Episode 15 - Part 3 - Water Knows No Boundaries: Releasing Toxic Tailings Ponds Won’t Either

What - Webinar previously recorded via Zoom on October 4th, 2022

Join Keepers of the Water and Environmental Defence as they dive into the alarming findings of their report which mapped decades of the toxic takeover of Indigenous territories by “tailings ponds,” massive reservoirs of oilsands wastewater.

In part 3 Jesse starts off by giving the audience some background the Dene Nation, and Ally poses questions from the webinar viewers to Jesse and Daniel. Then Ally wraps up the webinar with closing remarks

Then Daniel a resident of fort Good Hope and a retired lawyer speaks on the Tailings Ponds and the idea of controlled release of these Tailings into the Athabasca River

Who - Jesse Cardinal is from the Kikino Métis Settlement, where she grew up. She has seen many changes to the lands and waters in her life and a drastic decline in wildlife. She loves to listen to Elders talk about how the land was, even before she was born. Jesse has been a youth worker and social worker and has grown into the roles of coordinator and director for environmental groups.

Daniel T'seleie is K'asho Got'ine Dene from Radili Ko (Fort Good Hope). He is a retired lawyer who currently works with Indigenous communities and organizations on Indigenous rights and land protection issues. Daniel is also the N.W.T. Outreach Manager with Keepers of the Water.

Aliénor Rougeot Aliénor’s interest for human and environmental rights started during her childhood in the South of France, where she became vocal on topics of biodiversity loss, women’s rights, refugee rights and climate change.

Music - Soul Searcher by Scott Buckley – released under CC-BY 4.0. www.scottbuckley.com.au

Episode 14 - Part 2 - Water Knows No Boundaries: Releasing Toxic Tailings Ponds Won’t Either

What - Webinar previously recorded via Zoom on October 4th, 2022

Join Keepers of the Water and Environmental Defence as they dive into the alarming findings of their report which mapped decades of the toxic takeover of Indigenous territories by “tailings ponds,” massive reservoirs of oilsands wastewater.

In part two Jesse starts off by giving the audience some background into Tailings Ponds and the devastating effects on the environment.

Then Daniel a resident of Fort Good Hope and a retired lawyer speaks on the Tailings Ponds and the idea of controlled release of these Tailings into the Athabasca River

Who - Jesse Cardinal is from the Kikino Métis Settlement, where she grew up. She has seen many changes to the lands and waters in her life and a drastic decline in wildlife. She loves to listen to Elders talk about how the land was, even before she was born. Jesse has been a youth worker and social worker and has grown into the roles of coordinator and director for environmental groups.

Daniel T'seleie is K'asho Got'ine Dene from Radili Ko (Fort Good Hope). He is a retired lawyer who currently works with Indigenous communities and organizations on Indigenous rights and land protection issues. Daniel is also the N.W.T. Outreach Manager with Keepers of the Water. He helps raise awareness about N.W.T. issues and concerns concerning water and builds partnerships to protect water. Daniel has been advocating for action on climate change for over a decade. He is a novice trainer in non-violent direct action tactics and strategy focusing on environmental justice and Indigenous sovereignty.

Music - Sleep by Scott Buckley – released under CC-BY 4.0. www.scottbuckley.com.au

Episode 13 - Part 1 - Water Knows No Boundaries: Realeasing Toxic Tailings Ponds Won’t Either

What - Webinar previously recorded via Zoom on October 4th, 2022

Join Keepers of the Water and Environmental Defence as they dive into the alarming findings of their report which mapped decades of the toxic takeover of Indigenous territories by “tailings ponds,” massive reservoirs of oilsands wastewater.

Aliénor Rougeot, Climate and Energy Manager at Environmental Defence, will be joined by our host Jesse Cardinal, Executive Director of Keepers of the Water and local Kikino Métis.

In part one Jesse gives opening remarks by giving background to Keepers of the water and speaks briefly about the National Day of Action for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA+ people.

