"We are realists... we dream the impossible" - Che Fire This Time! FREE CHELSEA MANNING! HANDS OFF VENEZUELA! END THE WAR ON YEMEN NOW! Page 24 Page 25 Her Excellency Despite the U.S. Blockade, Josefina Vidal Cuba Advances Cuban Ambassador to Canada, Speaks in Vancouver May 4, 2019 at 6pm Info: vancubasolidarity.com LIVING IN A CLIMATE Page 18 Page 6 EMERGENCY JUSTICE FOR GRASSY NARROWS! Page 2 Page 8 Page 21 TARGETED AT THE BORDER Page 12 No to NATO! No to War! Volume 13 Issue 4 • April 2019 • In English / En Español • Free • $3 at Bookstores www.firethistime.net Grassy Narrows Injustice against Indigenous People in Canada By Tamara Hansen to the protesters, many themselves Over 5 decades of mercury poisoning suffering from mercury poisoning. in Grassy Narrows Protester: “Prime Minister Trudeau, The interaction was caught on video According to the activist & community people of Grassy Narrows are and Trudeau’s remarks, as well as website FreeGrassy.net, “In the 1970’s suffering from mercury poisoning. audience laughter, received a firestorm it was revealed that fish caught by the You committed to addressing this of condemnation. Trudeau was forced local fisheries contained dangerous crisis, when will you keep them?” to apologize the next morning, he levels of mercury. It was discovered admitted that his response was “smug” PM Trudeau [addressing the that the source of the mercury was and “lacked respect”. However, the protester as they are carried out by the Dryden paper mill upstream – mainstream media in Canada did security]: “Thank you for being here, then owned by Reed Paper.” This not use the opportunity to educate thank you for your donation tonight. made the fish, an essential food of the people across Canada on what is really I really appreciate it.” community, inedible for many years happening in Grassy Narrows, instead, and forced the closure of the thriving The above exchange took place at a they focused on the personality of commercial fishery, which devastated posh Liberal Party fundraiser hosted Trudeau and whether Indigenous the local economy. The website further by the Laurier Club on March 27, leaders would accept his apology. 2019. The Prime Minister of Canada, explains, “Overnight employment Justin Trudeau, was speaking to a The media has failed to properly rates in the community went from room of guests, which according to highlight why members of Grassy 90% to 10%. The community was Global News, “are considered high-end Narrows, Wabaseemoong, and left to deal with the loss of their Liberal donors who must contribute a Wabauskang First Nations travelled traditional economy, unemployment minimum of $1,500 in order to join the 1,700 kilometres to Toronto to protest and a mysterious new ailment that ranks.” Prime Minister Trudeau and why they was rampant among members of their paid thousands of dollars to make sure community – mercury poisoning.” Wealthy event attendees applauded a group of activists could disrupt this In September 2017, CBC News made and laughed at Trudeau’s cruel, event. mocking, and inhuman response a 20-minute radio documentary titled, 2 FIRE THIS TIME Volume 13 Issue 4 April 2019 “Children of the Poisoned River” about dizziness, seizures, and numbness - of the Grassy Narrows First Nation. In the youth of Grassy Narrows. Reporter the lack of sensitivity means people an interview with Cable Public Affairs Jody Porter explains, “Mercury drop things or cannot feel the touch of Channel (CPAC) following the release “bioaccumulates,” meaning it passes others. Some have hearing and vision of the report Dr. Mergler, along with from one generation to the next, loss, as well as psychological issues and Grassy Narrows Chief Rudy Turtle, from mother to child, through the learning disabilities associated with explain the direct link between fish placenta. Three generations after the mercury poisoning. The Minamata consumption during pregnancy and contamination were discovered, teens in Grassy Narrows have seen their elders die and their parents stumble under the burden.” Mercury is a neurotoxin. The CBC documentary further explains, “The disability board was established in 1986 as part of a court settlement with Ontario and Canada and the two paper companies involved in the contamination. Neither the companies, the governments nor the disability board has ever admitted that anyone at Grassy Narrows has been poisoned — only that some people experience symptoms of Minamata disease.” Minamata disease is also known as methylmercury poisoning. A November 2017 article by the Toronto Star Newspaper titled, “Ontario knew about Grassy Narrows mercury Grassy Narrows Protest, March 27, 2019 site for decades, but kept it secret” explains, Canada “Japanese scientist Dr. prenatal mercury exposure. Masazumi Harada spent They found that the more the majority of his career fish the mother ate, the