Elders’ council member calls for imbalance clinic

To the Expositor:

This letter is being released with the blessing of the Wii Giin Dwin M’Kwaa Taag Zi Win Elders Council.

This letter is directed to the residents of Manitoulin Island Reserve. There are many, many people, groups and organizations who are aware of the first-ever protest on our Island on March 2012, long before Idle-No-More. Let’s set our differences aside and work together in preparing ourselves for a sickness that is not even named yet.

Our purpose then was to stop the industrial wind turbine (IWT) project based on the federal Environment Protection Act, the Environment Assessment Act and, the federal Fisheries Act. One new purpose is: to hold workshops to understand the federal legislation along with the governance manual in each chief’s possession. This includes corporate processes and requirements.

While there is still hope of stopping the corporate carnage here, everyone must become involved. As I have previously said, there should have been an Island-wide referendum to the IWT project development. There should still be a petition, a referendum to stop the spin.

It is not news that every Treaty Indian Nation is collectively owned by their members. This is what makes our self-governments unique and distinct. In this mish-mash, there are the 6 Treaty Indian chiefs who are entrusted to protect the health and well-being of all their members. They profess to live and be guided by the 7 Grandfather Teachings. Evidently, this is not so—the cost of silence must be very high. More Treaty Indians live off-reserve than on their homelands. Due process is to include those members in any project development on or near a Treaty Indian Nation. This was not done. Therefore, the IWT project is still illegal. Not only are our Inherent Rights being violated, but also our constitutional rights to be fully consulted, accommodated before consent is given. These are to be provided by the entire membership, not just a handful of decisionmakers who currently work for the minority on-reserve membership.

Well, it is time for the entire Treaty Indian membership particularly, the off-reserve members, to be given their voice back. The governance manual that each chief and councillors adheres to provides the membership with a lot of controls and authorities. Instead, the leadership is part of the conservative’s corporate agenda with no regard for the people or their lands.

Also our way of thinking should change. Should one family control all decision making on a reserve or, a town full of rich conservatives, or both? Is there too much Island racism and discrimination? Why are we not united? This must change.

This brings me to why I am writing this letter. We will prepare the people from the IWT fallout by building an imbalance clinic. There is already such a clinic and we need the same for our Island. The clinic provides stringent testing for infrasound (they can turn the volume up/down), vertigo, dizziness, sleeping and eating habit changes, earaches, and headaches from the constant ground-thumping, radiation fall-out and more. How will we ever know what is wrong with our babies when we don’t know why they are crying—a possible earache? Elders, women, mothers, aunties—do you really care?

If you believe in the health and well-being of yourselves, your family and friends, I would suggest working together to stop the spin.

Well, we know now Harper’s economic plan is to kill the Indian and force the rural folk into cities so he can control our lands. Now, the Treaty Indian chiefs are talking privatization of our Indian lands and bringing their full tax system from salaries to property taxes. Current Treaty Indians cannot afford to do this, and again, many violations.

In the meantime, all residents on Manitoulin must stay united. Please unite to continue working towards preventing those genocidal machines from ever spinning. I recommend we ask for more town hall meetings from Northland Power and Treaty Indian Chiefs to readdress the health crisis we will be facing. Or will we collectively allow Harper, Northland Power and the Treaty Indian chiefs to continue their corporate carnage on the Island people? For the duration of their illegal agreements, the people must still stay united so those contracts become non-negotiable and non-renewable.

We look forward to developing an imbalance clinic in a location with infrastructure. Planning meetings will occur. Those who want to be part of preparing the people from IWT radiation fallout are certainly welcomed.

Chi’Meegwetch to the Wii Giin Dwin M’Kwaa Taag Zi Win Elders Council in taking the lead to prevent further genocide of all peoples on one of the world’s most sacred islands.

Chi’Meegwetch to the Wii Giin Dwin M’Kwaa Taag Zi Win Elders Council’s Vision Statement—listen to your elders—we are teaching you to be elders.