Judy Haiven writes “The mainstream media in Canada tell us that each murder of an Indigenous person is unique, and each tragedy stands on its own. But we cannot look at these cases in isolation. There is a pattern here, which becomes more and more weighty and oppressive with each death. We, as white settlers, have to see the murders of Indigenous people in Canada the way Indigenous people see them —as genocidal.”
News release by Alton Gas water protectors: “Sipekne’katik/Fort Ellis — Alton Gas has posted signs outside the Treaty Camp at the Shubenacadie River naming water protectors on site as trespassers and criminals. Grassroots Mi’kmaq water protectors have been holding down a protection camp at the Shubenacadie River for nine months to prevent Alton Gas from dumping thousands of tons of salt brine into the sacred river every day. They are outraged by Alton Gas’ bully tactics and intent to resume work on the project without allowing Sipekne’katik to complete its community consultation process.”
The federal government continues its efforts to deport Abdoul Abdi, the young man who came to Nova Scotia at the age of six, with his sister and two aunts, as jointly-sponsored refugees who fled Somalia. Abdi had asked Ralph Goodale, Minister of Public Safety, to suspend the deportation hearing while the Federal Court hears a constitutional challenge of the Minister’s decision to deport. The Minister refused this request and instead asked the Immigration and Refugee Board to proceed with a deportation hearing, hislawyer writes.
A large crowd gathered for last night’s vigil for Colten Boushie, the Saskatchewan Cree shot point blank by a farmer who was acquitted earlier that day by an all white jury. Rather than do a story we offer up some of the things that were said there.
Blankets infected with smallpox were handed by early settlers to indigenous peoples as a biological weapon. That’s no joking matter, writes Jackie Davis, who earlier this week went to a local pub where a white comedian thought otherwise. “Comedy should not be exempt from criticism. It should not be a cover for complete ignorance,” she writes.
Proud and happy to publish this poem and essay on being Black and unemployed, by the very talented Guyleigh Johnson.
Residents of a neighbouring subdivision give councillors a piece of their mind about a boundary change that now makes them part of the African Nova Scotian community of Lucasville. We filed a Freedom of Information request, and here is some of what was written. “Waterstone and Lucasville are very different communities – we have nothing in common.”
Reporter Rebecca Hussman braved last Tuesday’s snowstorm and attended a panel on environmental racism and the law. “The weakest link, they thought, is the African Nova Scotian and Mi’kmaq communities, so therefore we will locate anything and everything we’ve got to get rid of in and around those communities. We know they have no large incomes. We know their levels of education is lower. So let’s locate this dump over here…we don’t care.”
Check out the excellent first episode of the Shades of Green podcast, featuring Barabara Low, El Jones, Ingrid Waldron, Carolyn Phinney, Catherine Martin, and many more. What is environmentalism? What do we mean when we talk about “the environment” here on unceded Mi’kmaq territory? Who defines what’s included in that meaning, and what’s left out? At Shades of Green, these juicy questions have led to… well, more questions.
We talk with Sadie Beaton of the Ecology Action Centre, who put together a brand new five part podcast series on environmental justice and environmental racism everywhere, but with a focus on Nova Scotia. She talked with some fascinating folks, and the series promises to be truly excellent. A new podcast will be issued each Thursday, starting tomorrow. Sadie will write a brief intro, and offer some further reading suggestions for each one, and we are very happy she allowed us to share these write-ups on the Nova Scotia Advocate website. Stay tuned.