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The Struggle at Grassy Narrows

In early December, the Ojibway people of Grassy Narrows First Nation, 80 km north of Kenora, Ontario, set up a blockade on their land to prevent logging trucks from accessing the road which leads to Abitibi Consolidated's clear-cutting site. They have maintained the blockade continuously for nearly four months now, receiving support from First Nations and others all across the country. In February, they also demonstrated in Kenora at the offices of both Abitibi and Robert Nault, the Minister of Indian Affairs and M.P. for the area..

The struggle of the people of Grassy Narrows against clear cutting has been ongoing for decades, but escalated in the 1990's as the clear cutting expanded to unprecedented proportions. In 1999, the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) approved Abitibi's logging plans for the period 1999 - 2019. These plans would lead to the devastation of the old-growth forests, the traditional lands of the Ojibway people of the region, and seriously harm their livelihood and way of life. The people of Grassy Narrows responded at that time by threatening to blockade the logging roads, but continued to try to settle the issues through discussion and negotiation. After four years of frustration and no results, they set up the blockade.

The people of Grassy Narrows have faced many obstacles in their history. In the 1950's, their land was flooded by the construction of two Ontario Hydro dams. This damaged wild rice beds, habitat for fur-bearing animals and fish-spawning grounds, and made the ice unsafe for travel to the traplines in the winter. Traditional and sacred burial grounds were also flooded.

In 1963, their community was relocated by the Department of Indian Affairs, ostensibly to allow them better access to the services of the nearest town, Kenora, and better schools, housing and electricity. The new site was on a small, stagnant lake with surrounding soil too poor for growing anything. The promised utilities took another 20 years to arrive. In addition, the displacement caused many serious social problems and led to the loss of their language for the young generations.

In 1972, the Ontario government admitted that the river from which the people fished and harvested wild rice had been seriously poisoned with mercury from dumping by the Reed Paper mill 320 km upstream. Many residents suffered serious effects from mercury poisoning and the resulting neurological damage, many of whom died.died. To this day, 20 people in the community are still living with the after effects of the poisoning. The mercury contamination also ruined the commercial fishery and the wild rice industry which had sustained the community economically. Fish and wild rice were also the people's traditional foods.

It should come as no surprise that the people of Grassy Narrows are now taking this strong stand and refuse to allow their traditional lands to be further destroyed by the clear cutting operations of multi-national corporations like Abitibi. Although logging has gone on in the area since 1925, the escalation of the last decade has left only a few patches of old growth forest remaining. Before the blockade, Abitibi had been clear cutting 24 hours a day all year round with the help of huge floodlights. The 27 licensed traplines belonging to Grassy Narrows trappers have been logged so extensively that trapping areas have been ruined. Spraying with herbicides has destroyed both berry bushes and medicinal plants that the people rely on. Machine oil used to maintain heavy duty vehicles and machines has been dumped and garbage strewn through the forest. Hundreds of trees, including poplar and ash up to two feet in diameter, have been cut, piled and abandoned.

The people of Grassy Narrows have filed many complaints with the MNR over the violations of proper forest management committed by Abitibi. The destructive practices continue, however, as there is only one MNR compliance officer to monitor infractions for the entire Kenora District.

The people of Grassy Narrows are basing their struggle legally on their inherent, Aboriginal and treaty rights which are recognized and protected by the Constitution Act of 1982. They are also fighting against the ruination of the old growth forest. They have declared that they will not give up this struggle until they succeed.