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<span></span>Dear colleagues,<br>
<br>
<span> Please see below for an urgent Open Letter in support of
Chief Spence and the Idle No More movement.<br>
<br>
This is an important opportunity for us to express solidarity
and make connections between the anti-colonial struggles of
indigenous communities here<br>
and the ongoing struggles of Palestinians to end the long
history of Israeli apartheid. It is particularly significant
that the open letter<br>
condemns the ongoing violations and abuses by Stephen Harper
("Israel's best friend") and the Canadian government.<br>
<br>
Please share widely with colleagues.<br>
<br>
<b>TO SIGN, send an e-mail to</b>: </span><span><a
moz-do-not-send="true"
href="mailto:Academics4ChiefSpence@gmail.com" target="_blank">Academics4ChiefSpence@gmail.com</a><br>
and<span style="font-family:comic sans ms,sans-serif"><b>
include the following information</b></span>: i) your name
ii) position, and iii) departmental/</span><span></span>university
affiliation <br>
<div> <br>
Winnipeg, MB – Friday, December 21, 2012<br>
<br>
<span> <b>Open Letter to the Right Honourable Prime Minister of
Canada Stephen Harper and the Right Honourable Governor
General David Johnston</b>:<br>
<br>
We, as academics teaching in universities, witness the
courageous and honourable actions of Attawapiskat First Nation
Chief Theresa Spence to defend the land and Indigenous peoples
of Canada. Chief Spence has said that she is willing to die
for her people, and we will not stand silent while she starves
to death on the doorstep of our Parliament. We call on our
government to meet immediately with Chief Spence and to
initiate a comprehensive plan to address the urgent situation
in Aboriginal communities across this country.<br>
<br>
On December 11, 2012, Chief Theresa Spence began a hunger
strike, calling the Right Honourable Prime Minister of Canada
Stephen Harper and the Right Honourable Governor General David
Johnston to “initiate immediate discussions and the
development of action plans to address treaty issues with
First Nations across Canada.” Chief Spence wishes to raise
concerns about the disregard of First Nations peoples by the
Government of Canada, such as the continued failure to address
poverty experienced in Indigenous communities, especially
those living in rural and isolated communities. Chief Spence
also wants to discuss recent bills that were passed in the
legislature without First Nations consultation, including the
omnibus Bill C-45 which included changes that removed all
environmental protection from the vast majority of Canadian
waterways, along with many other attacks on the environment.
In addition to endangering the future of all Canadians, these
changes violate Aboriginal and treaty rights by permitting the
destruction of hunting and fishing economies. These concerns
and others are clearly expressed in the Idle No More movement
manifesto, which we encourage all Canadians to read and
discuss in their communities. <br>
<br>
We have been saddened and ashamed to witness the way that
Chief Spence has been ignored by our government. We have been
deeply disappointed to observe the refusal of both the Prime
Minister and the Governor General—the Queen’s
representative—to meet with her or acknowledge the importance
of her concerns. <br>
<br>
We stand in solidarity with Chief Theresa Spence’s attempts to
change the abusive manner in which the Canadian Government has
ignored, threatened, and bullied Indigenous peoples. As
teachers interested in contributing to a just and sustainable
future where the rights of all Canadians are respected, we
recognize that Canada’s history is one of exploitation,
dispossession and marginalization of Indigenous peoples,
denial of their rights and sovereignty, indifference to their
suffering, and in many cases the destruction of their land. We
also recognize the strength, resilience, and profound respect
for Mother Earth that exist in Indigenous communities and
welcome this current mobilization against the
government-sponsored destruction of the environment.<br>
<br>
We urge all people of Canada to enter into respectful
dialogues about Aboriginal rights and treaties, and to take
meaningful action in your communities to ensure the honouring
of our treaties, respect for self-determination, and the
protection of our environment for the generations to come.<br>
<span style="font-family:comic sans ms,sans-serif"><b><br>
See here to learn more about the Idle No More Movement:</b></span>
<a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="http://idlenomore1.blogspot.ca/">http://idlenomore1.blogspot.ca/</a><br>
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