First Nations families in Ontario protest development laws by reasserting presence on the land

1 week_ago 5

Sudbury

A household from Attawapiskat First Nation is protesting caller Ontario and national authorities by travelling the stream system, wherever they're planting flags symbolizing Indigenous beingness connected the land.

Flags on Attawapiskat River are portion of protestation against authorities laws to fast-track development

Faith Greco · CBC News

· Posted: Jun 24, 2025 5:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 8 hours ago

First Nations families successful Ontario's acold northbound amusement absorption to bills 5 and C-5

Jeronimo Kataquapit and his household are planting flags and teepee poles each half-kilometre on the Attawapiskat River to amusement their continued usage of the onshore and absorption to Ontario's Bill 5 and the national government's Bill C-5.

A household travelling connected the Attawapiskat River successful Ontario's acold northbound has been planting flags — created by Attawapiskat First Nation families — arsenic a awesome of protestation after the passing of provincial and national laws created to fast-track development. 

Bill 5, the Protecting Ontario by Unleashing Our Economy Act, allows Ontario to make peculiar economical zones, wherever companies oregon projects tin beryllium exempted from having to comply with provincial laws, regulations or municipal bylaws.

Attawapiskat First Nation is downstream from the mineral-rich Ring of Fire, which Premier Doug Ford wants to designate arsenic a special economical zone. 

Bill C-5, the national One Canadian Economy Act, gives furniture the authorization to fast-track definite projects done the regulatory process, peculiarly those expected to make economical maturation for Canada.

Jeronimo Kataquapit said the extremity of the travel is to reassert Indigenous beingness connected the land. 

"We've been going ahead, mounting up a clump of flagpoles of not conscionable the Attawapiskat First Nation flag, but a batch of household flags," helium said.

Kataquapit explained the flags person been customized by Attawapiskat families to see elements similar signatures, manus prints and idiosyncratic messages. 

Photo of a manus  painted emblem  that says, "Our Land Matters."

Several families from Attawapiskat person created flags that Kataquapit and his household person been planting on their journey. (Jeronimo Kataquapit/Facebook )

"Our archetypal steps are to conscionable reassert our beingness wrong our ain home," Kataquapit said. "One of the things that we commonly perceive is ... nary 1 lives these ways anymore. The aged ways are gone… which couldn't beryllium further from the truth."

After planting flags wherever the Attawapiskat and Muketei rivers meet, Kataquapit said the radical plans to question further upriver to add teepee poles each fractional kilometre connected some sides of the Attawapiskat River.

"We're saying, 'OK, you privation hard impervious that we're here. We are here.' And these teepee poles volition besides incorporate messages," Kataquapit said. "They mightiness incorporate wood carvings, they mightiness incorporate possibly overgarment of people's hands… to amusement that we are here. We usage the land. This is our home, and you can't travel successful present without our consent." 

'A direct onslaught connected america arsenic a people'

Kataquapit said portion he's personally against mining successful the Ring of Fire, immoderate task connected their territory has to spell done consultation with the First Nation communities successful the area.

He said documenting the protestation done regular livestreams and societal media updates is simply a important portion of the protesters' strategy, since protests successful distant areas tin different beryllium ignored.

He said helium plans to enactment connected the onshore for the full summertime and perchance into the autumn oregon winter.

"I astir apt won't beryllium going backmost to Attawapiskat oregon anyplace other until we spot this done the end, until we reassert our presence," helium said. 

He besides intends to conscionable with the assemblage of Neskantaga First Nation and physique an encampment on the river.

"Any onslaught connected the land, improvement connected the onshore that doesn't impact america whatsoever… is simply a nonstop onslaught connected america arsenic a people, connected our precise identity, our precise essence of who we are," Kataquapit said. 

Two men beryllium   successful  a vessel  connected  water.

Kataquapit, right, says he's been documenting the protestation done regular livestreams and societal media updates. (Jeronimo Kataquapit/Facebook)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Faith Greco is simply a quality newsman for CBC Sudbury, covering bluish Ontario. You tin scope her astatine [email protected] and connected her Twitter relationship @FaithGreco12.

    With files from Markus Schwabe

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