Advocacy groups, celebs pledge support for Clyde River court appeal
“The federal government needs to understand that Indigenous peoples have the right to make their own decisions”
Residents of Clyde river took to the streets in July 2014 to protest the National Energy Board’s approval of seismic testing in Baffin Bay and Davis Strait. (FILE PHOTO)
More than 40 advocacy groups and individuals have come together to support the Inuit of Clyde River in the community’s fight to stop seismic testing in Baffin Bay.
A network of environmental, labour and Indigenous rights groups have formed the Clyde River Solidarity Network and signed a statement in support of the Nunavut hamlet’s court appeal to stop offshore seismic testing.
Signatures include those of author and activist Noami Klein and Xena the Warrior Princess actress Lucy Lawless.
The April 16 statement calls the surveys “a clear and direct violation of international protection for the human rights of Inuit as Indigenous peoples.”
The group disputes a 2014 National Energy Board decision to approve a proposal to conduct offshore seismic surveys near Baffin Island, schedule to start in 2015’s ice-free season.
Inuit in Clyde River — and their supporters — fear that those surveys, which would use a loud underwater air cannon to map oil and gas reserves, could disturb and threaten marine animal populations in the region — a source of livelihood for many in Nunavut.
Now, the hamlet of Clyde River has gone to the Federal Court of Appeal to review the NEB’s decision, in a hearing that will take place April 20 in Toronto.
The network calls on the federal government to reverse the NEB’s decision, “and to ensure that no further permits for petroleum exploration development in Nunavut are granted unless Inuit rights are fully protected, including the right to grant or withhold free, prior and informed consent for such development.”
“The federal government needs to understand that Indigenous peoples have the right to make their own decisions about their lives and futures,” said Craig Benjamin from Amnesty International Canada, in the network’s April 16 release.
The same network is planning a public rally outside of the court in Toronto on the day the case is being heard –— April 20, at noon.
Jerry Natanine, the mayor of Clyde River, is in Toronto to attend the court hearing, where he thanked the network for its support.
“It’s really important for our people to know that they are not alone as we stand up for our rights,” Natanine said in the release.
(0) Comments