Episode 13 - Part 1 - Water Knows No Boundaries: Realeasing Toxic Tailings Ponds Won’t Either

What - Webinar previously recorded via Zoom on October 4th, 2022

Join Keepers of the Water and Environmental Defence as they dive into the alarming findings of their report which mapped decades of the toxic takeover of Indigenous territories by “tailings ponds,” massive reservoirs of oilsands wastewater.

Aliénor Rougeot, Climate and Energy Manager at Environmental Defence, will be joined by our host Jesse Cardinal, Executive Director of Keepers of the Water and local Kikino Métis.

In part one Jesse gives opening remarks by giving background to Keepers of the water and speaks briefly about the National Day of Action for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA+ people.

Who - Jesse Cardinal is from the Kikino Métis Settlement, where she grew up. She has seen many changes to the lands and waters in her life and a drastic decline in wildlife. She loves to listen to Elders talk about how the land was, even before she was born. Jesse has been a youth worker and social worker and has grown into the roles of coordinator and director for environmental groups.

Aliénor Rougeot Aliénor’s interest for human and environmental rights started during her childhood in the South of France, where she became vocal on topics of biodiversity loss, women’s rights, refugee rights and climate change. These interests led her to the intersectional topic of climate justice, but it was only when she moved to Canada at the age of 17 that she truly understood the need for broad and collective mobilization for climate action.

Music - Hymn to the Dawn by Scott Buckley – released under CC-BY 4.0. www.scottbuckley.com.au

Episode 12 - Doctor Makere Stewart Harawira speaks on Environmental Personhood

What - The "environmental personhood", or legal personhood, movement is a result of successive governments around the world failing to adequately protect the environment, as well as to the growing recognition of Indigenous Peoples' rights and Indigenous legal concepts (Lowrie, 2021; Westerman, 2019).

The movement acknowledges that environmental personhood exceeds the value to humanity. It is not that the people have a right to clean air, but that the air has a right to be clean (Parish, 2021). Rivers have become a central focus in the Rights of Nature movement.

Who - In episode 12 we hear from Makere Stewart-Harawira, a Professor in Indigenous, Environmental, and Global Studies in the College of Social Sciences and Humanities, Faculty of Education, University of Alberta.

Her research focus: is climate change, freshwater governance, Indigenous knowledge systems, ethics and values in relation to integrative approaches to ecosystem and human-more-than- human wellbeing, multi species justice and planetary stewardship.

Dr. Stewart-Harawira is an Expert Member on a number of Commissions for the International Union for the Conservation including the Commission on Ecosystem Management, joint Specialist Group on Indigenous Peoples, Customary & Environmental Laws and Human Rights and is a National Board Member for Keepers of the Water, Canada.

Music -

by Scott Buckley – released under CC-BY 4.0. www.scottbuckley.com.au

WHAT - 2023 was an un10recedented year for wildfires in the NWT with almost 70% of the population being evacuated to communities across the NWT and western Canada.

A state of emergency was called and 13 communities including Behchoko, Fort Smith, Salt River First Nation, Smith Landing First Nation, Jean Marie River, West Point First Nation, Hay River, K'atl'odeeche First Nation, Enterprise, Ndilǫ, Dettah, Yellowknife and Kakisa were evacuated.

The Dene Nation calls for the full independent public inquiry to begin as soon as possible. Dene authority and governance must be recognized
and included in all response plans going forward.

This podcast was created from the WEBINAR: Dene Nation Speaks Out on the 2023 Wildfires Devastation and Why An Independent Inquiry Is Needed which was streamed live on Mar 11, 2024

Part Four - In Part Four, moderator Bill Erasmus discuss’s the need for the people to reach out to the Commissioner of the North West Territories, to express their desire for an independent inquiry into the 2023 wildfires, then we hear closing statements from Chief Fred Sangris, Elder Francois Paulette, and Chief David Echinelle. Finally Jesse Cardinal from Keepers of the Water recaps the webinar and provides contact information for listeners to reach out to the Commissioner of the North West Territories.

Bill Erasmus - Mr. Erasmus was born in Yellowknife in 1954, and has spent much of his career in his homeland Denendeh. He acquired a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Political Science from the University of Alberta. Chief Erasmus’ political expertise and strong leadership skills have brought significant change and advancement to all Peoples of the NWT (North West Territories).

Chief Fred Sangris - was born in the Yellowknife Bay area to parents Morris (Tia Chee) and Theresa Sangris Nee’ Black and grandfather, David (olter’caulther) Kamelli Sangris – grandson of the famous 1860 chief of the Coppermine River, Nayatii. Fred is a part of the long-standing leadership from the Kemili/Sangris family lineage and is a direct descendant of Chief Nayatii of the Copper Mine River and the edge of the wood Yellowknives Dene.

Francois Paulette - A Denesuline and member of the Smith’s Landing Treaty 8 First Nation Francois Paulette survived the residential school system before going on the become the youngest Chief in the NWT Indian Brotherhood in 1971.

Chief David Echinelle - Is a traditional Chief from Begade Shotagotine, he is a traditional knowledge keeper and respected Elder, who has worked to advocate for the rights and protection of Dene lands, language and cultural practices.

Jesse Cardinal is the Executive Director of Keepers of The Water and is from the Kikino Métis Settlement, where she grew up. She has seen many changes to the lands and waters in her life and a drastic decline in wildlife. She loves to listen to Elders talk about how the land was, even before she was born. Jesse

Music: 'Shoulders Of Giants' by Scott Buckley - released under CC-BY 4.0. www.scottbuckley.com.au