Between 1962 and 1970, the Wabigoon river an important freshwater resource in Northwestern Ontario and a major source of food supply for the Grassy Narrows and Wabaseemoong First Nations was poisoned when a pulp and paper mill discharged 20, 000 tons of mercury into the river with the permission of the Ontario government. Despite her disability, DaSilva has helped maintain the 15-year-old “What is there for the people that are crippled with mercury symptoms? They migrated northward and westward during the late 17th and early 18th centuries in search of animals to supply the fur trade. Azraya’s aunt Lorenda Kokopenace said her son Christian was stabbed in the head last October, only hours after being released from police custody. Still, they fight. The pair were believed to have been high from sniffing gas. A new study released today documents the very cost of ignoring the mercury crisis at Grassy Narrows. In 1983, a CBC documentary declared Grassy Narrows a community “on the verge of collapse.” It showed a picture of the Grade 8 class that year, and detailed the horrific fate of some of the students. The paper mill in Dryden, Ont., is located upstream from Grassy Narrows. When Azraya was struggling with her brother Calvin’s death, she asked her parents to put her in the care of a child welfare agency in Kenora so she could receive counselling. Indigenous peoples have been victims of environmental racism for decades, with water quality and scarcity being one of the factors. Grassy Narrow’s fight for clean water began almost immediately after the discovery of mercury in the water. Azraya’s friends say it starts with winning the fight for an inquest into her death, A recent health study demonstrates the depths of the health crisis experienced by the Grassy Narrows First Nation as the result of mercury poisoning, including learning disabilities and nervous system disorders among youth born long after the initial disaster. Then there’s the psychological stress of seeing your friends and family stricken with these problems. “She meant so much to this whole For people at Grassy Narrows, Azraya’s death raised an alarm about the mental health implications of the poisoning, and how it has affected community members who weren’t even born when the river was first contaminated. “People look at us as drunks and addicts and that’s not our fault, because we’ve grown up in a really bad Japanese scientists have been studying people at Grassy Narrows and neighbouring Wabaseemoong (Whitedog) First Nation for decades, and in 2014 urged the federal government to provide care and financial support to every resident in the (Ed Ou/CBC), ©2017 CBC/Radio-Canada. To this date, there is still no safe tap water This past April, on the first anniversary of her death, Azraya’s parents attended a vigil and wept quietly by the tree where their daughter’s body was discovered. into their deaths recommended that police have better resources and training to understand the history of Grassy Narrows First Nation and deal more appropriately with community members when they find them in distress in Kenora. Due to the high number of reserves experiencing 1 or more of these advisories, people have spent their whole lives without clean water, therefore having to drink from water bottles shipped from the government (Human Rights Watch, 2017). But advocates say clear-cutting will mean more mercury in the water system — which has already poisoned 90 per cent of Grassy Narrows residents. Kyra Sinclair imagines living her life away from the toxic past in Grassy Narrows. The federal government has not heeded that call. Reports show that water in the community is still not safe to drink, even after boiling. There is no help. “I can’t afford anything that would Traditionally, Ojibwe hunted large game for subsistence. three days. 1970: The government of Ontario closes the Wabigoon-English river system commercial fishery, removing one of the primary sources of income for residents of Grassy Narrows. In the 1960s and ‘70s, industrial pollution contaminated the water in Grassy Narrows (Asubpeeschoseewagong) with mercury, making it one of Canada’s worst environmental disasters. The But health services are limited to a small nursing station, and mental health counselling on the reserve is nearly non-existent. from the facility. that it could facilitate the commission of an unlawful act and that the personal information in the case was highly sensitive. night she disappeared, how did police and hospital staff miss the signs and let her walk away? Steve Fobister is among the select few who have received any compensation at all; Azraya’s brother Calvin also got some money before he died. (Ed Ou/CBC). often has the sensation that he’s going to fall forward. Cramped homes became scarred by violence, with teens regularly the victims. Azraya Ackabee-Kokopenace wanted help. On the anniversary of Azraya’s death, the Lake of the Woods District Hospital issued a statement expressing condolences, but like police, officials there refused to answer any questions about what happened the night she walked away give me some level of comfort. The lucrative fishing tourism industry near Grassy Narrows also crashed as a result We seem to be following the money trail In July, the provincial coroner’s office told CBC News that its investigation was complete but that its reports would not be made public and that there would be But Steve Fobister Taking Action. In the 1960s and ‘70s, industrial pollution contaminated the water in Grassy Narrows (Asubpeeschoseewagong) with mercury, making it one of Canada’s worst environmental disasters. A young, charismatic Steve Fobister appears in the documentary. Water crisis in Indigenous Communities Across Canada . Alex Neve, Secretary General of Amnesty International Canada, said, “The latest community health study on the Grassy Narrows First Nation is an indictment of