Grassy Narrows brings mercury poison fight to Ontario capital
June 14, 2012
Frances Olimpo at Wawatay News
Bold blue banners and colourful fish puppets flowed through Toronto’s downtown streets as streams of supporters gathered for the River Run 2012 March and Rally on June 8. It was the final highlight after a week-long series of events, since Grassy Narrows First Nations members and supporters completed their nearly 2,000-kilometre journey from Kenora to Ontario’s capital.
“I still don’t feel tired,” Clifford Acoby said just before the march began. “I still have lots of energy to give.”
Acoby, 24, travelled from Swan Lake, Man. to join the Grassy Narrows youth on their walk to raise awareness of chemical dumping and mercury poisoning that has affected the Asubpeeschoseewagong (Grassy Narrows), Wabaseemoong (Whitedog), and Wabauskang First Nations communities. Fifty years ago, the Dryden paper mill dumped 10 tonnes of mercury into the Wabigoon River, resulting in debilitating long-term impacts to the environment and the health of the population.
“As young as we are, we’re well aware of what’s happening and what the government is doing to our land and our waters,” said Acoby. “We want to raise concerns about that because that affects all of us.”
A 2011 report published by the Journal of Minamata Studies, which outlines the effects of the methyl mercury poisoning that became known as Minamata disease, was translated to English and released on June 4 at a press conference in Toronto. Dr. Masanori Hanada, co-author and director of the Centre for Minamata Studies in Japan, appeared to discuss his study’s findings as part of a long line of experts and speakers, which included Grassy Narrows Chief Simon Fobister, Ontario Regional Chief Angus Toulouse and Grassy Narrows mother Judy Da Silva.
“I’m not in good health,” said Da Silva. “I use a cane to walk and I have gotten so dizzy a couple times where I fell down.”
Symptoms of Minamata disease include loss of balance, muscle weakness, numbness in hands and feet, impaired hearing and speech, tremors, and tunnel vision.
Da Silva also spoke the following night alongside award-winning poet and established Aboriginal author Lee Maracle and CUPE Ontario’s Joanne Webb in a public speaking event:
Pollution in Our Water, Poison in Our Bodies. In the face of colonization and lack of Canadian voter support, Maracle urged the importance of working “not just with other Aboriginal people but with every Canadian in this country.”
“Clean it up,” said Maracle. “There is no water in this world that isn’t connected to another raindrop. And we’re all in trouble. The water everywhere is being attacked.”
On June 6, a traditional fish fry was held at Queen’s Park south lawn. Premier Dalton McGuinty and other Ontario politicians were invited to dine on Grassy Narrows’ local fish.
Protestors accused the Ontario government of refusing to acknowledge or claim responsibility for the mercury poisonings, and that the government’s plans for clearcut logging on Grassy Narrows territory will worsen conditions and significantly increase mercury levels in water and fish.
A head table with special sittings for McGuinty, Minister of Natural Resources Michael Gravelle, Minister of Northern Development and Mines Rick Bartolucci and Minister of Environment Jim Bradley was left with empty seats. The only cabinet minister to make an appearance was Minister of Aboriginal Affairs Kathleen Wynne, who offered to hold a meeting with Grassy Narrows community members at an unspecified later date.
When River Run marchers headed back to Queen’s Park for the last time on June 8 to make their demands known, they pounded their drums, chanted and waved their picket signs high, supported by over 50 civil society groups.
“Our people are still suffering from this poison in the water, but most receive no support from the government. All people diagnosed by the Japanese experts must be fully compensated, and the government must respect our decisions on our territory so that we can recover from the devastating impacts of mercury pollution on our health, our culture, and our livelihood,” said Chief Fobister.
Da Silva, Grassy Narrows youth walker Edmond Jack and Wabauskang Chief Leslie Cameron were also present to speak to over 100 people who attended the rally.
After his past few days in Toronto and a month walking across the province, Acoby expressed relief before looking ahead.
“I feel happy that we’ve completed this walk but there’s still a lot of work to be done,” he said.
Almost 50 per cent of Grassy Narrows territory has already been logged, despite clear opposition by community members, and provincial plans project logging to continue through the next decade.
In addition to restoring the English-Wabigoon river system, ensuring the prevention of future pollution and ending industrial logging in their territory, Grassy Narrows hopes to build a permanent environmental health monitoring center in the community.