Grassy Narrows marks 20 years of the blockade protecting its land from logging – CBC

Jan 02, 2023

Community members say the blockade is as urgent now as it was in 2000s

In early December 2022, community members from Grassy Narrows (also known as Asubpeeschoseewagong) braved winter temperatures to gather around a sacred fire and feast in celebration.

They were marking 20 years of that sacred fire burning — 20 years of a blockade to prevent clear-cut logging and mining from happening in their traditional territories.

It’s a blockade that’s needed as urgently now as it was in the 2000s, say community members from the Ojibway First Nation in northwestern Ontario.

“We have to keep fighting. We have to keep saying no. We have to keep protecting this place,” said Chrissy Isaacs, one of the original blockaders.

Read More: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/thunder-bay/grassy-narrows-blockade-20-anniversary-1.6699763