the appalling history of government inaction and indifference. Chief Rudy Turtle says they got $5.2 million from Indigenous Services Canada and $1 million dollars from the province, so they could lift boil water advisories that had been in place for seven years since 2013, as well as extend service to new parts of the community. Candles flickered in the pink evening light, perfectly reflected The fish in the river were full Half a century after mercury contamination near Grassy Narrows First Nation, the poisoning continues to have deadly consequences — especially for youth, By Jody Porter Despite his physical challenges, 20-year-old Darwin Fobister has worked to organize enjoyable diversions for the kids, like going swimming or to the movies. The 22-year-old was in a coma for The contamination in this community of about Azraya’s grandmother, Mary Eliza Keewatin, died in police custody in 1999, at the age of 57. that anyone at Grassy Narrows has been poisoned — only that some people experience symptoms of Minamata disease. However, now that promises have been made, to help Grassy Narrows, among other communities, the government needs to be held accountable to keep their promises. clear-cutting could release even more mercury into the environment. messages such as “The more youth voices, the stronger we can be / Come together in strength and unity.”. I want to help because nobody deserves to go through what’s going on.”, Azraya's friend Chayna Loon, second from right, takes part in a sacred ceremony. (Ed Ou/CBC). The girl with the bright smile had just turned 14 when she left her family in Grassy Narrows First Nation in northwestern Ontario last spring in search of someone — or something — to ease her overwhelming grief. After decades of delay and mounting pressure from First Nations and environmental groups, the Ontario government announced in June that it would spend $85 million to clean up the mercury in the English-Wabigoon River. feeling.”, Steve Fobister believes the clearest path to healing is for young people to reconnect with their culture. Some of the people in Still, that future can be hard to see when your vision is clouded with tears. Chayna Loon said she found a deeper connection to her heritage in April when she took part in traditional Anishinaabe healing ceremonies on the same weekend as the anniversary of Azraya’s death. was an altercation with a police officer outside the arena in Kenora, which was caught on video. by mercury specialists. Keewatin’s two sons, Elvis, 24, and Morris, 29, died in 1992 while trying to swim to shore after police took their boat, leaving them stranded on an island. We are the caretakers.”, Judy DaSilva, second from right, with youth around the sacred fire at the Slant Lake blockade site that DaSilva has helped maintain for more than a decade. (Ed Ou/CBC), “When the land is exploited by industrial development, they are killing our medicines. After one year under a boil-water advisory, Grassy Narrows declared an official state of emergency in August 2015 due to the unsafe drinking water. of the poisoning, resulting in mass unemployment. The OPP won’t answer questions about the incident. He plans to go to college and return to Grassy Narrows to help other young people express themselves in song. Narrows Youth Organization. IPSM started out as the Friends of Grassy Narrows in 2003 and since branched into a broadly-focused solidarity group that also looks at other communities’ issues such as fracking, the Tar sands (Caine 2012), the Keystone Pipeline, oil spills, Sun Peaks’ development in British Columbia, and water contamination. The disease is named for the Japanese town where more than 100 people died after eating fish contaminated with mercury released into a lake by a chemical plant in the 1950s. (Ed Ou/CBC), People came from neighbouring First Nations to take part in the ceremonies. Their landbase is the 4145 ha English. Led by Darwin Fobister, they hope to release a music video on social media this fall that will pressure Jul. It’s a depressing Young women sing an ethereal chorus over an electronic beat while Darwin and other young men rap verses with uplifting The federal government is taking important steps to address the First Nations drinking water crisis, but falls short of the strides needed to realize its crucial promise. in most homes at Grassy Narrows. Thousands of people in First Nations communities across Canada continue to live without access to clean drinking water. (Ed Ou/CBC). The water tower is seen on the Grassy Narrows First Nation reserve in northwestern Ontario on Friday, May 18, 2018. police are part of it.”. in the still lake nearby. I want to get the help I think I might need. Jianne Turtle, 13, daughter of Grassy Narrows Chief Rudy Turtle, said Prime Minister Justin Trudeau “should keep his promise” to address the mercury crisis. My research question began as: how might we treat the patients suffering from mercury poisoning in Grassy Narrows. Police had picked her up for public The water crisis in this Northern Ontario First Nations once again exposes the failure by the federal government to provide access to safe and clean water to First Nations. “Knowing how Calvin died, we could all be dying. For almost 50 years, the people of Grassy Narrows have fought to make the government aware of their crisis. Given these challenges, many people turned to alcohol to ease the pain of disability or idleness. 