At 11am on the morning of February 18th, around 20 people found themselves in Longueuil in front of the offices of ArcelorMittal, one of the owners of Baffinland Iron Mines Corporation which operates the Mary River mine. They were there in solidarity with the Inuit Nuluujaat Land Guardians who are opposing the expansion of the mine on their territory. The action was initiated by a group of settlers who organize autonomously and without cis men in solidarity with struggles for decolonization.
Posters that read "Respect Inuit or Leave", with Christi Belcourt's design, were posted inside the building on Sérigny street, at the entrance to the ArcelorMittal offices. People who were present intended to show the company that the Inuit will be supported in their struggle, even as far away as Tio'tia:ke (Montreal).
On the land occupied by so-called Canada, all struggles for decolonization are linked. Responding to calls for solidarity must continue to be a priority for those who believe in the importance of the well-being of our ecosystems and justice against ongoing genocide. We should come together to support struggles for Indigenous sovereignty by giving them visibility, by organizing solidarity actions, and by sharing material resources.
In recent years, the solidarity movement that was built around the struggle of the Wet'suwet'en showed us how the construction of a network of solidarity can give strength to a struggle and force the colonial powers to retreat. We must continue to participate in the construction of this kind of movement, to support the Indigenous peoples on this continent in their processes of resurgence and sovereignty. Inuit life and culture are intrinsically interrelated with the ecosystem of Nuluujaat territory. The major upheavals that will be caused by the expansion of the mine threaten its sustainability. The hunters who walk the land directly observe the effects of the mine's activities on the populations of cariboo, seals, and narwhal. Living on Turtle Island involves a responsibility that goes beyond land ackowledgements; this responsibility means taking action. The land must be returned to those who are its traditional guardians. Projects of natural resource extraction and the exploitation of non-human beings (living and non-living) must be stopped.
It is mining corporations and financial interests based in western metropolises that threaten the survival of the ecosystems of Nuluujaat. ArcelorMittal has offices in Longueuil and a headquarters in Luxembourg. The other owner of the mine is the private investment firm The Energy and Minerals Group, based in Houston, Texas. We must listen to the Inuit traditional guardians and oppose this project, which only serves the interests of large western corporations.
Support the struggle of the Inuit of Nuluujaat!
End the Canadian colonial regime!
Defend the land against the capitalist death machine!
Useful links
To financially support the Inuit of Nuluujaat: https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-inuit-save-our-future?utm_campaign=p_cp+share-sheet&utm_medium=copy_link_all&utm_source=customer
To learn more about Mary River:
http://www.isuma.tv/find/mary%20river
On the solidarity action: https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10157690028776176&id=698691175