ReturnToTheTarSands

One of the stops we hope to be making on our journey this summer is the Keepers of the Water III Conference, to be held in Fort Chipewyan, Alberta, from August 13th -17th. Fort Chipewyan is a First Nations community of just over a thousand people, situated along the northwestern banks of Lake Athabasca. It is also one of the communities directly downstream from tar sands development, and has experienced firsthand some of the toxic effects of tar sands extraction. The community is deeply concerned about the Athabasca River Basin, whose water is used in extraction processes in the tar sands. There have been reports of tailings leaking into the water, and Fort Chipewyan is facing rare forms of cancers and auto-immune diseases that many community members and health experts believe are the result of tar sands-related pollution. The Keepers of the Water III Conference is intended as a way for the community to inform allies of the struggles Fort Chipewyan is facing, as well as develop a strategy for protecting the land, the river system, the animals, and the people of Northern Alberta.

Read the draft agenda for the Conference:

Draft Agenda for Keepers of the Water III Conference
Fort Chipewyan, Alberta
August 13th to 17th, 2008
“Water is Boss”

Expected Outcomes

• Showcase Fort Chipewyan health and water concerns
• Responsible authorities sit up, take notice and respond appropriately
• Establish partnerships and collaborations to effectively address health and water concerns
• Identify concrete and tangible actions – next steps – and a clear plan for follow-up

Themes To Cover in Agenda

• Water
• Human Health
• Environmental Justice
• Treaty and Aboriginal Rights
• Solutions

Wednesday – August 13th

ELDERS GATHERING (DAY 1 – Agenda to be determined)

Arrival of Barge Floatilla from Fort McMurray to Fort Chipewyan (tbc)
Arrival of Barge Floatilla from Fort Fitzgerald to Fort Chipewyan (tbc)

Thursday – August 14th

ELDERS GATHERING (DAY 2 – Agenda to be determined)

FIRST NATIONS, METIS & ENGO’S SYMPOSIUM (Agenda to be determined)

First Nations/Metis:
Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation
Mikisew Cree First Nation
Metis Local #125

Environmental Non-Govt Organizations:
Canadian Boreal Initiative
Canadian Parks & Wilderness Society
Council of Canadians
Environmental & Aboriginal Guardianship through
Law & Education
Environmental Defense
Forest Ethics
Greenpeace (Canada)
Indigenous Environmental Network
Keepers of the Athabasca
Natural Resources Defense Council
Pembina Institute
Rainforest Action Network
Saskatchewan Keepers
Sierra Club of Canada (Prairie Chapter)
World Wildlife Fund

Friday – August 15th

8:00 a.m. DAILY PRESS BRIEFING

9:00 a.m. Opening Water Ceremony & Sacred Fire Lighting

All activities including lunch at Cultural Grounds

9:45 a.m. Grand Entry & Flag Raising

Communities encouraged to bring their flags to Gathering.

10:15 a.m. Introduction of Conference Chair & Co-Chair

Welcome by Fort Chipewyan Leadership

Chief Allan Adam, Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation
Chief Roxanne Marcel, Mikisew Cree First Nation
President Fred Fraser, Metis Local #125
Mayor Melissa Blake, Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo

10:45 a.m. HEALTH BREAK

11:00 a.m. Report from Elders Gathering

12:00 p.m. COMMUNITY LUNCH

Documentary Screening: Fort Chipewyan March 1st Rally at Alberta Legislature.

1:00 p.m. Opening Plenary – STATE OF THE BASIN REPORTS

All afternoon activities at Mamawi Community Hall

1. Athabasca
2. Peace
3. Slave
4. Mackenzie
5. Liard

Suggested Panelists (5-10min each)

Sam Gargan – Keepers of the Water I
Chief Roland Wilson, West Moberly First Nation, BC
Francois Paulette, Smith’s Landing First Nation
Grand Chief George Mackenzie, Deh Cho
Bill Erasmus, Vice-Chief NWT, Assembly of First Nations
Chief Albert Mercredi, Fond Du Lac, SK

1:45 p.m. QUESTION & ANSWER PERIOD/OPEN FLOOR DISCUSSION

2:15 p.m. HEALTH BREAK

2:30 p.m. YOUTH SESSION:
Tarsands 101
Organizing 101

2:30 p.m. POLITICAL PANEL

Suggested Panelists:

