2008 was the year of the first Protecting Our Mother walk, which went from Grassy Narrows to Toronto.
Last year, a group of 22 youth from Grassy Narrows and several other First Nations communities walked over 1800 kilometres from Grassy Narrows to Toronto. This first Walk for Mother Earth became a catalyst for the Gathering of Mother Earth Protectors and Sovereignty Sleepover last May at Queens Park.
Their message was: respect the right of First Nations to say no to economic exploitation and environmental destruction, stop criminalizing land protectors!
The walk was organized by Chrissy Swain, who has been an integral leader in the Grassy Narrows resistance to logging on their territory, in the empowerment of youth, and the traditional resurgence of Anishnabe culture that is taking place in their community.
For more information about Grassy Narrows and their resistance to clearcut logging, click here.
