‘We are not thugs, we are treaty partners and rights holders,’ says Fort William Chief at Land Protector rally

By Rick Garrick

THUNDER BAY — Fort William First Nation Chief Peter Collins and Nishnawbe Aski Nation Grand Chief Alvin Fiddler spoke out against a tweet by Conservative Party of Canada leadership candidate Peter MacKay on Feb. 27 in Thunder Bay. MacKay had faced criticism earlier in February over a posted and later deleted tweet expressing support for counter-protesters who took down a barricade that was put up in support of the Wet’suwet’en Hereditary Chiefs on the Canadian National Railway (CNR) tracks west of Edmonton.

“When you listen to Peter MacKay, these are not the type of leaders that we need to lead our country,” Chief Collins says. “These are not the kind of comments we need in our country — we have to build strong relationships and be strong together.”

Chief Collins says First Nations people are not terrorists or thugs.

“They are people standing up for the rights of their folks in their communities,” Chief Collins says. “As we stand united here today, it’s a strong message to the [Conservative] Party. This is not the type of leadership that they need in our country. We need to make sure Peter MacKay hears our voices loud and clear.”

Chief Collins says people across the land want to build a strong economy, a strong country and strong communities for the generations to come.

“We need to build that together with the leadership of this country,” Chief Collins says. “We can do it, we can work together. I think this country needs to understand, we committed our lands and resources. All we’re trying to do is seek the benefit. When we signed the treaty, we signed that treaty saying we want to share our resources with Canadians, we didn’t say take our resources and take [us] out of the way.”

Chief Collins and Grand Chief Fiddler delivered their comments during a Rally in Support of Land Protectors and Rights Holders outside of MacKay’s scheduled meet and greet with local Conservative Party supporters at the Finlandia Club.

“We’re here this afternoon to send a message to Peter MacKay,” Fiddler says. “We renounce violence in all forms. Mr. MacKay, we are not thugs, we are treaty partners and rights holders. The other thing I want to say is that we are here to tell Peter MacKay that inciting vigilantism against us is irresponsible and dangerous. I think about my own two children when I say this — I would not want any of your children to be targeted for violence or to be targeted because they are Indigenous.”

MacKay posted a statement on Feb. 20 where he stated that vigilante reactions are dangerous.

“Illegal blockades and vigilante reactions by those frustrated by the Prime Minister’s inaction are dangerous,” MacKay says in his statement. “We need leadership, not platitudes to resolve this crisis.”

Fort William Elder Rita Fenton, one of the hand drummers who sang at the rally, says First Nations people have always had to stand up for their lands.

“We always have to take a stand and we’re seen as: ‘Oh, look at those [Indigenous people] again, look at what they are doing, they’re holding up railways,’” Fenton says. “That’s not what it is about — it is about protecting our land. And it’s land for everyone, not just for Indigenous people, and the water. It’s to do with climate change and everything.”