Turtle Ceremony held opposing quarry
NORTH SHORE TOWNSHIP – Kii-Ga-Waak Nookimisuk (Grandmothers Council) held a Turtle Ceremony at the home of Rhonda and Tim Kirby near the North Shore of Lake Huron on May 18.
The Kirbys have been active for years in their efforts to stop the proposed building of a quarry in the Huron Shores Township. The site of the future quarry is home to a dense population of endangered Blanding’s Turtles. The area is a wetland that filters the water that flows into nearby Lake Lauzon and the Serpent River watershed down to Lake Huron. Saturday’s ceremony was led by Grandmother Isabelle Meawasige, a bear clan woman from Serpent River whose roots are Ojibwe and Algonquin, and assisted by Carol Shawana. The event started at 9 am and ran until 4 pm where Blain Commanda tended the Sacred Fire throughout the day.
The proposed quarry has seen opposition since the first town meeting information session held in Huron Shores in 2017. Since the first meeting, several members of Serpent River (SRFN) and Mississauga #8 First Nations have opposed this quarry, but have not felt supported in this opposition to the quarry.
Lead Grandmother Isabelle Meawasige expressed her concerns best a few years ago when she said, “The 115-hectare quarry proposed by Darien Aggregates is a ceremonial site on so-called Crown land in the township of North Shore. It would blast critical habitat for the population of Blanding’s Turtles and other species at risk. The impacts of the quarry on hunting and harvesting would be devastating, cutting and blasting moose habitat, traditional medicinal plants, and tree species. Consultation has been held behind closed doors with little input from communities. The below water table extraction will have impacts for generations. Rehabilitation of the quarry will take over 75 years to fill two man-made lakes artificially pumping from neighbouring water sources; [taking] up to 400 years to fill naturally. The land, waters, and people of this area are still dealing with health challenges from uranium mining, an abandoned Acid Plant. The Darien quarry would add further stress on the ecosystem, drinking water, and safety.”
Historian, author, and activist Janice Gamble also attended the ceremony.
“Twenty-seven participants braved the black flies [and] came out to enjoy themselves, and meet Indigenous and Algoma Mills neighbours who care deeply about preserving habitat for Blanding’s Turtles thriving undisturbed in a pristine wetland just north-east of Lake Lauzon,” said Gamble.
Like others, Gamble is deeply concerned about the proposed quarry. Community groups, including Traditional Ecological Elders (TEK), the Grandmothers Council, and North Shore Environmental Resource Association (NSERA) are all on board in opposing the quarry.
“If successful, a 100 year, 200 ft deep, 110 hectare quarry will destroy the watery homeland of turtles, moose, deer, beaver, and other species at risk such as whippoorwills and Myotis bats,” she said.
Meawasige described environmental effects of uranium mining on SRFN’s water and traditional homelands. They taught participants how to ceremonially honour the spirits of the ones that have come before us and the animals, birds, and fish we share the earth with, on behalf of seven future generations. Sacred bundles of tobacco were brought to Long Lake where it was offered to the spirit of the turtles living there. A research station is near the spot on which the offering was made.
All members of the coalition of environmentalist groups feel they have powerful traction and are proceeding with their opposition to the quarry undeterred and are grateful for the support of the Grandmothers group, TEK, and concerned community members.