Dear Indigenous Environmental Network:
There is a project here on Mohawk Nation land for Archer Daniels Midland (ADM) to build 4 grain elevators right next to a school. The band council and the Canadian government have given the go ahead. An environmental assessment was done through a contract with ADM which gave it a glowing report. The students and people of Kahnawake have done their own studies and have found the gases, grain dust, vermin, fire and explosion potential to have been overlooked. Foremost is the loss of land and the encroachment by one of the biggest food cartels in the world on our land. The people do not want it. How can it be stopped?
As well, On the CBC News on October 14th there was a report that the mulitnationals, Archer Daniels Midland and Copeland, are taking over the Canadian prairie grain business. The Canadian government under former Prime Minister Brian Mulroney changed the regulations of the grain industry so that it would open the door for the big corporations to step into Canada and take over the industry. Brian Mulroney and Nelson Rockefeller Jr., among others, are on the Board of Directors of ADM.
Kahnawake Mohawk Territory is located on the south shore of the St. Lawrence River right across from Montreal. The St. Lawrence Seaway, a railroad and a major highway run through the territory. The majority of Mohawks are opposed to the project, but construction is to begin on November 11th 1997. The mulitnationals have targeted places where they could put their grin elevators right across Canada. Kahnawake appears to be the site of ADM's grain elevators in the East. Out West they are working around the clock to build elevators across the priairies. In the past, grain elevators were owned by the farmers' coops which were set up in the early 1930's to stop private industries from trying to control the prices. With the new regulations the multinationals are once again privately owning the grain and setting the prices, as they did in the 1930's. The United States is coming to Canada, setting the prices and starving the Canadian farmers out of business. The multinationals will be buying up the farmland and will control the buying and selling of the grain. The U.S. presently does not need to sell grain and will use Canada as a storage place and then sell when they decide. In other words, the multinationals will buy up the grains, fix the prices, store the grain in Canada and then decide where and when to sell to the world and for how much!
According to the Royal Proclamation of 1763 the Minister of Indian Affairs and the Canadian government have a fiduciary responsiblity in regards to lands and monies set aside for Indigenous Nations. I have asked the Minister to intervene in favour of the Mohawks Nations regarding the mismanagement of land in Kahnawake as there are grain elevators being build on Indigneous land without proper environmental assessments. Also there is mismanagement of funds allocated to the Kahnawake band council, an arm of the Canadian government, and I am asking the Minister of intervene and ensure that proper environmental assessments take place before any action is taken. I am urging that the Minister subject the Kahnawake band council to a forensic audit without delay.
We need information on the environmental impact and how to stop this multinational from setting up on our land. Any assistance you can provide is greatly appreciated.
Kahn-Tineta Horn, President,
Canadian Alliance in Solidarity With Native Peoples
Canadian Alliance in Solidarity with Native Peoples (CASNP)
ATTN: Kahntinenta Horn
National Office: 39 Spadina Road, Toronto, ON, Canada, M5R 2S9
Mailing address: P.O. Box 574, Station P, Toronto, ON, Canada, M5S 2T1
Tel: (416) 972-1573
Fax: (416) 972-6232
Email: casnp@pathcom.com
WWW: http://www.pathcom.com/~casnp