Because of government inaction for 50 years, generations of young Indigenous people have grown up with devastating health problems and the loss of their cultural traditions like fishing and time on the land. Learn more about leaving a gift in your will. This brought clear-cut logging to halt at Grassy Narrows. These waters had been a source of both food and jobs for the people of Grassy Narrows and neighbouring First Nations. In the 1960s, a pulp mill upstream dumped an estimated nine tonnes of mercury into the river system, contaminating the fish and making them dangerous to eat. The governments said they'd work with us, but they lied. Remember me. Hold Export Development Canada accountable for disastrous dam investment. Young people from the Grassy Narrows First Nation in northwest Ontario are fighting for a healthy future for themselves and their community. Today's top stories. This is the first study of its kind in Grassy Narrows, and the most comprehensive assessment of the health of the community to date. For almost a decade, Amnesty International has stood with the people of Grassy Narrows in their long struggle to determine for themselves the fate of the forest and waters on which they depend. Grassy Narrows issue page. Imagine the difference it could have made if, instead of denying that mercury was even a threat, these governments had shouldered their responsibilities and worked with the community from the outset to ensure that young people could practice their rights and traditions in a safe and healthy environment.”. Join the global movement for human rights. Fishing is central to their culture, traditions and economy. - Judy DaSilva, Grassy Narrows "We have struggled for many years to save our way of life in the face of clear-cut logging, which has contaminated our waters and destroyed our lands. In May, the Minister of Indigenous Services visited the Grassy Narrows First Nation but failed to establish a specialized health care facility to address decades of mercury contamination in the community. The youth-led campaign for mercury justice is one of the focal cases of this year’s global Write for Rights campaign, marking the beginning of a year-long campaign mobilizing Amnesty members and supporters in Canada and around the world. Support us on Patreon! Grassy Narrows First Nations youth are renowned for their activism, art, and leadership in spite of mercury burden. “There are long term effects on health and well-being of eating the fish from Grassy Narrows lakes and rivers.”, Amnesty International welcomes the federal government’s commitment to support in the establishment of a specialized treatment centre for people suffering from mercury poisoning in Grassy Narrows. That assumption has proven false. E-mail. Saudi Arabia: Release women human rights defenders now! The damaging effects are still seen today. These remarkable victories, however, have taken place against the backdrop of an ongoing, unresolved and largely unacknowledged tragedy. The letter reads, "Despite repeated pledges from the federal government to ensure clean drinking water, there are routinely over 100 water advisories in effect in First Nation communities, with some communities living under advisories for over 10 years." CTV News Winnipeg. Last week, Neskantaga First Nation demanded action from federal parties on its 20-year boil-water advisory, the longest running drinking water advisory in Canada. We have campaigned for justice for the people of Grassy Narrows throughout this decade. "We're fighting for clean water. From the AI Online Diary: Today, April 16, has been a … This December the province refused to even subject its plans to an individual environmental impact assessment. On 2 December 2002, the youth of Grassy Narrows laid down in the path of industrial logging machines, blocking access to their … Judy Da Silva, Grassy Narrows, quoted today in The Toronto Star One of the things that has stayed with me with from Amnesty’s first official research mission to Grassy Narrows, almost 15 years ago, was the story shared by a young mother who had only recently learned about the dangers of mercury contamination of their river system. Next year marks 50 years since the public first became aware of mercury poisoning at Asubpeeschoseewagong (Grassy Narrows). The flooding of their lands. Discrimination Against First Nations Children in Canada; Resource Development in Canada. But for hascontaminated the fishy making rrowsr Gaditions. We are also looking for the provincial government to fully assume their proper responsibilities in addressing human rights violations arising from mercury poisoning in Grassy Narrows.”. First name. Between 1962 and 1970, a mill in Dryden, Ontario dumped more than 9 metric tons of untreated inorganic mercury into the English and Wabigoon Rivers in Northwestern Ontario. Pride and Amnesty; Human Rights and the Arms Trade. Grassy Narrows First Nation has signed an agreement with the federal government for a mercury care home. Today Grassy Narrows released a ground-breaking new report by renowned mercury expert Dr. Donna Mergler. Creative action: The young people in this study were born and grew up after the federal and provincial governments had already washed their hands of the mercury crisis at Grassy Narrows. Giver the long history of broken promises and stalled government action, Grassy Narrows and their supports remain vigilent about whether or not this promise will be fulfilled. Reset your password now. They are among ten youth activists featured this year in Amnesty International’s annual global letter-writing campaign, Write for Rights. However, the province has never ruled out renewed logging, with or without the community's consent. Mercury justice now #FreeGrassy. One critical step toward making things right would be to respect the right of the First Nation to make its own decisions about its lands and resources.”, Grave health impacts linked to fish from poisoned river. Their lands have been flooded, the community relocated and their waters badly contaminated. For more than a decade, the Band … The authoritative report is the first study to link higher rates of health and wellbeing challenges in Grassy Narrows’ children with exposure to mercury, a potent neurotoxin, from local fish. When the mercury dumping was discovered, the commercial fishery was closed, cutting the people off from their most important source of income. Saturday, June 15, 2019 - 11:22 Young people from Grassy Narrows are travelling to Toronto for a massive rally on June 20th to focus attention to urgency of addressing the crisis of mercury poisoning facing their First Nation. Sign in to your account. The Indigenous community of Grassy Narrows, Canada, has been devastated by mercury poisoning. Canada: “Our community can’t wait any longer”: Grassy Narrows Youth [poster] 14 October 2019, Index number: AMR 20/0758/2019 Shortly afterward, AbitibiBowater announced that its Fort Frances mill would stop processing wood from Grassy Narrows. “Our survey confirms what leaders of Grassy Narrows have been saying for decades,” said renowned environmental health scientist and lead author Dr. Donna Mergler. It’s all part of Write for Rights, our global letter-writing marathon. © Amnesty International, Foto: Allan Lissner Das Gebiet der Grassy Narrows First Nation ist seit Jahrzehnten mit Quecksilber verseucht. She helped … Saudi Arabia: Release women human rights defenders now! Darwin and Afeni are from Grassy Narrows, Canada, a first nations reserve that has been devastated by mercury poisoning. For decades, the Grassy Narrows Indigenous community have been suffering the effects of mercury poisoning in one of Canada’s worst health crises. This year, Amnesty International is highlighting a case right here in Canada, of youth from Asubpeeschoseewagong (“Grassy Narrows First Nation”) who are fighting for justice in the face of 50 years of mercury poisoning in their community. It was discovered that many of the residents had greatly elevated levels of mercury in their bodies and were exhibiting signs of the neurological degeneration associated with mercury poisoning. Grassy Narrows has long asserted that the mercury poisoning of the English and Wabigoon rivers in Northwestern Ontario continues to impact new generations of their children, and are in Ottawa to call upon Prime Minister Trudeau to take action. And community members, including youth, continue to suffer from disproportionate rates of serious health problems associated with mercury poisoning. On human rights day, a teen from Grassy Narrows is one of 10 youth chosen by Amnesty International for their Write for Rights campaign. The protecting of Indigenous rights in Canadian law requires a process of good faith consultation and meaningful accommodation of Indigenous concerns whenever government decisions might affect the rights of Indigenous peoples. A new health report by a renowned Canadian mercury expert provides the strongest evidence yet of mercury poisoning in this northern Ontario Indigenous community. Join the Amnesty Book Club. I'm over 18 I'm under 18. 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