Beausoleil First Nation, Christian Island, ON
Indigenous Land Defender from Gchimnissing Anishinabek (Beausoleil First Nation) is calling upon Tiny Township Council to follow in the steps of his community to help the Federally protected Forked Three-awned Grass.
Johnny Hawke of Christian Island who helped lead a blockade that stopped the construction of North Simcoe Landfill (Dump Site 41) to protect the Aliston Aquifier in 2009 wants Tiny Council to halt its planned construction of its Administration Building where the Forked Three-awned Grass is growing adjacent to the proposed site.
“My Community had to reconsider the proposed site of two key infrastructure plans, our Community Centre as well as a proposed Public Works Facility on a field purchased on Cedar Point Road in Tiny Township because of this Ice Age Grass.” Says Hawke.
The Species at Risk Act is a federal government commitment to provide legal protection of wildlife species and the conservation of their biological diversity. The purposes of the Act are to prevent Canadian indigenous species, subspecies, and distinct populations from becoming extirpated or extinct, to provide for the recovery of endangered or threatened species.
Forked Three-awned Grass is a hardy annual plant that occurs in Canada at only a handful of sites. Christian Island, Beausoleil First Nation is home to one of the largest populations of this endangered species. In 2006 The Parks Canada Agency and Beausoleil First Nation have partnered together to help recover this endangered species.
Hawke also cites and raises Treaty concerns in this issue and claims Tiny Township is occupying lands that his People was never compensated for and that Tiny needs to be environmental stewards of his Nations illegally occupied Territory he claims.
“We never have been properly compensated in the 1795 Penetanguishene Purchase Treaty # 5, The Lakes Simcoe Purchase of 1815, Treaty # 16 and the Lake Simcoe-Nottawasaga Treaty# 18 which encompass 250,000 Acres that Simcoe County unlawfully occupies. The Chippewa Tri Council submitted this outstanding injustice to Canada’s Specific Claims Branch in 1990 but Canada refused to accept this matter at that time.” explains Hawke. The Chippewa Tri Council consists the Beausoleil, Georgina Island and Rama First Nations.
In 2018 the Williams Treaty Settlement Agreement between Seven First Nations including the Chippewa Tri Councol, Ontario and Canada resolved a land issue regarding 13 Million Acres of the 1931 Williams Treaty Surrender which involved lands separate of the Preconfederation Treaties that Hawke mentions.
“In the 2018 Williams Treaty Settlement, Ontario and Canada ensure they will renew ongoing treaty relationship and foster reconciliation and understanding. Allowing a municipality to illegally occupy our Lands and be unaccountable to the Federal Species Act Risk Act violates this 2018 Agreement and is discriminatory action where we’re made to follow but Tiny Council is exempt.” claims Hawke.
Hawke who erected a 5 Week blockade of Awenda Provincial Parkin 2019 and set up a Tipi in several location in Tiny Township for Land and Shoreline Rights is no stranger to Occupations and takings claims to Court. He Self Represented for his actions in which the Crown who wanted to pursue charges of Mischief, Breach of Probation for his actions dropped their case after Hawke presented Constitutional Challenge and specific arguments in 2020.
Hawke plans on organizing a peaceful educational and arts action to raise awareness on these issues but has not disclosed what that will entail.
He is also calling upon community member of Tiny to support and work in unity with him of these complex matter in unity with Stop the Build.
“We are in the era of Truth and Reconciliation which goes beyond tokenism and wearing an orange shirt for one day in September.” Says Hawke.
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