Cashing in on Tar Sands: RBS, UK banks and Canada's ... - Platform

disastrous legacy especially for Aborig<strong>in</strong>al communities.The moose, fur-bear<strong>in</strong>g animals, the fish and birds aredecreas<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> population. The water is contam<strong>in</strong>ated and theair is polluted with people becom<strong>in</strong>g sick with respiratoryillnesses and diseases such as cancer. However, now <strong>in</strong>order to survive and earn a liv<strong>in</strong>g to raise families someparticipate. There are presently almost no alternatives.I’ve tried to illustrate that Indigenous people <strong>in</strong> NorthAmerica, and <strong>in</strong>deed globally, often participate <strong>in</strong> thedepletion and pollution of the natural environment by be<strong>in</strong>gworkers on these extraction projects but far too often, weare the ones who are left with the consequences. Otherthan local workers receiv<strong>in</strong>g wages, the local communitiesreceive little benefit from the extraction of natural resources<strong>in</strong> their territories with the majority of the revenue flow<strong>in</strong>gsouth or <strong>in</strong>ternationally. For example, the Aborig<strong>in</strong>alpeople of the Athabasca Delta suffer the toxic results ofthe tar sands upon which their trap-l<strong>in</strong>es are located. Forus <strong>in</strong> the Bison Lake area, much of the virg<strong>in</strong> forests havebeen clearcut, forc<strong>in</strong>g moose and their predators to moveonto neighbour<strong>in</strong>g lowlands and w<strong>in</strong>dbreaks with<strong>in</strong> theagricultural areas. On top of that, pump jacks (or ‘nodd<strong>in</strong>gdonkeys’) that pump oil and gas are poison<strong>in</strong>g animals suchas moose, water fowl and fish.Hav<strong>in</strong>g been raised there, I still f<strong>in</strong>d solace <strong>in</strong> the bushand often take my youngest son, twelve, hunt<strong>in</strong>g moose,rabbits or grouse. It is disturb<strong>in</strong>g to f<strong>in</strong>d more and moremoose <strong>in</strong> this region <strong>in</strong> poor health bear<strong>in</strong>g the brunt of acontam<strong>in</strong>ated habitat. Just last year, I hunted a moose, onlyto f<strong>in</strong>d that it was befouled by tumors <strong>in</strong> its carcass. Likewisefisherman on the Athabasca River f<strong>in</strong>d deformed fish andhave to limit their weekly consumption due to mercurylevels.All along we as Indigenous people here on earth have tosome extent participated <strong>in</strong> the destruction of home andMother Earth, I th<strong>in</strong>k now is the time to seek environmentaljustice; and help <strong>in</strong> clean<strong>in</strong>g up our aquifers, air and soil.We need to resort to our stewardship ideologies that werepracticed before immigrants settled here <strong>in</strong> North America.Billy Joe Laboucan isa Cree l<strong>in</strong>guist andspecializes <strong>in</strong> Creelanguage and cultural<strong>in</strong>struction, curriculumdevelopment,Indigenousstorytell<strong>in</strong>g, andfilmmak<strong>in</strong>g workshopsto protect, preserveand promoteIndigenous languagesand culture.19