In Attawapiskat First Nation, Chief Spence declared a state of emergency in 2011, to draw focus to serious poverty on the isolated reserve, where many families live in wooden sheds, without running water or adequate insulation to face Canada’s northern winter winds. Only 90km away from Attawapiskat is Victor Diamond Mine, operated by De Beers, that according to reports is extracting around 600,000 carats of diamonds per year.
“Great riches are being taken from our land for the benefit of a few, including the government of Canada and Ontario, who receive large royalty payments, while we receive so little,” outlines Chief Spence in a 2011 speech.
Today the annual median income for aboriginal people is 30 percent lower than the Canadian average, according to recent national census data. In reality the development of extraordinary mineral and energy wealth on First Nations territories, has done little to address the intense poverty and political marginalisation for the majority of aboriginal people.
Idle No More sounds an alarm on this colonial reality, accurately highlighting Canada’s relative economic success as dependent on harvesting land and resources on indigenous territories without meaningful consultation, consent or remittance. (Stefan Christoff) More here.