Who - Jesse Cardinal is from the Kikino Métis Settlement, where she grew up. She has seen many changes to the lands and waters in her life and a drastic decline in wildlife. She loves to listen to Elders talk about how the land was, even before she was born. Jesse has been a youth worker and social worker and has grown into the roles of coordinator and director for environmental groups.

Aliénor Rougeot Aliénor’s interest for human and environmental rights started during her childhood in the South of France, where she became vocal on topics of biodiversity loss, women’s rights, refugee rights and climate change. These interests led her to the intersectional topic of climate justice, but it was only when she moved to Canada at the age of 17 that she truly understood the need for broad and collective mobilization for climate action.

Music - Hymn to the Dawn by Scott Buckley – released under CC-BY 4.0. www.scottbuckley.com.au

Episode 12 - Doctor Makere Stewart Harawira speaks on Environmental Personhood

What - The "environmental personhood", or legal personhood, movement is a result of successive governments around the world failing to adequately protect the environment, as well as to the growing recognition of Indigenous Peoples' rights and Indigenous legal concepts (Lowrie, 2021; Westerman, 2019).

The movement acknowledges that environmental personhood exceeds the value to humanity. It is not that the people have a right to clean air, but that the air has a right to be clean (Parish, 2021). Rivers have become a central focus in the Rights of Nature movement.

Who - In episode 12 we hear from Makere Stewart-Harawira, a Professor in Indigenous, Environmental, and Global Studies in the College of Social Sciences and Humanities, Faculty of Education, University of Alberta.

Her research focus: is climate change, freshwater governance, Indigenous knowledge systems, ethics and values in relation to integrative approaches to ecosystem and human-more-than- human wellbeing, multi species justice and planetary stewardship.

Dr. Stewart-Harawira is an Expert Member on a number of Commissions for the International Union for the Conservation including the Commission on Ecosystem Management, joint Specialist Group on Indigenous Peoples, Customary & Environmental Laws and Human Rights and is a National Board Member for Keepers of the Water, Canada.

Music -

by Scott Buckley – released under CC-BY 4.0. www.scottbuckley.com.au

WHAT - 2023 was an un10recedented year for wildfires in the NWT with almost 70% of the population being evacuated to communities across the NWT and western Canada.

A state of emergency was called and 13 communities including Behchoko, Fort Smith, Salt River First Nation, Smith Landing First Nation, Jean Marie River, West Point First Nation, Hay River, K'atl'odeeche First Nation, Enterprise, Ndilǫ, Dettah, Yellowknife and Kakisa were evacuated.

The Dene Nation calls for the full independent public inquiry to begin as soon as possible. Dene authority and governance must be recognized and included in all response plans going forward.

This podcast was created from the WEBINAR: Dene Nation Speaks Out on the 2023 Wildfires Devastation and Why An Independent Inquiry Is Needed which was streamed live on Mar 11, 2024

Part Four - In Part Four, moderator Bill Erasmus discuss’s the need for the people to reach out to the Commissioner of the North West Territories, to express their desire for an independent inquiry into the 2023 wildfires, then we hear closing statements from Chief Fred Sangris, Elder Francois Paulette, and Chief David Echinelle. Finally Jesse Cardinal from Keepers of the Water recaps the webinar and provides contact information for listeners to reach out to the Commissioner of the North West Territories.

Bill Erasmus - Mr. Erasmus was born in Yellowknife in 1954, and has spent much of his career in his homeland Denendeh. He acquired a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Political Science from the University of Alberta. Chief Erasmus’ political expertise and strong leadership skills have brought significant change and advancement to all Peoples of the NWT (North West Territories).

