Yesterday at 13:46

By Leith Dunick tbnewswatch.com

The time for talking is over, says Nishnawbe Aski Nation Grand Chief Stan Beardy.

Fed up with the province’s decision to go ahead with its controversial Far North Act, Beardy said they will stage peaceful protests between now and Sept. 16, when Bill 191 gets its third reading in the Ontario legislature.

"This is a starting point," Beardy said. "We have a responsibility to protect what is rightfully ours. We have the right to govern ourselves. We have a right to determine what happens on our homelands. We need to get our message out there and we need to do whatever it takes to protect our interests."

Beardy reserved the right to up the ante should the provincial Liberals pass the bill as it’s currently written. On Aug. 13 Sandy Lake First Nation Chief Adam Fiddler suggested protest could eventually lead to blockades and other protests, and Beardy refused to rule them out if their current tactics fail.

"That’s what we could be looking at. I think direct action for us is a last resort, but if that’s what it takes, that’s what we’ll have to do," Beardy said.

He reminded the politicians at Queen’s Park that 2011 is an election year, subtly hinting that if changes aren’t made to the Far North Act that gives his people final say on development of their lands their final protest could come at the ballot box.

Beardy added that Bill 191 takes away what he feels are inherent Aboriginal rights, agreed to more than a century ago.

"I think it’s important to remind the government and the voters that we have a treaty relationship. That treaty relationship, that peaceful co-existence and co-operation must be foremost and must be respected," he said.

For the next couple of weeks, Beardy expects he and his chiefs to find themselves extremely busy.

"We’re organizing petitions at the community level, we’re organizing meetings with industry and a variety of social and church groups as well as the MPPs and the political parties to make sure our position is known," Beardy said.

Among their other planned activities against the Far North Act are the distribution of pamphlets and posters, a Queen’s Park rally and a letter-writing campaign to stakeholders and news organizations.

The Far North Act would protect about 225,000 square kilometers of the Northern Ontario boreal forest, half of which is on traditional Aboriginal territory.

Beardy said NAN First Nations have not been adequately consulted and accommodated at the bill has progressed through the legislature and that informed consent of his people is required for it to go ahead.

He’s also upset that the province scheduled, then cancelled a series of five consultations scheduled for earlier this summer and that not a single member of the standing committee has visited any of the affected communities.

Beardy said if the bill passes NAN First Nations will be split along a north-south border and land-use planning will land squarely in the lap of the Ontario government, both of which he has significant issues with.

He cautioned the province to think twice before making a decision deemed unfriendly toward Aboriginal communities.

"I think it’s very important that the Ontario public understands our position, because if there’s no certainty, it’s going to be very hard to create economic activities in the Far North. Right now the Ontario government looks at the Far North a precious metals, energy development, a source of fresh water and prosperity in the future," Beardy said. "What we’re saying is without our participation, it’s going to be very hard to do business in the Far North."