THUNDER BAY – Kitchenuhmaykoosib Inninuwug (KI) First Nation is moving forward to support Chief Theresa Spence. KI community member, Mark T. Anderson will walk from from Queens Park to Parliament hill starting at 8AM on Wednesday to say no to continued treaty violations by the federal government. “The Crown pledged to honor the commitments they made at treaty time, ‘for as long as the sun shines, the waters flow, and the grass grows,’ says Anderson. ‘God’s creation was used to entice our people to sign on to treaty # 9 at KI, now Canada, through the actions of the Harper government, wants to continue to violate the treaty commitments through Bill C-45, which will negatively impact our peoples, lands, waters, and environment”.
Anderson will be joined by members of the KI leadership and youth. The group of activists left from Thunder Bay International Airport at 4:30PM on New Years Day.
Anderson has reactivated his walking team to pick up from his 2100 km walk to Queen’s Park in 2006 to say no to mining. Kitchenuhmaykoosib Inninuwug was the site of the signing to the adhesion to Treaty # 9 on July 5, 1929 of which KI is an original signatory. KI viewed the signing as developing a new relationship with His Majesty and His Subjects as equal partners not a mass land surrender as reflected in the treaty text.
Anderson shares, “The treaty promises made are very powerful, especially using God’s creation to relate the solemnity and the sacredness of these commitments. By reneging and making a mockery through the continued violations of the treaty, Canada is putting the lives of our people and all Canadians on dangerous ground.”
KI will start walking from Queen’s Park on the morning of January 2, 2013 to Parliament Hill in solidarity with Chief Theresa Spence’s call for a commitment to a path of recognition and implementation of the treaty commitments and forging a new First Nations –Crown relationship.
Mr. Anderson is walking with members of the KI leadership and youth. The walkers leave from Queens Park at 8AM on Wednesday January 2nd. People are welcome to join the walk.
