THUNDER BAY – As of May 7th, 2019, again we the Iskapowishak(walkers/runners/helpers) of Mushkegowuk territory (Treaty 9) will be undertaking a journey from Cochrane, Ontario to Thunder Bay, Winnipeg, Manitoba and continue to the mountains. This journey is to focus on our Treaties 1 to 11. When our ancestors, knowledge keepers, and elders set into motion our relationship to Treaty and directly set forth a guarantee of access to land and our way of life for our future generations. From our place as Ishkapowishak (helpers), we will journey to create awareness and supply educational content to what is beginning to happen towards our Treaties.
The recent proposals of the Trudeau government, the “white paper 2.0”, is an attempt to extinguish the traditional treaty rights of indigenous peoples.
For more information about the walk, or to support – Contact Frances Whiskeychan at rosewhiskeychan@hotmail.com or Pat Etherington Sr. 780-237-1141. Frances Rose Whiskeychan
A call to action is being issued for those to join in on a national walk and encourage a gathering of treaty peoples to build grassroots alliances and come together to stop the indigenous rights framework and termination tables that threaten the futurisms and inherent rights of indigenous peoples and erode Canada’s obligation to upholding the treaties.
Communities, urban indigenous centres, friendship centres, indigenous organizations, treaty offices, grassroots communities who would be willing to organize and mobilize regionally and locally are encouraged to join in and help with hosting the walkers along their journey. Iskapowishkak plan to leave Cochrane May 7th, 2019 at approximately 1:00 pm from the Ininew Friendship Centre and plan to head westbound on Highway 11 West.
The grassroots community of Cochrane is working to ensure they have safe passage from tomorrow’s checkpoint and are hoping to work with communities along the way to make sure that walkers are safe on the highway, that highway monitors from different communities can share responsibilities between distances and that walkers are hosted and received throughout.
Miigwetch for your support, please share, spread, plan, organize, mobilize. There will be several walkers starting out from Treaty 9 territory.
