KENORA – “Today is a sad day for our Nation with the passing of Steven Fobister Sr.”, stated Ogichidaa Francis Kavanaugh.
Steve Fobister was a former Chief of Grassy Narrows First Nation and Grand Chief of the Anishinaabe Nation in Treaty#3. He was a tireless advocate for the Anishinaabe people and brought awareness to the need to protect the environment, address systemic racism which impacted Anishinaabe people accessing the justice and health systems. He shared his time and his knowledge with his community, with the leadership of Treaty#3 and provided a voice for those who could not.
An example of the advocacy of Steven Fobister Sr. was in 2014 when he began a hunger strike in an effort to bring attention to the impact of mercury contamination to the citizens of Grassy Narrows and the ongoing impact of the contamination of the Wabigoon-English river system. He ended his hunger strike when he was able to meet with the Minister of Aboriginal Affairs and received assurances that the issue of mercury contamination would be addressed.
The Nation and our Treaty#3 leadership extend our condolences to the Fobister family and the community of the Grassy Narrows First Nation.