Rob Renner (Minister, Alberta Environment)
Gene Zwosdesky (Minister, Aboriginal Affairs)
Kevin Taft (Opposition Leader, Alberta Liberal)
David Swann (Calgary Mountainview MLA, Alberta Liberal)
Brian Mason (Leader, Alberta NDP)
John Baird, (Federal Conservative –
Minister of Environment)
Chuck Strahl (Federal Conservative –
Minister, Indian and Northern Affairs)
Loyola Hearn (Federal Conservative –
Minister, Department of Fisheries and Oceans)
Stephan Dion (Leader, Federal Liberal)
Jack Layton (Leader, Federal NDP)
Elizabeth May (Leader, Federal Green Party)
Michael Miltenberger (NWT - MLA)
Premier Floyd Roland (NWT)
Mayor Melissa Blake, RMWB

The goal of the political engagement stream would be to facilitate multi-party conversations between Aboriginal leaders and Political leaders of all Parties (opposition and sitting leadership municipally, provincially and federally). Proposed process could include: one, Political Leaders Speak on Their Respective Portfolios, and two, to speak to issues raised including: Baseline Health Study, Moratorium/No New Approvals, Duty to Consult, Land-use Framework, Cumulative Effects Assessment.

4:00 p.m. FIRST NATION CAUCUS

6:00 p.m. Dinner & Keynote Address

Keynote Speaker: Dr. John O’Connor

8:00 p.m. Documentary Screening: Lawrence Carota.

8:30 p.m. Round-Dance (Cultural Grounds)

Saturday – August 16th

8:00 a.m. PRESS BRIEFING

8:00 a.m. BREAKFAST
8:45 a.m. OPENING PRAYER

SUMMARY FROM PREVIOUS DAY

9:00 a.m. Theme Plenary – ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH & WATER

Possible Panelists:

Ron Plain (Sarnia Refineries)
Indigenous Environmental Network/Rainforest Action Network
Toxic Tar Sands Tour Delegates
Kevin Timoney (Treeline Ecological Research)
Dr. David Schindler (University of Alberta)
Ducks Unlimited (Research from water quality and water fowl issues in the Peace-Athabasca Delta)
Melody Lepine, Mikisew Cree Industry Relations

10:30 a.m. HEALTH BREAK

10:45 a.m. Theme Plenary – SOLUTIONS

Possible Presentations:

Watershed and Land-use Planning (therefore reducing cumulative impacts)
~possible speakers: Deh Cho FN/CBI & Yukon River Intertribal Watershed Council

Treaty and Aboriginal Rights
~possible speakers: Mikisew Cree Supreme Court of Canada Decision, Vivienne Biesel, Monique Ross, EAGLE, Beaver Lake First Nation, Chipewyan Prairie First Nation, Monique Ross

Community Based Monitoring
~possible speakers: Fort Chipewyan community-based monitoring program, Keepers of the Athabasca, World Wildlife Fund, Safe Drinking Water Foundation

Sustainable Economic Development??
~possible speakers: Winona LaDuke, Clayton Thomas-Muller (Indigenous Environmental Network), Tim Weiss (Pembina Institute), Larry Innes (CBI)

12:15 p.m. LUNCH
Documentary Screening: MUCHMUSIC featuring Fort Chipewyan.

1:15 p.m. YOUTH SESSION:
Action 101
Non-Violent Direct Action (Intro Training)

1:15 p.m. Theme Plenary – SOLUTIONS continued…

ACTION PLANNING SESSIONS – Breakout Sessions

1. Watershed and Land-use Planning
2. Treaty & Aboriginal Rights
3. Community Based Monitoring
4. Sustainable Economic Development

4:00 p.m. FIRST NATION CAUCUS

6:00 p.m. DINNER & DOCUMENTARY SCREENING
Documentary Screening: Karl Mattson.

Sunday – August 17th

8:00 a.m. PRESS BRIEFING

8:00 a.m. BREAKFAST

8:45 a.m. OPENING PRAYER

SUMMARY FROM PREVIOUS DAY

9:00 a.m. Opening Plenary – REPORT BACK FROM ACTION PLANNING

Possible Planning Workshops:

1. Basin Management Plan
2. Legal Strategies
3. Advocacy and Non-Violent Direct Action
4. Community Based Monitoring
5. Sustainable Economic Development

11:00 a.m. Non-Denominational Church Service

12:00 p.m. LUNCH
1:00 p.m. Breakout Sessions – RIVER BASIN DISCUSSIONS

1. Athabasca
2. Peace
3. Slave
4. Mackenzie
5. Liard

This session came out as a formal request from Keepers of the Water II in Fort St. John, BC to connect on what you’ve heard and identify your own next steps from within your specific basins.

2:00 p.m. Large Group Report Back/Wrap-up/Next Steps

3:30 p.m. Closing Remarks & Closing Ceremonies Cultural Grounds

Chief Allan Adam, Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation
Chief Roxanne Marcel, Mikisew Cree First Nation
President Fred Fraser, Metis Local #125
Mayor Melissa Blake, Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo

Filed under: Environmental Justice, RTTTS on July 30th, 2008