KI Band Canoe Journey to Protect Watershed

Background

A team of paddlers from the KI Indigenous Nation [Kitchenuhmaykoosib Inninuwug, KI, also known as Big Trout Lake First Nation] began their canoe journey along the ancient trading rive route from their remote fly-in community to Hudson’s Bay on August 24, 2012. The trip continues until September 8.

The KI Nation is calling on Ontario to respect their deep connection to the wild Fawn River watershed – a foundation of their culture, and the threatened heart of the world’s largest intact forest. 

Through bold action campaigns KI and their supporters have stopped mining companies Platinex and God’s Lake Resources from exploring on their land.  The community has also successfully pressured the Ontario government to withdraw approximately half of their watershed from all mining activity.

But the fight isn’t over yet.  Ontario has yet to recognize KI’s right to protect their entire watershed of 13,025 square kms and to control their Homeland. The rest of the community’s watershed remains open to speculation by gold, diamond, and metals miners seeking to capitalize on Ontario’s mining boom.

Help KI protect their watershed.  Follow the expedition at www.kilands.org/waterexpedition/

“The boreal forest of Canada is the world’s greatest reservoir of fresh water and is among the largest unlogged forests left on the planet. Some of the greatest wild rivers in the world flow through territories of Indigenous Nations in Ontario’s Far North, each running free for many hundreds of km without any dams or diversions. The forest and wetlands of KI Homeland are part of the world’s largest carbon storehouse on land—a critical buffer against climate change.”

1. Read and share the latest blog posts written by the KI Nation paddlers.

–   Wild Life Everywhere – An update from the KI Nation Paddlers – Aug. 31, 2012 – http://kilands.org/?p=1278

A black wolf seen during the canoe journey.

–   Carbon Safe – An update from the KI Nation Paddlers – Aug. 30, 2012 – http://kilands.org/?p=1269

–   Keep it in the Ground – An update from the KI Nation Paddlers – Aug. 30, 2012 – http://kilands.org/?p=1262

–   Fish Pole – An Update from the KI Nation Paddlers – Aug. 29, 2012 – http://kilands.org/?p=1258

–   Rapids and Portaging – An Update from the KI Nation Paddlers – Aug. 27-28, 2012 – http://kilands.org/?p=1258

–   The Great Boreal Forest – An Update from the KI Nation Paddlers – Aug. 26, 2012 – http://kilands.org/?p=1236

2.  Embed the big, beautiful and growing KI Nation Expedition Photo Gallery on your website.  Copy and paste the code at this post – http://kilands.org/?p=1296

3. Tell the Ontario government to respect KI’s demands to govern their territory and protect their land and water from unwanted mining. http://kilands.org/tell-mcguinty-to-respect-ki-sacred-landscape/

4. Check out and share the entire canoe route (with some more awesome photos) on google maps. – http://kilands.org/?p=1192

5. Read and share some the posts written by our friends and allies!   (Apologies if I’ve missed yours.)

–  Council of Canadians “Wild Life: Update from the KI Nation Paddlers – http://canadians.org/blog/?p=16414

–  Global Green Grants Fund “A 250-mile Paddling Trek for the Wild Farm River Watershed – http://www.greengrants.org/2012/08/23/a-250-mile-paddling-trek-for-the-wild-farm-river-watershed/

–  Eco Justice – KI Nation to Paddle to Hudson’s Bay to Protect Watershed – http://www.ecojustice.ca/blog/ki-nation-to-paddle-to-hudsons-bay-to-protect-their-watershed

–  Rainforest Action Network – KI Nation Paddles 300 miles to Protect their Wild Watershed – http://understory.ran.org/2012/08/22/ki-nation-paddles-300-km-to-protect-their-wild-watershed/