The Algonquins of Barriere Lake - Speaker & a Movie

The Algonquins of Barriere Lake
Speaker and a movie:

Marylynn Poucaciche, community educator and Barriere Lake spokesperson.

The Algonquins of Barriere Lake is a 41-minute documentary that illustrates the Algonquin community’s decades-long struggle to have their land and resource rights recognized by Canada and the Province of Quebec.
Educational Fundraiser for Barriere Lake Algonquins
UMI Cafe, 610 Somerset St. W
Corner of Somerset and Percy in Ottawa
Thursday October 9th 2008 at 6:30 pm
Suggested Donation, $5-$15
(No one will be turned away)
Indigenous Peoples’ Solidarity Movement –Ottawa (IPSMO)
ipsmo@riseup.net

Wheelchair Accessible
Everyone Welcome!

On Monday, Oct. 5th, Families from the Barriere Lake First Nation in Northern Quebec set up a peaceful blockade at 6:00 am this morning, promising to maintain it until Canada and Quebec respect and implement widely praised agreements, and Canada appoints an observer to witness a leadership reselection in the community, and respects its outcome.
Yesterday afternoon, the Conservative government and Quebec used riot police, tear gas, and "pain compliance" techniques to end a peaceful blockade erected by Algonquin families from Barriere Lake, rather than negotiate, as requested by the community. The blockade on Highway 117 in Northern Quebec began at 6:00am Monday, with nearly a hundred community members of all ages and their supporters promising to remain until Canada's Conservative government and Quebec honoured signed agreements and Barriere Lake's leadership customs. Around 4pm, nearly sixty Quebec officers and riot police encircled families after a meal and without warning launched tear gas canisters, one of which hit a child in the chest.

Nine people, including an elderly women, a pregnant woman, and two minors, were roughly arrested. While a line of police obscured the view of human rights observers from Christian Peacemaker Teams, officers used severe "pain compliance" techniques and crowbars on protestors who had secured themselves to concrete-filled barrels, twisting arms, dislocating jaws, leaving them with bruised faces and arms and trouble swallowing.  The police also cut one protestors wrist and another’s arm.

Backgrounder:

“In 1991, Barriere Lake signed a historic Trilateral agreement with Canada and Quebec to sustainably develop our traditional territories – the United Nations called the plan an environmental "trailblazer."

Yet in 1996, the federal government tried to hijack the agreement by replacing our legitimate Chief and Council with a minority faction who let the agreement fall aside.

A resolution was achieved in 1997 by Quebec Superior Court Judge Réjean Paul, who restored our legitimate Chief and Council and renewed the Trilateral agreement.

In 2001, the government pulled out of the Trilateral agreement and started favouring certain community members opposed to our legitimate leadership.

Judge Réjean Paul mediated again in 2007, concluding that the opposition to our Chief and Council was "a small minority" whose leadership challenge "did not respect the Customary Governance Code."

But when this same minority group conducted another alleged leadership selection in January 2008, the federal government quickly recognized them.”

(Full Text: Barriere Lake's Response to Federal Conservative MP, Lawrence Cannon's Message in Le Droit http://barrierelakesolidarity.blogspot.com/2008_09_01_archive.html)