A Peaceful Awareness Walk against Nuclear Waste within Treaty 3 Territories and Waterways is underway.
Ojibway Nation of Saugeen member Darlene Necan started her walk over fears of a proposed underground nuclear repository in the Ignace area.
Necan started the walk in Ignace. She also visits Sioux Lookout and Dryden before holding a peaceful ceremony at the potential site.
Necan says everyone is entitled to their own opinion but questions why the area was selected over other locations in Canada.
“We’ve got a lot of water, and that’s what I kind of fear. Because water is life. If nobody had water, we would be all gone. Animals and everybody. We need our water,” says Necan.
Necan is most upset that her community was never consulted by past leadership, noting community members never gave their consent.
She did visit the mobile information unit in Ignace and found the facts interesting, but also very scary.
“I did ask the mobile unit to come to Savant Lake and walk the other Nishnawbik through this nuclear thing because there’s a lot of them that are very unaware of this. Especially Saugeen members because they are totally lost on this.”
Necan says she’s most upset with the lack of communication.
“I’m not against employment, whatever jobs that are going to be here. Time will tell as we go how this is going to pan out. We got to work together somehow. Us natives of the land to those guys.”
“The word just ‘nuclear’ kind of makes me paranoid. I understand the modern changes and whatever. But I don’t fully understand the whole concept of it. So I need more teaching on it and more understanding, but I understand by my heart that this is not good.”
