Don't let Ford undermine fantastic Grassy Narrows solidarity

More than 8000 people participated in this year's Grassy Narrows River Run during the day on Sept 18th, an annual rally and march led by Asubpeeschoseewagong Anishinabek (commonly known as Grassy Narrows) First Nations people to demand justice for decades of mercury poisoning of their land. Hundreds of community groups mobilized people from Toronto and by bus from other places across Ontario to support their demands on provincial and federal governments, which are:

 

- Compensate everyone in Grassy Narrows fairly for the mercury crisis

- Respect the Grassy Narrows Indigenous Protected Area (end mining and logging plans in Grassy Narrows territory)

- Support Grassy Narrows in restoring their community and way of life from the damage that mercury has done

 

People of all ages participated, representing many diverse communities in a brilliant show of solidarity. Students from about 15 Toronto District School Board (TDSB) elementary, middle and high schools participated, reminiscent of the mass student climate strikes that erupted in 2019.

 

Grassy Narrows launched lawsuits this summer against both the Ontario and federal governments for violating Treaty 3 by failing to prevent or remediate mercury poisoning on their land. They have also filed a challenge to the Ford government's Mining Act for violating Indigenous rights protected by section 35 of the constitution. The law does not require mining prospectors to consult Indigenous peoples before staking claims on their land.

 

Chief Rudy Turtle said "These practices have to change. It's damaging our land. We want our land to remain intact because of our cultural practices, our way of life."

 

Grassy Narrows is also an integral part of the historic Land Defense Alliance of First Nations that opposes mining developments in Treaty 9 territory (the so-called "Ring of Fire"). This alliance also includes the Ojibwe nation of Neskantaga, Kitchenuhmaykoosib Inninuwug (KI-Big Trout Lake), Ojibways of Onigaming, Muskrat Dam and Wapekeka First Nations. The alliance has also publicly denounced the proposal to dump nuclear waste on Indigenous lands. 

 

Expanding mining and radioactive dumping on Indigenous lands are all aspects of ongoing Canadian settler colonialism genocide, which Ford seeks to deepen and accelerate. Other aspects of Canada's genocide against Indigenous peoples include: 

- mass graves Indian Residential "Schools" documented by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and ground radar findings

- ongoing kidnapping of Indigenous children by child welfare agencies

- ongoing missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls and two spirit people

- high levels of police violence against Indigenous people

- RCMP invasions of Indigenous land for pipelines and other destructive infrastructure

 

Over the past year, when protests erupted globally against the genocide of Palestinians in Gaza, many Indigenous peoples across Canada joined in support, calling for an end to the genocide and for the Canadian government to end their complicity. There was a recognition that, while there are differences between Canada and Israel, both are settler colonial states built on attempts to kill, erase, exclude and expel the original inhabitants of the claimed lands. 

 

To reciprocate the solidarity shown, the Palestinian Youth Movement in Toronto joined Grassy Narrows River Run this year, leading chants such as "From Turtle Island to Palestine, Occupation is a Crime". These connections, and the radicalization of large numbers of people who have participated in solidarity with Palestinians is a source of hope in a world racked by climate crisis, war, genocide, racism and growing inequality.

 

But the mere presence of Palestinians at an event attended by TDSB students has led to a Zionist backlash, using the familiar charge of anti-semitism against those who speak out against Israel's nearly year long genocide, a term that has been upheld by the UN general assembly and the International Court of Justice. 

 

Under this pressure, the TDSB apologized "for any harm done" and has launched an investigation.

 

While Doug Ford continues to disgustingly and disgracefully ignore the demands of Indigenous peoples upholding their rights, he has taken the opportunity to call these student field trips "disgusting" and "disgraceful", attacked the TDSB and the teachers involved and pushed Education Minister Jill Dunlop to state that “our government firmly believes that publicly funded schools and activities should never be used as vehicles for political protests." while launching their own investigation.

 

Ford said students “should be in the classroom learning about reading, writing, spelling, arithmetic — the whole shebang,” but "activist teachers" instead "want to bring them down to a rally, a Palestinian rally, and it’s ridiculous."

 

“Number one, you shouldn’t be teaching our kids,” the premier added. “But number two, stick with your knitting — stick with teaching the kids the geography, history, math, spelling, that’s what they need.”

 

The Zionist backlash against the TDSB has not gone without resistance, however. 

 

A joint statement by Toronto Palestinian Families and Toronto Jewish Families expressed their concern about the investigations and the TDSB apology, calling them “clear examples of systemic anti-Palestinian racism embedded in our government institutions."

 

“The mere presence of Palestinians and supporters of Palestinian human rights at an event should never be grounds for an apology or investigation,” they said.

 

While Ford's silence on upholding Indigenous rights is deafening, he clearly expressed contempt for teachers ("Stick with your knitting") and advocacy for 3 "R"s education guidelines make one wonder whether he should be commenting on education at all. His far right dog-whistles about left wing "indoctrination" at schools aligns with the US backlash against "gender ideology" and "critical race theory". 

 

And the Minister of Education looking to prevent any participation in any protest demonstrates the real target of their anger and fear - that people across the province might come together in a united movement of movements to bring their government down.