1,000 residents has affected three generations. We probably are, already, and we don’t know what’s going to happen because nobody is helping,” said Chayna Loon, one of Azraya’s cousins. (Ed Ou/CBC), Gazing at the northern lights. First, there Years of government inaction have resulted in the birth of generations of activists. He said they need to understand that as Anishinaabe, they have a deep relationship with the land, and that “when we talk about She was gone two days before a First Nations search team found her. Azraya’s last interactions were with Ontario Provincial Police in Kenora and possibly staff at the hospital, where police say they dropped her off two days earlier. And, critically, why couldn’t police find Azraya, when she was discovered just across the road from where they’d dropped her off? “I want the youth to see there’s a greater thing they can turn to. On April 17, 2016, Azraya was found dead in a wooded area just across the road from Lake of the Woods District Hospital in Kenora, Ont., 90 kilometres south of Grassy Narrows. what happened that night. “We’re trying to fight and we’re trying to save (Ed Ou/CBC). The youngest generation at Grassy Narrows has never known a time before the poisoning. These advisories vary in terms of how restricting the rules are regarding drinking the water on reserves. Azraya's brother Braeden in a tender moment with his girlfriend, Paris Meekis. “These past few generations, it has been getting worse for us,” said 17-year-old Chayna Loon. They want to explore and I just want to make sure they have activities, things they want. Anishinaabe Abinoojii Family Services, the First Nations child welfare agency that was involved with Azraya, is similarly silent. Two of his grandchildren, Darwin and Catherine, are “severely” affected by symptoms associated with mercury poisoning. Few of them are familiar with a world beyond loss and pain and grief. “They want to see things. Frustrated by the silence, the young people at Grassy Narrows are turning to music to raise awareness about Azraya’s death. Many Chiefs of Indigenous communities believe that people on reserves do not deserve a “substandard” quality of life (Human Rights Watch, 2017). reserve. I want them to see there’s a future coming towards them.”. One 15-year-old had been Grassy Narrows Chief Rudy Turtle is the NDP candidate for Kenora.) “Knowing If Azraya was suicidal the services only cover a fraction of the travel.”. Traditional healers were invited to the community by Judy DaSilva, a 55-year-old grandmother whose mercury-related mobility issues sometimes require her to use a wheelchair. (Ed Ou/CBC). We struggle to make those appointments. Our forthcoming print edition will further investigate the remediation plans of Dr. Rudd and his team. “I’m losing myself, I can feel it. “I saw one kid that died in agony not so long ago. It was a few weeks later that Azraya disappeared after police dropped her off at the hospital. Home. Azraya’s family and friends have been pushing for an inquest. Azraya took it the worst.”. In July, Lorenda started crowdsourcing a reward for information about the attack in the belief that police were ignoring the case. It “bioaccumulates,” meaning it passes from one generation to the next, from mother to child, through the placenta. Grassy Narrows leaders marched alongside hundreds of supporters through downtown Toronto to demand action amid the ongoing mercury poisoning crisis in the northern Ontario First Nation. The improved water treatment system now provides the community with clean and safe drinking water. with her grief. Operates a self government and is responsible for the day to day operations of the First Nation Community members conduct most shopping and business affairs in the city of Kenora Provides a community store called JB's Store which also serves as the Canada the group carried homemade signs saying “Justice for Azraya.” They slowed traffic, demanding a coroner’s inquest. As of January 2016, drinking water advisories were in effect in 85 First Nations communities across Canada, with the majority in Ontario. “I feel like the younger people are the ones who are going through a tougher time,” Chayna said. (Ed Ou/CBC). I suffer every day.”, Steve Fobister, sitting on the seat of his walker, lives with his daughter and grandchildren. to the board are denied, according to a 2014 report from the board’s chair. WATER CRISIS. While Judy DaSilva and Steve Fobister fought mainly for environmental justice, the battle for the next generation is largely about social justice. “Ever since we lost Azraya, I’ve always been thinking of making a song for her and explaining how beautiful she was and how positive she was to the people,” said Darwin Fobister. He leans heavily This was news to Azraya’s family. It was denied, on the basis that it might interfere with a law enforcement matter, Her death has become an emblem of the social devastation that followed the environmental destruction at Grassy Narrows, leaving many to wonder: If a child’s plea for help can go unanswered and the details of her death can remain THE CANADIAN PRESS/Colin … “This really is a litmus test around government's commitment to addressing the water crisis in Indigenous communities,” said Moola. Asubpeechoseewagong Netum Anishinabek (Grassy Narrows First Nation) has recently completed upgrades to its water treatment system. In addition, large patrilineal clans divide… (Ed Ou/CBC). Grassy Narrows: Community in crisis. now.”, Darwin Fobister, Steve's grandson, has difficulty with his balance, problems with memory and concentration and suffers from extreme headaches. The people of Asubpeeschoseewagong (Grassy Narrows) have already paid too-high a price for the contamination of their waters. Grassy Narrows members are welcoming safe drinking water in their community. when we started the blockade, but they heard the message.”. All rights reserved. which would prove the life of a teenager from Grassy Narrows has value. In April, family and friends of Azraya Ackabee-Kokopenace gathered in Kenora, Ont., for a vigil marking the first anniversary of her death. the land because that’s who we are.”, Steve Fobister said he tries to impart his traditional knowledge and Anishinaabe worldview in his conversations with Darwin. Kenora in Ontario, Canada. 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