On this page, resources provided from workshop hosts at the Ki Ta Ski Naw 2019 Conference can be found. Make sure to check back, as more documents will become available to view
Community Action Package
Wa Ni Ska Tan: An Alliance of Hydro Impacted Communities
Attending Conferences or Rallies for a cause that is important to you often leaves you feeling inspired and ready to take action. With gathered new resources and connections, you might be feeling like you want to continue this work in your own community. Figuring where to start or how to begin can often seem intimidating. This package is meant to make it easier to begin channeling your energy into a cause, and provide you with some tools and ideas to get you started.
Community Journalism
Jonathan Ventura – Freelance Journalist
Journalism has the power to hold leaders accountable for their actions, but how can community members ensure journalism is exercising its true potential? This workshop will explore: how journalism and newsrooms work; how to control your story in order to effectively communicate; what makes reporting in Indigenous communities unique; and hands-on tips for pitching and writing your own article. This workshop will leave community members better prepared for when a journalist calls or when you feel ready to write your own story.
FLOOD AGREEMENTS 2.0
Julio Lucchesi Moraes – Université de Saint-Boniface
In his presentation Julio Lucchesi visually presents a partial report on resource revenue sharing, innovative finance and economic reconciliation in hydro-affected Indigenous Communities in Manitoba using examples of existing and planned dams in Canada to discuss the employment achievements/ prospects, business opportunities and profit-sharing included for First Nations, Métis and Inuit communities in these agreements.
Life Before Profit
Movimento dos Atingidos por Barragens (MAB)
We face a new crime where, once again, thousands of people were affected and hundreds of people lost their lives. In Brumadinho, Minas Gerais, the collapse of Vale’s tailings dam devastated nature, and one month after, it is still not possible to fully measure its impact. Three years after the collapse of the Fundão tailings dam in Mariana, also in located Minas Gerais, Vale who is yet unpunished does not hesitate in causing new crimes. Vale is, therefore, recidivist and responsible for another social, environmental and economic tragedy. Th is document aims at denouncing Vale’s crime through the lens of workers. We, people affected by dams who suffer the continuous violation of our rights, denounce the destruction and appropriation of natural goods, the exploitation of workers and the disrespect for communities by companies for the purpose of generating extraordinary profits.
Plenary Session Presentation
Anna Millest – Executive Assistant under Senator McCallum
In her plenary presentation Anna Millest speaks about her experience throughout the conference especially regarding gendered impacts of hydroelectric development, exploring what gender-based analysis is and how it can be applied to natural resource development projects. Anna also looks into environmental justice issues surrounding the socio-economic impacts employment, housing, education and training, health, social services and infrastructure, substance use, sex work and exploitation, violence, food security, and culture and traditions. She prposes moving forward by including Gender-Based Analysis in Environmental Assessment processes and in all government policies, programs, and initiatives.
Plenary Session Presentation
James Campbell – Director of Parliamentary Affairs under Senator McCallum
In his plenary presentation, James Campell speaks about how he got involved in his work, the Impact Assessment Bill, it’s hearing process and its implications to communities in the prairies. James also speaks about making space for and giving a voice to Indigenous people and the environment surrounding the scope of resource extraction. He goes into the gendered impacts of Kettle, Long Spruce and Limestone mega-dams as a result of man-camps; the sexual violence and empowerment of women after violation of women’s rights.
Preparing for the Next Generation of Hydro Licensing
Byron Williams, Patricia Fitzpatrick and Heather Fast – The Public Interest Law Centre (PILC), University of Winnipeg, Natural Resources Institute (NRI)
Over the last 45 years, hydroelectric development on the Churchill-Burntwood- Nelson system has had devastating and irreparable consequences on the North. The serial nature of the development agenda contributed to a patchwork system of environmental and waterpower licenses, involving an array of community agreements, monitoring arrangements and oft-extended interim licensing provisions. Access to a robust, publicly available historic documentation is fragmented, leading to an incomplete record of community initiative, as well as the corporate narrative. An important feature of the Water Power licensing system in the province is the inclusion of expiration dates. The purpose of this session is to initiate dialogue amongst potential intervenors in re-licensingapplications.
Treading Water, as Long as the Rivers Flow: Legal Research and Legal Opinion on Aboriginal and Treaty Rights to Water
Jared Wheeler – Jerch Law
Jerch Law set out to research and provide a legal opinion with respect to the broad topic of “Aboriginal Rights to water in Canadian law, through a number of “legal tests” and different methods for potentially asserting and protecting Indigenous water Rights. They provided a legal opinion and memorandum that could perhaps provide a template for communities to utilize for assessing the likelihood of success for their own claims based on the assertion of an Aboriginal and/or Treaty Right to water. This paper is a condensed version of that 65-page research memorandum/legal opinion.
Water as a Living Being/Respect/ Indigenous Perspective on Energy and Ecological Justice
Carl Wassilie Angut’aq – Yupik Biologist
In his presentation, Yupik Biologist, Carl Wassilie Angut’aq explores notions of respect for water, as a living being. He draws on Indigenous perspectives to undercover the importance of water, and shares stories of energy and ecological justice for water. Carl is a member of the Alaska Inter-Tribal Council and Alaska’s Big Village Network.