A mass demonstration by members of Barrere Lake First Nation and their supporters on Parliament Hill this afternoon was met by silence from Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Indian Affairs Minister John Duncan.
Members of the First Nation presented copies of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and the community’s resolution against the government’s imposition of Indian Act elections to the offices of Harper and Duncan. No one from Mr. Harper’s office would accept the document.
“We are here today because we don’t recognize the council that was imposed on us,” said Tony Wawatie, Barriere Lake community spokesperson, at the morning press conference. “The government used section 74 of the Indian Act to depose our customary government.”
Below find articles and news reports about the demonstration, press releases and photos, including Barriere Lake youth Norman Matchewan, shown directly below holding a copy of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
Joseph Boyden, Giller Book Prize winner, writes op-ed in Globe and Mail. "Why We Try to Protect Our Land: Lessons from Barriere Lake", published Dec 13, 2010
Ottawa Citizen
- Ottawa Metro News
- CBC: Ottawa Morning
- Canada.com article
- Aboriginal Peoples' Television Network News
Press Releases:
- NDP press release
- Assembly of First Nations press release
