Last Updated on May 19, 2019
Grassy Narrows – The leadership and members of Grassy Narrows are disappointed by today’s Supreme Court of Canada decision refusing to recognize the special role that the federal government has in protecting our Treaty 3 from provincial and corporate actions. Despite this result Grassy Narrows will continue our fight to protect our lands and our people. Grassy Narrows is deeply committed to protecting the way of life of our people, upholding the rights guaranteed in Treaty 3 and providing a bright future for our members and we will continue to resist the expansion of unsustainable industrial logging in our territory. Chief Roger Fobister said:
“While we hoped the Supreme Court of Canada would respect our treaty, we are determined to see Treaty 3 respected. We expect the Government of Ontario and Canada to learn from the last ten years and come to the table ready to deal with the real needs of our people which requires ensuring a sustainable future both environmentally and economically.”
J.B. Fobister, a Grassy Narrows hunter who helped initiate the case, said:
“This has been a long fight and while we are disappointed in today’s outcome we will be continuing to fight to protect the health, welfare and culture of the people of Grassy Narrows using all the tools available to us. We believe Ontario and industry are morally and politically obliged to seek our consent before logging our lands. Our people will ensure that the government, public, corporations, and courts never forget the terrible effect that industrial logging has had on the health and welfare of our people.”
Grassy Narrows will study the result and determine what further steps need to be taken in the coming weeks.
– 30 –
Contacts:
Joseph Fobister: 807-407-2745
Chief Roger Fobister: 807-407-1574
Lawyer Robert Janes: 250-888-5269
Across the world right now, Indigenous peoples are facing a renewed assault on their lands, rights, and ways of life.
From extractive industries pushing deeper into ancestral territories, to governments rolling back hard-won protections,
the threat is global—and it is growing.
What makes this moment especially dangerous is how little attention it receives.
Stories like this are disappearing in real time. Mainstream media
barely covers it and the coverage is fragmented. The public is left without the context
needed to understand what is truly at stake.
That is exactly why IC Magazine exists..
For more than 20 years, IC has reported on Indigenous struggles worldwide — consistently, independently, and without compromise.
We don’t follow news cycles; we trace patterns. We don’t sensationalize; we provide context.
And when the world looks away, we stay focused.
But this work is increasingly difficult to sustain.
We refuse to lock our reporting behind a paywall. We don’t sell access through subscriptions.
And we don’t answer to advertisers. IC Magazine survives solely because readers like you choose to
support independent Indigenous journalism.
Please donate today if you can. Every contribution helps us to continue this crucial work.
Thank you,
John Ahni Schertow
Founder and Editor in Chief
