
along
with
many
who
came
out
to
express
their
support.
One
young
person
spoke
out
to
say
that
the
youth
of
Kashechewan
want
a
bright
future,
but
face
the
insecurity
every
spring
of
having their lives uprooted as they are
scattered to various evacuation centres across Ontario. Other speakers
expressed their profound sympathies with all those facing the flooding
in Ontario, Quebec and New Brunswick. Another underscored the urgency
of the situation, pointing to the youth, who were supposed to be in
school, who every year have their education disrupted and now have had
to travel to Ottawa to demand that the promises made to them be
respected and that they be treated with the dignity they deserve.
Kashechewan
is
located
on
the
northern
shore
of
the
Albany
River,
where
it
meets
the
western
shore
of
James
Bay.
Every
year,
as
the
ice
on
the
river
breaks
up,
the
flow
of
water
into
the
bay
is
obstructed,
at
a
time
when water flow from melting snow is increasing. The people have to
declare a state of emergency due to spring floods and be evacuated, as
they have done every year for the past 17 years.
This
year,
the
state
of
emergency
was
declared
on
April
14.
The
start
date
for
the
evacuations
of
2,500
people
was
moved
up
from
April
21
to
April
15
due
to
rapidly
melting
snow.
During
these
evacuations,
commercial
and
military
planes
and
helicopters
airlift out the most vulnerable residents to other northern
communities, such as Timmins, Wawa, Smooth Rock Falls, Fort Frances,
Matachewan, and Kapuskasing, some as far south as Stratford. Typically
they are unable to return home for weeks or even as long as two months.
In 2014, it was estimated the evacuation operation cost $21 million.
This figure does not include the funds spent on the inspection,
cleaning and repair of buildings damaged in the flood.
The
Kashechewan
First
Nation
and
the
Fort
Albany
First
Nation
(located
on
the
southern
shore
of
the
Albany
River)
were
originally
a
single
Cree
community
that
became
divided
over
a
religious
dispute
instigated
by
missionaries.
Roman
Catholics
moved
to
the
south
side
of the river
and Anglicans went to the north. In 1957, an Indian Agent arrived and
"recommended" that those on the north shore relocate themselves, closer
to the Hudson's Bay store and so that barges bringing
supplies could more easily reach them. This "recommendation" was
rejected because, as Cree elders pointed out, that "recommended"
location was the
lowest point in the area and was known to flood. The government
nonetheless began to build a settlement at this low point. Two months
later, the government sent in the RCMP to enforce the
"recommendation."[1][2]
The people of Kashechewan have faced the danger
of spring floods ever since.
2017
Agreement
 On
March 31,
2017, the government of Canada, the government of Ontario and
Kashechewan First Nation signed a framework agreement for relocation of
the First Nation Community, to move them up river. A majority of the
community had voted in favour of such an agreement before it was
signed. According to a press release issued on the day of the
agreement, "the tripartite agreement commits the parties to the
development of an action plan to support the short-, medium- and
long-term sustainability of the community, with a focus on improving
outcomes in priority areas including housing, socio-economic
sustainability, health programs and facilities, infrastructure
development, and schools and community facilities.
"This
collaborative
initiative
supports
a
better
future
for
the
people
of
Kashechewan
First
Nation
and
will
include
consideration
of
options
for
relocation
of
the
community.
"A
steering
committee
composed
of
representatives
of
Kashechewan
First
Nation,
Indigenous
and
Northern
Affairs
Canada,
Health
Canada
and
Ontario's
Ministry
of
Indigenous
Relations
and
Reconciliation
will
provide
general
oversight
and
guidance
on
the
action
plan
when
developed.
The
committee
will
provide
an
annual
report to parties on the progress made
under this Framework Agreement."
Indigenous
Services
Minister
Seamus
O'Regan
told
reporters
on
April
30
that
he
could
not
offer
a
specific
timeline
for
the
move,
but
said
the
government
is
working
with
Kashechewan
to
make
it
happen
as
soon
as
possible.
Minister
O'Regan
was
reported
by
the CBC as saying that the
federal government is working to secure the land from the Ontario
provincial government. Once that task is complete, a road into the site
will have to be built and a survey of the land completed. That will be
followed by a consultation period, during which plans for the new town
will be drawn up.
On
April
28,
the
Kashechewan
situation
came
up
in
the
Ontario
Legislature
during
question
period.
In
response
to
questions
from
the
NDP,
Minister
of
Energy,
Northern
Development
and
Mines
and
Indigenous
Affairs
Greg
Rickford
said
"There
is
a
plan
in
place
for
Kashechewan so they
don't have to be displaced year in and year out as a result of the
flooding and the location that community currently is in." No actual
information on that plan has been forthcoming.
The
refusal
to
relocate
the
people
of
Kashechewan
in
a
timely
manner
underscores
the
longstanding
injustices
against
Kashechewan.
In
2005,
the
community
declared
a
water
crisis
due
to
E.
coli
contamination.
Such
water
contamination
resulting
in
boil
water
advisories,
which
many
other
Indigenous
communities also face, can be the result of flooding.
Meanwhile, to say the youth are having their education disrupted by the
spring floods is a severe understatement. Faced with the impoverishment
and hopelessness imposed on them by Canada's colonial relations with
the First Nations, youth in Kashechewan, like other Indigenous youth
across the country, often resort to suicide to escape their pain.
As
people
across
Canada
are
facing
the
devastation
of
spring
floods,
with
the
possibility
of
the
situation
worsening
due
to
climate
change,
the
ongoing
ordeal
of
the
people
of
Kashechewan
over
several
decades
must
not
be
forgotten
and
the
federal
and
provincial
governments must be
held to account for this criminal negligence.
 
Notes
1.
"How
Kashechewan
Created
a
Political
Stampede,"
Julius
Strauss, Globe
and Mail, November 4, 2005.
2. Invisible
North:
The
Search
for
Answers on a Troubled Reserve,
Alexandra Shimo, Dundurn Press (Toronto, 2016).
This article was published in
Volume 49 Number 16 - May 4, 2019
Article Link:
Rally for Kashechewan First Nation Demands Federal and Provincial Governments Permanently Relocate Community
Website: www.cpcml.ca
Email: editor@cpcml.ca
|
