RAVEN

Last week Chief Lance Haymond and Councillor Justin Roy, alongside members of the community delegation, travelled to Ottawa to take part in the Nuclear waste management forum, organized by the Assembly of First Nations.

At the forum, they spoke on Kebaowek First Nation’s ongoing efforts — including active litigation — to protect the Kichi Sibi, known today as the Ottawa River, from a proposed nuclear waste disposal facility at Chalk River Laboratories.

The Kichi Sibi is a sacred river that supports diverse ecosystems and provides drinking water to millions of people downstream in both Ontario and Quebec. The watershed is also home to important species, including moose, black bear, wolf, lake sturgeon, turtles and critical bat species. Kebaowek leaders have raised serious concerns about the long-term risks the project poses to the watershed and species at risk.

The future of nuclear waste management and Indigenous rights being upheld in Canada is still unfolding, but a resounding message rings clear: there is incredible solidarity across Turtle Island and with Kebaowek First Nation calling for free, prior, and informed consent when it comes to storing nuclear waste on Indigenous lands.

Show your support for Kebaowek First Nation by or donating to support their legal challenge at https://raventrust.com/campaigns/kebaowek/