Free The Falls
Middle Street, Ottawa Ottawa, ON, Canada

Listen to 3 Indigenous lawyers talk about UNDRIP and Bill C-15. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VuWtRmGIrro

Presentation by Peter Stockdale to City of Ottawa - Planning Committee re: 25 Story Miwate Private Development Proposal on Chaudiere Island People of many nati...ons have come to this ancient, natural capital to negotiate, commune with Creator at the falls, trade and fish for thousands of years, and we sit at their feet. This all began long, long before Queen Victoria. We are here to consider the fate of one of the sacred islands for all nations that Grandfather William Commanda in the beautiful vision that was presented to this Committee in 2010. But the name Miwate Private means private. And we keep being told it’s a done deal. But it has been a place of public purpose since time immemorial. Since the Algonquin offered tobacco and fished at the falls. Since the Onondaga called it the chief council fire. Since the Peacemaker showed Hiawatha the Peace Tree which grew into the American Federation and the Canadian Confederation. It was for a public purpose when the Algonquin and Nipissing chiefs were promised land grants for service in 1812 and then their leases were administered on these islands This building is contrary to the well-established public purpose of the islands entrenched in the 1854 Order in Council, the BNA Act, the federal Act respecting Certain Works on the Ottawa River, and the federal taking back of parts of the islands for public purposes in 1860, in the 1880s and 1926. It was for the common wealth that the sawmills and electric power were created. When the fort was built on the Quebec shore where Zibi is being built. And when the Canadian Air Force took back the east end of Victoria Island. It was for a public purpose that the Greber Plan established Chaudiere Island as a Central Park between Ontario and Quebec in 1950. And likewise when all the Chaudiere and Albert Islands were zoned for that purpose in 2008. But that zoning consistency suddenly ceased with the Zibi development because it became for the benefit of individuals. This building extends the financial and moral liability of the City and people of Ottawa. This is the Westminster, Mecca and Wailing Wall of this part of Turtle Island, and we are putting condos on it. The City of Ottawa has sunk the most into the recolonization of this 7,000 year old sacred site - $60M for unverified decontamination, hundreds of millions in dams and turbines. This is the cute Halloween Indian costume, the redwashed face of white supremacy in Ottawa-Gatineau today and we are all complicit. By relying entirely on the Algonquins of Ontario for cover, making them the only requirement for Algonquin consultation in the Official Plan The City of Ottawa has no credibility with status Indian communities. This reconciliation is not credible, as the Council is increasingly finding out. This is true despite driving the nearest substantial Algonquin communities 150 km away from their own mother river Ganges. Despite being paid federal employees, the chiefs and councils are less willing to let us get away with never coming to terms for hundreds of years. And our own sloppiness will cost us. The Chaudiere Islands are known for their voids. Some of the developers' boreholes seem to stop after they get to bedrock. NCC boreholes were deeper and one showed a void below bedrock. We will pay dearly for ignoring Algonquin petitions for over 150 years. Not dealing with the federal legislation, the underlying federal leases taken from the Algonquin and Nippissing, pretending that the faked deeds with their many conditions are freehold, with half Albert Island not being patented, the tax rolls not matching the zoning addresses all are a house of cards that will fall driven by our own arrogant belief that we will not be questioned and if we are, we will still get exactly what we want, because we’ve always gotten away with it. When the City approved the Zibi concept for the dashing Westeinde boys the maximum height was going to be 15 stories for all of Zibi. But it’s not theirs any more. Jeff is just the face, not the power. You are being asked to approve for Toronto’s Dream Corporation this new American building - just 2 more stories to 25 stories, reaching as high as Parliament. And the City agreed to ensure that there would be affordable housing here. No 10 story quid pro quo was established. And you know that other buildings on the island will want to be as high or higher. We must recognize that we are colonizing anew despite our honeyed words. It is us in Ottawa that drive what the federal government does here, and this has been the case since we settled here in numbers in the 1800s. We can do better than this. We must do better than this.

