Traditional Harvesting Assistance

Resolution No. 2003-09-04

TRADITIONAL HARVESTING ASSISTANCE

WHEREAS Mushkegowuk First Nations have historically been excluded from the consultation process, employment opportunities and revenues derived from natural resource exploration and extraction activities within the Mushkegowuk traditional territory;

WHEREAS since time immemorial the Mushkegowuk First Nations have actively pursued their traditional land use and harvesting activities as part of their overall mental, emotional, physical and spiritual well being;

WHEREAS the natural resource exploration and development has contributed to the displacement of the Mushkegowuk First Nation members and has negatively impacted the traditional teachings with respect to traditional land use and harvesting activities;

WHEREAS the Mushkegowuk Chiefs in assembly have made known to Ontario and the Court their concerns that Ontario is not living up to the spirit of the Ontario Court of Appeal in Mushkegowuk v. Ontario with respect to the Ontario Works Act, specifically

Resolution No. 2003-09-04, Page 2

as it pertains to Special Assistance for traditional harvesting to social assistance recipients in remote communities where the cost of living is extremely high;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that dialogue and a process be initiated with the appropriate federal and provincial governments to create effective financial resourcing programs for traditional land use and harvesting practices for low income families and social assistance recipients in remote communities where the cost of living is exorbitant;

FURTHER BE IT RESOLVED that resourcing required for the program creation be derived from the government revenues generated from the natural resources exploration and extraction activities within Mushkegowuk traditional territory.

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