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Preserve St Lawrence River from radioactive risk – say Mohawks

“The [River] provides drinking water to some 40 million people,” says Kahnawà:ke Grand Chief Michael Ahrihron Delisle, Jr., in the joint statement issued February 9. “But for us, it’s much more than that. If there is an accident, there is no place for us to go.”

The Mohawk people have been living in the area of the Seaway for at least 9,000 years – and they’re still there today.

Mohawk Communities Oppose Nuclear Waste Shipment ,  GroundReport by  John Schertow February 14, 2011 The Mohawk Councils of Kahnawà:ke, Tyendinaga and Akwesasne have issued a joint statement rejecting the shipment of nuclear waste through the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Seaway system.On Feb. 4, the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC),  gave Bruce Power one full year to get 16 containers filled with radioactive waste to Sweden, where the waste can be recycled.

However, before the containers can get there, Bruce Power would take them on a risky tour “from Lake Huron, down the St. Clair River through to Lake Erie, Lake Ontario and then on through the St. Lawrence Seaway to the Atlantic Ocean,” notes APTN.

The potential risk of a spill has all three Mohawk communities deeply concerned, especially when it comes to the St. Lawrence River.
“The [River] provides drinking water to some 40 million people,” says Kahnawà:ke Grand Chief Michael Ahrihron Delisle, Jr., in the joint statement issued February 9. “But for us, it’s much more than that. If there is an accident, there is no place for us to go.”

The Mohawk people have been living in the area of the Seaway for at least 9,000 years – and they’re still there today.
“We wish to make it clear that we are absolutely, 100% against this plan,” says Tyendinaga Grand Chief Don Maracle. “We have an obligation to protect Mother Earth and her inhabitants. We would be derelict in our duties if we turned a blind eye to this dangerous plan.”

Thankfully, the Anishinabek and the Mohawks won’t have to face this alone. Their concerns are shared by numerous environmental groups, U.S. Republican Rep. Candice Miller and The Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities initiative, which represents 73 cities on both sides of the US/Canada border.

Mohawk Communities Oppose Nuclear Waste Shipment | GroundReport

February 16, 2011 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | Canada, indigenous issues