#Idle No More- Solidarity Spring Rally- Victoria, BC (Coast Salish Territories)

With Idle No More Founder and Organizer Sheelah Mclean, and 12 year old Singer/Songwriter and Activist Ta’ Kaiya Blaney.

Ta’ Kaiya Blaney is from the Sliammon First Nation. She is a singer, songwriter, actress and an “advocate for providing better qualities of living in Indigenous First Nations territories, and ending the oppression, racism, and corruption we face from our government and within our community.”  Ta’Kaiya has spoken at UN meetings across the globe, including The TUNZA UN children and youth conference on the environment in Bandung Indonesia, and the Rio+20 UN conference on the environment In Rio de Janiero.

Idle No More and Defenders of the Land are calling for non-indigenous peoples to join indigenous communities in coordinated non-violent direct actions.  The declaration, jointly released with Defenders of the Land, calls for a “Solidarity Spring” to precede a “Sovereignty Summer.” They have joined together to issue this common call for escalating action. “Our demands are clear and in accordance with the principles of coexistence and mutual respect between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Peoples.”

The demands include repealing sections of Bill C-45 that impact the environment along with Aboriginal and treaty rights; changing the electoral system to proportional representation; ensuring consultation happens before any legislation is introduced that impacts collective rights and the environment; the full implementation of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples; an end to the government’s policies of “extinguishment” of Aboriginal title; the full implementation of treaties; and active resistance to violence against women and a national inquiry into murdered and missing Indigenous women.

Winds of Change: Dylan James Powell and Marineland Animal Defense, Eric Nordal from Social Coast, Richard Boyce’s new enviro-project

Dylan James Powell and his Marineland Animal Defense friends are prepared to greet the 52nd season of Ontario’s Marineland.  They don’t think wild animals including bison, elk, deer, belugas, and orca whales ought to be trapped in captivity offering tricks for humans.  Dylan talks about the million dollar lawsuit Marineland has launched against him, some ex-employees who dared to speak out about what they witnessed, and the Toronto Star who reported on it.  Dylan also participates in TheVeganPolice.com, with an animal liberation podcast.  Then, Eric Nordal from Social Coast with some activist activities.  And Richard Boyce, long time forest defender on Vancouver Island and award making film-maker, and his new project – CoastalTarsands.ca.  While Enbridge has a $350 million budget for their public relations effort to convince us it’s a good idea to build pipelines through ancient forest and add hundreds of tankers to the rugged BC coastline, Richard is relying on donations to help him travel north this summer to document the beauty of the region and let people make up their own minds about whether it’d be a good idea to allow Enbridge to proceed.

We Want Change! Anti-poverty rally in Victoria May 7 2013

BC has the highest poverty rate in Canada, and no poverty reduction plan.  It’s election time in our province, and past time to focus on the high cost of poverty which requires 8-9 billion per year in health care, policing, etc.  It’s immoral, evil, and fiscally irresponsible to keep people impoverished and malnourished across the province.  A poverty reduction plan to provide social housing and other essential services would cost 3-4 billion – half what it costs to keep people poor.  On May 7th activists and friends from Vancouver and Victoria gathered outside a provincial office to show solidarity and demand real change, from whichever government is elected next week.

What you need to know about BC’s forests before election day. And, BC’s unique and newly “discovered” inland temperate rainforest – near Prince George

Dr. Darwyn Coxson, Ecosystem Science and Management Program (UNBC) shares information about this rare new find, which is already a proposed new World Heritage site in B.C.  Emerging research from the University of Northern BC has highlighted the global rarity of ancient redcedar stands of the upper Fraser River watershed east of Prince George. This forest type within BC’s inland temperate rainforest has been heavily impacted by human activities, and few ancient cedar stands remain today in the upper Fraser River watershed. Findings support the designation of these landscapes as a UNESCO World Heritage site, and researchers are proposing the immediate protection of high-conservation value stands within BC’s park system.

Also, a presentation on the NEWEST MAPS and STATUS of the Old-Growth Forests of Vancouver Island and the Southwest Mainland of BC, as well as the Ecology and Politics of these forests, by Ken Wu and TJ Watt of the Ancient Forest Alliance (an awesome organization I recommend you support) - with important information for those participating in the BC Provincial election.

Winds of Change: Eco-heroine Betty Krawczyk, Registered Dietician Vesanto Melina, and Social Coast’s Eric Nordal

Great Grandmother Betty Krawczyk is a former political prisoner, an eco-heroine who has stood in front of bulldozers and served much jail time in her efforts to protect the ancient forests and the creatures who live there.  She’s authored many books, and has recently released Betty, Blue Belle, and Bitch, inviting us to consider the child, adult, and super adult who comprise our psyches.  In the second half, Vesanto Melina, a registered dietician specializing in vegan and raw nutrition, food allergies and sensitivies, and healthful eating.  She’s co-authored several books with over 2/3 of a million copies in print in 7 languages and 15 countries.  Vesanto shares information about new research proving a plant based diet reduces heart disease, cancer, and is the best option for digestive health.  At the half, Eric Nordal from Social Coast alerts us to some of the activist activities happening around town this weekend and beyond.

 

Winds of Change: Jack Norris RD, Eric Nordal, and Ashlee Piper – Vegucated.

Jack Norris is a registered dietician who earned his RD while a vegan.  He wanted to learn how to be a particularly healthy one.  Today he shares some of the basic nutritional wisdom that people moving to a plant based diet may wish to consider.  Then, Eric Nordal with an update from the Social Coast crew.  And finally Ashlee Piper talks about the Vegucated community, which evolved after the Vegucated documentary became popular, about how vegans or vegan-curious people can get involved and ask questions of each other or share their own stories.

Winds of Change: Priscilla Feral (Friends of Animals) part ii, Nate Moss (Radical Health Alliance)

Primarily Primates is a project of the vegan Friends of Animals organization.  They care for animals who’ve been tortured in lab experiments, relieved of their duties as “pets,” or rescued from various other unnatural situations.  Today, Priscilla talks about rescued primate behaviour they’ve observed at their sanctuary, the philosophy of care they extend to our primate cousins, and expansion plans for their veterinary facilities.  In the second half is Nate Moss, representing the newly formed Radical Health Alliance, talking about the organization’s efforts to include (rather than ignore and attempt to hide) disabled, poor, homeless, and other disenfranchised citizens in Victoria BC.