examining the symptoms more significant challenges of [Minamata] disease. and problems the doctor Harada continued his saw in her children. work in Canada and U.S.A When the interviewer first tested community asks Chief Turtle why members of Grassy community members Narrows in 1975. He continue to eat the fish, found people with he explains, “First of all, mercury levels more our people are poor. The than three times the income level is one of the Health Canada limit lowest levels in Canada. in Grassy Narrows and There are very few jobs seven times the limit in in the community, so that nearby Whitedog. When is one of the reasons they Harada returned in 2004, have to eat fish because it’s all of the people who part of their diet to sustain themselves. had tested over the limit were dead.” disease has also been blamed directly In addition, it is something that has The article continues, “Harada’s 2011 for many untimely deaths in the been a part of their lives for centuries.” study found 74 percent of people community. diagnosed by his team as impacted or Dr. Mergler adds, “The fish For the past 5 decades, the people of possibly impacted by mercury were not consumption levels, at which we began Grassy Narrows have been dealing with receiving any form of compensation.” to see effects are under the Canadian the consequences of mercury poisoning. guidelines for Walleye [fish] from that In interviews with the Toronto Star In December 2018 a new report, “The region, so we are not talking about the Newspaper in May 2018, Grassy Legacy of Mercury Exposure in Grassy high levels of mercury exposure that we Narrows residents outline a long list of Narrows First Nation,” was jointly saw in the 70s. These are much lower issues they are facing: uncontrollable published by Dr. Donna Mergler, a levels and these levels are still having shaking, tingling legs and feet, Biologist at Université du Québec à effects.” Montreal, and Judy Da Silva, a member FIRE THIS TIME Volume 13 Issue 4 April 2019 3 Judy Da Silva co-author of the mercury opposite. It also did on the ground testing and poisoning report on CBC, March 27, 2019 is only in the reported on possible sites of ongoing last two years mercury leakage into the river. The that journalists provincial government responded to from the the media coverage promising $85 Toronto Star million towards clean up, and Ontario’s Newspaper provincial Environment Minister, Rod and the report Phillips promised to send dig plans issued by Dr. over a year ago to Chief Turtle, but Mergler have they have yet to materialize. backed up On November 27, 2017, then- community Indigenous Services Minister, Dr. claims and Jane Philpott, promised the federal forced the Over 5 decades of intergenerational government would build a specialized government to make new promises to mercury poisonings and yet minimal mercury poisoning treatment facility in the people to Grassy Narrows. supports have been set up for the Grassy Narrows. The “Mercury Home” community and those who are In 2017, for example, the Toronto is an important community demand so suffering. First, there is no hospital or Star uncovered provincial government that those suffering from the effects treatment centre in Grassy Narrows. reports from the 1990s revealing that of mercury poisoning can receive Second, the government has yet to treatment in their community, rather clean up all the mercury found in the than paying hundreds or thousands of area or even finalize a plan for digging dollars to travel back and forth to the it up and disposing of it. Third, there is closest hospitals in Kenora, Winnipeg a need for educational specialists and or Thunder Bay. special resources for children and youth affected by mercury poisoning. None The protest held at Trudeau’s Liberal of these needs are being addressed, Party fundraiser on March 27, 2019, although many government promises happened to fall almost exactly 500 have been made. days after Philpott’s promise of a Mercury home for Grassy Narrows. The government of Canada’s inaction The group gathered to protest the fact is killing the people of Grassy that after 500 days the money has yet Narrows to arrive and they have not yet broken In an article for the Toronto Star ground towards building the facility. Newspaper, Karen Wendling points Injustices against Indigenous people out the blatant double-standard in are systemic in colonial Canada Canada’s care and attention to non- Indigenous versus Indigenous health they knew there was still mercury in While we must challenge the governments and safety. She writes, “I first heard the soil and did not inform the people of Canada and Ontario to do more for about Grassy Narrows when I moved to of Grassy Narrows. The journalists Grassy Narrows First Nation, the injustices Canada in 1979. It astonished me then that nothing had been done in over a decade.