KAIROS Earth Day Action to Protect Water!
The Athabasca River flows north through the boreal forest north of Fort MacMurray.
Earth Day greetings from KAIROS!
Today, as we honour creation, KAIROS asks you to join us in advocating with your MP for the protection of Canada’s waters, and for right relationship with Indigenous peoples.
Omnibus bills C-38 and C-45 have imposed changes on more than 100 federal laws without adequate consultation with First Nations, Inuit and Metis peoples in Canada. This undermines not only the right to Free, Prior and Informed Consent as required by the U.N. Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (endorsed by Canada in November, 2010) but also section 35 of The Constitution Act (1982).
Bill C-38 threatens Indigenous rights upheld in our own Constitution by limiting environmental assessment processes and removing certain environmental protections. Bill C-45 goes even further; among other concerns, it removes more than 99% of Canada’s lakes, ponds and rivers from the environmental oversight previously provided by the Navigable Waters Protection Act.
Please visit the Our Waters, Our Life MP letter page to send a letter to your MP asking for her/his support in calling for repeal of those parts of the Bills C-38 and C-45 compromise environmental legislation and Indigenous rights.
Your letter will also be copied to the Hon. Peter Kent, Minister of the Environment; and the Hon. Bernard Valcourt, Minister of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development.
In addition, we are encouraging you, between now and June 9, to hold a community or congregational event honouring your watershed and to send us water from this to contribute to our national “gathering of the waters” action in Ottawa on June 20. More information is available at the Our Waters, Our Life action page!
From all of us at KAIROS, thanks for your dedication to ecological justice and Indigenous rights this Earth Day and every day.
