Northern First Nation Chiefs and leaders came together on the Attawapiskat River on July 1 to show their support for a youth led protest against Ontario’s Bill 5 and Canada’s Bill C5. They came to meet with Jeronimo Kataquapit, a First Nation youth from Attawapiskat First Nation who is leading a protest to occupy the land and water way that the people of the Attawapiskat River call home. Kataquapit and the Chiefs held a gathering that included leaders and community members and youth from Neskantaga First Nation to discuss their concerns and show to government that their people still use and live on the river.

First Nation leadership that attended the gathering included Chief Elizabeth Kataquapit of Fort Albany FN, Chief Sylvia Koostachin-Metatawabin of Attawapiskat FN, Chief Gary Quisses of Neskantaga FN, Chief Hosea Wesley of Kashechewan FN and Grand Chief Leo Friday of Mushkegowuk Council, which represents First Nations on the James Bay coast in northeastern Ontario. All the leaders stood on the bank of the Attawapiskat River surrounded by official flags from their communities to show their support and address the gathering to a live streamed audience. They arrived by float plane to this wilderness traditional location.

Mushkegowuk Council Grand Chief Friday spoke in Cree and in English at the gathering to share his support.

“We're here to support our youth and to stand up for our rights and we will continue to support them and do what we can to help them be here in protesting against Bill 5 and Bill C5,” said Grand Chief Friday.

Addressing the gathering in Cree, Chief Kataquapit stated how their community was supportive of this protest and how youth from their community plan on similar land based protests on the Albany River.

“We are very happy to be here together to meet with all our leaders to discuss all those things that will severely affect our people, especially our young people and future generations,” commented Chief Kataquapit.

Chief Koostachin-Metatawabin addressed the event in both Cree and English to share how their communities have to work together.

“We are very happy to see the support from the leadership and youth of Neskantaga. This is a heavy burden that our youth have started as it is a major undertaking for them to take on. We have to stand with one another in order to face this challenge together,” said Chief Koostachin-Metatawabin.

During a morning meeting in the rain sheltered in a wooden area where everyone gathered, Chief Wesley spoke in Cree to give his thanks.

“I am very honoured to be invited by our youth to take part in this gathering, to see the land and to see everything that our young people are doing. It's important for us to be on the land because this is our land, this is where all our families are from. Our families travelled all over this land and this is where our ancestors come from,” said Chief Wesley.

Speaking in English and in Oji-Cree, a language dialect that is closely related to James Bay Mushego Cree, Chief Quisses shared his thoughts at their meeting.

“It's very good to meet with others like this, it is a very positive thing. We put down our tobacco by the fire and it was great to be here with the Chiefs and Grand Chief and with everyone including our youth. We get more strength when we are out here on the land and I feel very proud here with everyone,” said Chief Quisses.

Jeronimo Kataquapit started his journey on the Attawapiskat River on June 16 with his brother Jonathan and their parents James Kataquapit and Monique Edwards. Jeronimo Kataquapit had the vision to start the journey as a way to bring attention to their people’s connection to the river and have First Nation youth become directly involved in protesting these government bills that will threaten First Nation rights as well as severely affect the natural
untouched northern wilderness of the Hudson Bay lowlands.

They first held events for youth in Attawapiskat FN to create and design flags that the protest group then carried onto the river to plant them on the shores to display the people’s connection to the land. Their first major stop was 200 km west of Attawapiskat FN at the confluence of the Mukutie River, also known by the James Bay Cree as ‘Attawapiskatish’ (the little Attawapiskat River). The area is well known to the people of Attawapiskat as there was a smaller historic fur trading post in this area. Many families from Attawapiskat including the Mattinas, Tomagatick, Hookimaw, Okitchquo families originated from this area and call this their home territory.

Jeronimo Kataquapit and his family then continued on their journey to a point 350 km west of Attawapiskat where they were able to meet with supporters and allies from Neskantaga First Nation who are located on Attawapiskat Lake, 120 km further west. Their camp is located close to proposed areas where possible road crossings could be developed to build an all season road to the Ring of Fire mining camps next to the Attawapiskat River. The group will be joined by other First Nations on their camp ground.