First Nations
Meeting today in Ottawa a “moment unlike any other,” chief says.
Members of a Gaspé-area First Nation ratcheted up their pressure tactics against the federal government Thursday, expanding the scope of a two-week-old railroad blockade on the aboriginal territory.
About 30 Mi’gmaq from the Listuguj reserve have been camped out alongside a railway that passes through their land since Dec. 27. The act of civil disobedience was launched as a part of Idle No More, the nationwide aboriginal protest movement calling for a more equitable relationship between Canada’s government and its First Nations peoples.
Until recently, the group only blocked cargo trains, excluding passenger cars from their barricade. But on Thursday all traffic along the railroad came to a halt.
The railroad links the Gaspé region to towns and cities along the eastern edge of the St. Lawrence River.
“It’s been a peaceful act of protest that was started by youth and elders within our community,” said Michael Isaac, a spokesman for the Listuguj band council. “This is something we support as a council and something the whole community supports.”
As Prime Minister Stephen Harper prepares to meet aboriginal chiefs from across Canada on Friday, the Mi’gmaq and dozens of other first nations will hold Idle No More rallies across Canada. The protesters decry looser environmental restrictions and amendments to the Indian Act outlined in the government’s controversial omnibus budget bill.
“This is something that affects all Canadians and we’re seeing a lot of support outside of our community,” Isaac told The Gazette.
“It’s not about us versus them or anything like that. We just care about the environment and our future as a people.”
Like so many aboriginal communities throughout Canada, the Listuguj struggle with poverty and unemployment. Seasonal activities like fishing and logging are staples of the regional economy.
The Listuguj First Nation will meet Friday to determine the future of its 15-day-old blockade, which largely hinges on the outcome of Friday’s meeting between Harper and native leadership.