Water is Sacred: Voices from the Front Lines on Sept 20

Press Release

Grassy Narrows has learned that Health Canada carried out tests on umbilical cord blood of scores of babies between 1978 and 1992. At least 143 people were identified as high-risk for mercury poisoning but Health Canada won’t reveal their names so that they can get the care they need.

Chrissy Swain was born in 1979 but has no idea if she was one of the 143. “There’s a lot of people who have had sicknesses in my age group,
and there is no diagnosis. (They) stutter or have learning problems, like they never really could learn how to read or write,” said Swain, whose left leg can involuntarily shake. She sometimes feels tongue-tied and mumbles. “Maybe (the results) would help us better understand how to help our people more.”

Read the full story here. Help get Grassy Narrows justice by sharing this story widely.

If you are in Toronto, Grassy Narrows community leaders, Indigenous water defenders and mercury experts are speaking at a public event on Tuesday September 20, 2016 at 6:30pm at University of Toronto,
Room 1101 Sanford Fleming Building, 10 King’s College Road.

Come out on September 20th to hear the stories of resilience and resistance from three inspiring Indigenous defenders fighting for clean water, government and corporate accountability, and Indigenous sovereignty. We are humbled to be able to have Judy Da Silva, Vanessa Gray, and Waawaate Fobister speak together about their experiences fighting to protect their communities’ water.

See full details here.

ILR5