Vanessa Gray of Aamijiwnaang First Nation participates in the Healing Walk.
On August 4th, the 3rd Annual Tar Sands Healing Walk took place in Fort McMurray to promote the healing of people and lands impacted by the tar sands. The Council of Canadians provided support for four First Nations youth from Ontario to attend the event.
Dave Vasey, an activist from Southern Ontario, reported back:
“The 3rd Annual Healing Walk [was] the largest walk to date. Over 250 First Nation people marched and with the support of donors here in Ontario, two youth from Aamijiwnaang First Nation and two youth from Six Nations were able to attend the event and bring their experiences back home. After a fall through with driving plans, the crew scrambled and ended up flying out to Alberta and made it in the end!
Since getting back, Vanessa Gray, a young community organizer in Aamijiwnaang has done two presentations in her community on her experience in Alberta and did an interview with the Sarnia Observer, see article here. Vanessa will also be sharing her experience about the walk at this week’s two-day convergence on environmental justice hosted by WPIRG, more here. Both Ashely and Vanessa worked on the film ‘Indian Givers’, a grassroots documentary by youth in Aamijiwnaang, see film here.
In Six Nations, well-known youth activist Mellisa Elliot has been working with the Haudenosaunee Development Initiative and the Grand Council to create more awareness in Six Nations about the Line 9 pipeline reversal and what impacts the project would have in her community and for Alberta communities. Melissa will also be attending the two-day convergence hosted by WPIRG to build more links and support for the important environmental justice work Six Nations continues to do on Line 9 and the Dundalk Waste Site proposal.
That Ontario First Nations were in at the Healing Walk became national news (see more here) and is an important step in building solidarity across First Nations in the country. Please read this great article by Rabble on the walk, here.
Again, many thanks to our generous supporters for this important opportunity and movement building moment!”