Chief Fred Sangris - was born in the Yellowknife Bay area to parents Morris (Tia Chee) and Theresa Sangris Nee’ Black and grandfather, David (olter’caulther) Kamelli Sangris – grandson of the famous 1860 chief of the Coppermine River, Nayatii. Fred is a part of the long-standing leadership from the Kemili/Sangris family lineage and is a direct descendant of Chief Nayatii of the Copper Mine River and the edge of the wood Yellowknives Dene.

Francois Paulette - A Denesuline and member of the Smith’s Landing Treaty 8 First Nation Francois Paulette survived the residential school system before going on the become the youngest Chief in the NWT Indian Brotherhood in 1971.

Chief David Echinelle - Is a traditional Chief from Begade Shotagotine, he is a traditional knowledge keeper and respected Elder, who has worked to advocate for the rights and protection of Dene lands, language and cultural practices.

Jesse Cardinal is the Executive Director of Keepers of The Water and is from the Kikino Métis Settlement, where she grew up. She has seen many changes to the lands and waters in her life and a drastic decline in wildlife. She loves to listen to Elders talk about how the land was, even before she was born. Jesse

Music: 'Shoulders Of Giants' by Scott Buckley - released under CC-BY 4.0. www.scottbuckley.com.au

WHAT - 2023 was an un10recedented year for wildfires in the NWT with almost 70% of the population being evacuated to communities across the NWT and western Canada.

A state of emergency was called and 13 communities including Behchoko, Fort Smith, Salt River First Nation, Smith Landing First Nation, Jean Marie River, West Point First Nation, Hay River, K'atl'odeeche First Nation, Enterprise, Ndilǫ, Dettah, Yellowknife and Kakisa were evacuated.

The Dene Nation calls for the full independent public inquiry to begin as soon as possible. Dene authority and governance must be recognized and included in all response plans going forward.

This podcast was created from the WEBINAR: Dene Nation Speaks Out on the 2023 Wildfires Devastation and Why An Independent Inquiry Is Needed which was streamed live on Mar 11, 2024

Part three - In Part Three Trevor Teed starts off speaking on his experience as both an evacuee and an employee of Dene Nation dealing with the Territorial Government during evacuation and the Red Cross at the evacuee centre in Edmonton. Then Jesse Cardinal of Keepers of the Water opens the webinar to other Chiefs on the call who would like to speak to their experiences. Grand Chief Wilbert Kochon of the Sahtu speaks on the lasting impacts on his community from the 2023 wildfires and the lack of experience of those leading the evacuation efforts for the GNWT. Jesse Cardinal recaps other speakers emphasis on the long standing effects of climate change including fires and drought, Dene Nation employees Wilbert Cook and Sam Bullock speak on the lack of organization and the effects on the evacuees. Then Chief Frank Andrew of Toledo wraps up part three with his communities experiences during the 2023 wildfires and the importance of recognizing climate change and it’s part in the 2023 wildfires.

Grand Chief Wilbert Kochon - Sahtu Dene Council Grand Chief and Dene Nation executive member

Chief Frank Andrew - was re-elected for another four-year term as chief of the Tulita Dene Band, in 2021

Trevor Teed - Lands and Environment director at Dene Nation, an evacuee and a Dene Nation employee who helped with evacuee response.

Wilbert Cook - Director of Housing at Dene Nation, an evacuee and a Dene Nation employee who helped with evacuee response.

Sam Bullock - Director of Fisheries at Dene Nation, an evacuee and a Dene Nation employee who helped with evacuee response.

Music: this too shall pass by Scott Buckley – released under CC-BY 4.0. www.scottbuckley.com.au

WHAT - 2023 was an unprecedented year for wildfires in the NWT with almost 70% of the population being evacuated to communities across the NWT and western Canada.

A state of emergency was called and 13 communities including Behchoko, Fort Smith, Salt River First Nation, Smith Landing First Nation, Jean Marie River, West Point First Nation, Hay River, K'atl'odeeche First Nation, Enterprise, Ndilǫ, Dettah, Yellowknife and Kakisa were evacuated.

