Algonquin Blockade: Urgent Call for Support
by Collectif
de Solidarité Lac Barrière
 Starting at 6am this morning, families from the Algonquin
community of Barriere Lake have blockaded highway 117 in northern
Quebec.
They are demanding that the Federal and Quebec governments
uphold the agreements they signed with the community, and stop
imposing illegitimate leadership on the community in order to avoid
their responsibilities.
As of 12:30pm on Monday, the police
are saying that the Montreal police have been called in to clear the
highway, and arrest those who resist. There are currently 50 community
members and 20 non-native supporters peacefully blockading the highway.
The community needs
members of the broader public to make it clear right now that this is
unacceptable, that they have suffered enough division at the hands of
the government, and that the agreements need to be honoured.
What you can do right now to help
We need people to let the government know that they support the demands Barriere Lake has been fighting for decades.
Remind them that:
- The government should immediately cease its intimidation tactics and threats of violence
- The Federal government should honor the trilateral agreement it signed with Barriere Lake
- Express support for the Barriere Lake community's struggle for the right to choose its own leadership
- The federal government should immediately stop interfering in Barriere Lake's internal affairs
Please take 15 minutes to phone or fax a letter to some of the following:
Stephen Harper, Prime Minister of Canada
( fax: 613-941-6900 )
Lawrence Cannon, Transportation Minister and MP for Pontiac
(613 992-2940 Fax: 613 944-9376 )
Chuck Strahl, Minister of Indian Affairs
(819 997-0002 Fax: 819-953-4941)
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