Your opportunity to comment until 21 February on the Ottawa Official Plan. For the Islands it says. "The Ottawa River Islands policies reinforce the importance of Zibi as an emerging 15-minute neighbourhood, a leading example of adaptive reuse, and as a unique district that bridges the cities of Ottawa and Gatineau across the Ottawa River. Other islands are culturally, historically, and symbolically significant for our city, notably linking to... the presence of the Algonquin Anishnabeg Host Nation." Leave your feedback here https://s-ca.chkmkt.com/?e=214375&h=BCEFEAAD2038A89&l=en

We are disgusted by the actions that were made by the city of ottawa on Saturday, November 21st at 3:00 AM. Although I was unable to make it onto the police bo...ard meeting call today I just want to say that I stand by every person that is speaking on it tonight. Dear Chief Sloly, Mayor Jim Watson, City Manager Kanellakos, OC Transpo General Manager John Manconi, and Councillor Diane Deans, We write to make you aware that we strongly condemn the actions taken by the Ottawa Police Service on Saturday at 3:30 am against a group of peaceful Indigenous, Black, and allied protesters. A promise had been made to the protesters that a meeting would occur (10 am) with the City politicians and other individuals who, if things went as hoped for (by all involved), could have persuaded the protesters to remove themselves from their camp. Instead of a meeting, a betrayal took place. No dialogue, just arrests by a massive group of police, assisted by OC Transpo and City employees and vehicles. What is extremely disheartening to us is the fact that sacred objects at the protest camp were seized by City employees and the police. Only some of these items were returned. Those that were returned were piled outside of 29 Hurdman, mixed in with garbage and filth, and volunteers had to sift through everything for two hours during a snowstorm to recover them. These items included a sacred grandfather drum, medicines and hand drum. Why did you not bring in an elder/spiritual advisor or knowledge keeper to receive the sacred items when the officers discovered them at the site? Why did the police liaisons appear to have no knowledge of Indigenous people or culture or protest? The items could then have been respectfully cared for by an Elder until the objects could be returned safe and sound to the person entrusted to protect them at the protest camp. Our sacred items are held in the highest respect possible by our People. No one has a right to touch them unless permission to do so has been granted by the person from whose sacred bundle the items came from. Even in a maximum security prison, guards have no right to put their hands on the spiritual medicines such as sweetgrass and cedar kept in the cell of an offender for the sake of healing. These sacred items are removed from the cell of an Indigenous inmate by Elders on contract with Correctional Services Canada before a search occurs. Your police officers have once again crossed a line. Forgiveness for doing so will not come easy. We want to know if you have at the Police Service, a person knowledgeable with our Indigenous spiritual beliefs. An Indigenous spiritual advisor should have been consulted before the camp was attacked. Why did this not occur? Signed: Albert Dumont Kyrstin Dumont

Join us and protect Akikodjiwan/Chaudiere Falls. The Falls are under threat and the Peace Tree on Victoria Island is dead! Our spirit calling is supported by traditional Algonquin Anishinabe leaders Spiritual Advisor Albert Dumont of Kitigan Zibi and Kokom Jane Chartrand of Pikwakanagan First Nations. How can you help?... freethefalls.ca what-you-can-do People attending the weekly event call in the spirits of the falls, the river and islands to reveal and free themselves in a weekly dedication . This is an event for Indigenous and non-indigenous people dedicated to the spirits of this ancient place. This is a spiritual and environmental act intended to ensure that this Vatican, this Wailing Wall, this Mecca is respected and permitted to fulfill its timeless destiny as the place of Creator's First Sacred Pipe, a place of awe. And for Kabeshinan Minitig/Victoria Island, to fulfill its original intention as a place for gathering of All Nations, trade and negotiation. We smudge, pray, sing and drum during this event. Vehicles can park up on the left as you enter Chaudiere Island, at the War Museum, in the side streets around Terrasses de la Chaudière in Gatineau or around the Zibi project on Quebec side. There is also parking on the south side of the Macdonald Parkway near the War Museum. On Chaudiere Island, walk or cycle all the way on the right to the lookout near the dam. From Ottawa, take a bus 85 to the War Museum (Vimy). From Gatineau, take any bus to Terrasses de la Chaudière and walk across the Chaudière Bridge on Eddy/Booth.

Thank You Great Spirit for Winter. Miigwetch!