The Dene Nation calls for the full independent public inquiry to begin as soon as possible. Dene authority and governance must be recognized and included in all response plans going forward.

This podcast was created from the WEBINAR: Dene Nation Speaks Out on the 2023 Wildfires Devastation and Why An Independent Inquiry Is Needed which was streamed live on Mar 11, 2024

Part two - Moderator Bill Erasmus recaps the Dene Nations call for an Independent inquiry into the 2023 Wildfires, then Chief Fred Sangrias speaks on his experiences during the wildfire as well as the need to train Dene people to fight fires to protect their own communities.Next, Jesse Cardinal recaps the webinar and introduces Chief David Etchinelle speak first in his Dene language and then speaks of the devastation on wildlife and the importance of traditional knowledge, as well as people in his community having to evacuate at their own cost.

Bill Erasmus - Mr. Erasmus was born in Yellowknife in 1954, and has spent much of his career in his homeland Denendeh. He acquired a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Political Science from the University of Alberta. Chief Erasmus’ political expertise and strong leadership skills have brought significant change and advancement to all Peoples of the NWT (North West Territories).

Chief Fred Sangris - was born in the Yellowknife Bay area to parents Morris (Tia Chee) and Theresa Sangris Nee’ Black and grandfather, David (olter’caulther) Kamelli Sangris – grandson of the famous 1860 chief of the Coppermine River, Nayatii. Fred is a part of the long-standing leadership from the Kemili/Sangris family lineage and is a direct descendant of Chief Nayatii of the Copper Mine River and the edge of the wood Yellowknives Dene.

Chief David Echinelle - Is a traditional Chief from Begade Shotagotine, he is a traditional knowledge keeper and respected Elder, who has worked to advocate for the rights and protection of Dene lands, language and cultural practices.

Music: "Hayden Folker - Elegy Of Dusk" is under a Creative Commons (CC BY 3.0) license:

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/b...

https://haydenfolkermusic.com

WHAT - 2023 was an unprecedented year for wildfires in the NWT with almost 70% of the population being evacuated to communities across the NWT and western Canada.

A state of emergency was called and 13 communities including Behchoko, Fort Smith, Salt River First Nation, Smith Landing First Nation, Jean Marie River, West Point First Nation, Hay River, K'atl'odeeche First Nation, Enterprise, Ndilǫ, Dettah, Yellowknife and Kakisa were evacuated.

The Dene Nation calls for the full independent public inquiry to begin as soon as possible. Dene authority and governance must be recognized and included in all response plans going forward.

This podcast was created from the WEBINAR: Dene Nation Speaks Out on the 2023 Wildfires Devastation and Why An Independent Inquiry Is Needed which was streamed live on Mar 11, 2024

Part one - Moderator Bill Erasmus introduces The Dene Nations request for an inquiry into the 2023 Wildfires, then opening remarks are delivered by Dene National Chief Gerald Antoine and panel speaker Francois Paulette discusses climate change and the need for traditional knowledge protocols.

Bill Erasmus- Mr. Erasmus was born in Yellowknife in 1954, and has spent much of his career in his homeland Denendeh. He acquired a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Political Science from the University of Alberta. Chief Erasmus’ political expertise and strong leadership skills have brought significant change and advancement to all Peoples of the NWT (North West Territories).

Gerald Antoine is the Dene National Chief and he was raised in a traditional Dene way in a community called Rabbit Skin. When he first left his home community, he went to Fort Simpson, where there was an administrative centre, residential schools, a day school and he later ended up in foster care. Antoine was motivated to learn more about his culture, language, worldview and social context after living through those experiences.

Francois Paulette - A Denesuline and member of the Smith’s Landing Treaty 8 First Nation Francois Paulette survived the residential school system before going on the become the youngest Chief in the NWT Indian Brotherhood in 1971.

