Don Billard

Grassy Narrows Clan Mother goes to Court for building cabins on her Traditional lands

September 7, 2007 Contacts – Don Billard 807 749 2544

Kenora – Today Roberta Keesick, a Grassy Narrows hunter, clan mother, blockader, mother, and grandmother, will go to court to challenge the three unjust charges she is facing for building building two cabins on her people’s traditional hunting grounds.

In order to promote public awareness of this injustice and disrespect of the traditional land rights of the Anishinaabe people two clan mothers from Grassy Narrows First Nation have begun to walk from Kenora, Ontario to Red Lake, Ontario.

As part of the ongoing process of reclaiming their Traditional Lands and asserting their right to self determination, Grassy Narrows people are going out onto the land and using the territory that their ancestors have used for generations. This is a critical piece of work Grassy Narrows people are undertaking to sustain their families, revive their culture, practice their spirituality, rebuild their nation, and live their autonomy.

The summons from the Ontario Court of Justice, dated March 13, 2007 states that Roberta Keesick is charged with:

Count 1: Cause a building to be constructed on public land without the authority of a work permit contrary to section 2(1) (a) of Ontario Regulation 453/96 (2 times)

Count 2: Fail to comp with a stop work order issued under section 14(5) of the Public Lands Act, by continuing to cause a building to be constructed on public land without the authority of a work permit, contrary to section 14(6) of the Public Lands Act, R.S.O. 1990, Chapter P.43

The Anishinaabe people have a right to their traditional lands and do not need approval for projects by the Ministry of Natural Resources to approve projects that their ancestors have been doing for generations.