Music: Autumn [Original Mix] by Imperss is licensed under a Creative Commons License. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/... Support by RFM - NCM: https://bit.ly/2xGHypM

Uranium Mining in Northern Saskatchewan: What You Need To Know Part 3―Health Impacts of Uranium Mining on Indigenous Bodies 

Join host Beverly Andrews, Dr. Dale Dewar, and Professor Douglas Brugge for a deeper dive into information on the human health impacts of uranium mining. 

Dr. Dale Dewar is a co-author with Florian Oelck of From Hiroshima to Fukushima to You. She is an associate professor in the Department of Family Medicine at the University of Saskatchewan, an active member of the International Committee of the Society of Rural Physicians of Canada, a two-term member of the Canadian Friends Service Committee, and the former Executive Director of Physicians for Global Survival. An anti-nuclear activist since the 1980s, she has published articles and spoken at conferences about nuclear proliferation.

Douglas Brugge, Professor & Chair at the Department of Public Health Sciences at the University of Connecticut School of Medicine - Doug Brugge has a Ph.D. in cellular and developmental biology from Harvard University and an MS in industrial hygiene from the Harvard School of Public Health.  He is Professor and Chair of the Department of Public Health Sciences at the University of Connecticut School of Medicine.  For over a decade, he has directed the Community Assessment of Freeway Exposure and Health, a series of community-based participatory research projects funded by NIEHS, NHLBI, NLM, EPA, HUD and the Kresge Foundation.  CAFEH has about 200 publications, including over 50 on traffic-related ultrafine particle pollution and their association with health.  He has worked in community collaborations with many neighbourhoods.

This podcast episode was edited and produced by Beverly Andrews.

This podcast was created from a live-stream webinar previously broadcast on Keepers of the Water's YouTube and Facebook channels on February 27th, 2024

Uranium Mining in Northern Saskatchewan―What You Need To Know; Part 2, Small Nuclear Modular Reactors (SMRs) and Consent in Saskatchewan: What You Haven’t Been Told Originally broadcast as a live-to-air online webinar, this four-part series was shortened to audio for your listening pleasure. We want to help you learn more about uranium mining in Northern Saskatchewan, why it is happening, and what the future looks like for Indigenous Peoples and allies resisting uranium mining and nuclear waste in their traditional territories. 

Tori Cress hosts this episode's guests, including Paul Belanger, Keepers of the Water Science Advisor. Dr. Gordon Edwards, President and co-founder of the Canadian Coalition for Nuclear Responsibility, and Benjamin Ralston BA, JD, LLM, Assistant Professor at the College of Law, University of Saskatchewan. Between our guests, you will gain decades of combined knowledge of uranium extraction and nuclear energy. You can watch the original broadcast on Facebook and YouTube. Please note the YouTube video is of lower quality due to connectivity issues during the live broadcast.

In this episode, we will hear from Dr. Gordon Edwards, president and co-founder of the Canadian Coalition for Nuclear Responsibility. Dr. Edwards is dedicated to education and research on all issues related to nuclear energy, whether civilian or military, including non-nuclear alternatives. A retired professor of mathematics and science at Vanier College, Doctor Edwards has also served as a consultant on nuclear issues for governmental and non-governmental bodies for over 45 years. He has been accepted as an expert witness by US and Canadian courts and tribunals, has cross-examined nuclear experts during provincial commissions of inquiry, and has been invited to address various countries.

Nuclear energy is not clean energy that will save us from the climate crisis. This false solution is being sold to citizens by the same industries that are the source of the climate problem. Nuclear power, including SMRs, is not a climate solution because it is filthy to mine, physically dangerous, too expensive and very slow.

The rise of nuclear energy as a solution to the climate crisis is a looming threat to clean, fresh water for the entire planet. Current extraction practices and policies have brought us to this global crisis, and colonial practices are not how we save ourselves from ourselves. Natural law shows us that we are not separate from our environment, and the time to pay attention to that teaching is now.

This episode was edited and produced by Beverly Andrews.