Azraya’s friends believe her death was tied to her despair over the loss of her older brother Calvin, who died from mercury poisoning in 2014. I want them to see there’s a future coming towards them.”. The federal government has not heeded that call. On April 17, 2016, Azraya was found dead in a wooded area just across the road from Lake of the Woods District Hospital in Kenora, Ont., 90 kilometres south of Grassy Narrows. police are part of it.”. 10, 2020 Star Exclusive Anishinaabe Abinoojii Family Services, the First Nations child welfare agency that was involved with Azraya, is similarly silent. was an altercation with a police officer outside the arena in Kenora, which was caught on video. And, critically, why couldn’t police find Azraya, when she was discovered just across the road from where they’d dropped her off? give me some level of comfort. It was a few weeks later that Azraya disappeared after police dropped her off at the hospital. I hope more of the young people would do the same.”. I’m kind of struggling after losing Azraya,” she said. She wants to go back so she can graduate and make a better life for herself and her baby daughter. In addition, “Canada is one of the most water-rich countries in the world”, which is why it is shocking that the issue is occurring in the first place (Human Rights Watch, 2017). Reports show that water in the community is still not safe to drink, even after boiling. Between 1962 and 1970, the Wabigoon river an important freshwater resource in Northwestern Ontario and a major source of food supply for the Grassy Narrows and Wabaseemoong First Nations was poisoned when a pulp and paper mill discharged 20, 000 tons of mercury into the river with the permission of the Ontario government. that anyone at Grassy Narrows has been poisoned — only that some people experience symptoms of Minamata disease. For people at Grassy Narrows, Azraya’s death raised an alarm about the mental health implications of the poisoning, and how it has affected community members who weren’t even born when the river was first contaminated. We seem to be following the money trail The fur trade shifted this practice toward trapping smaller animals and trading their furs. The Journal Grassy Narrows: Community in crisis This clip from The Journal looks at the troubling violence, addiction and despair afflicting the tiny reserve town of Grassy Narrows, just north of Kenora, Ontario. WATER CRISIS. The water tower is seen on the Grassy Narrows First Nation reserve in northwestern Ontario on Friday, May 18, 2018. Azraya’s friends say it starts with winning the fight for an inquest into her death, Friends and family believe it was Azraya’s quest for help in dealing with her grief that led her to Kenora. (Ed Ou/CBC). A young, charismatic Steve Fobister appears in the documentary. Darwin has difficulty with his balance, and (Ed Ou/CBC), ©2017 CBC/Radio-Canada. A new study released today documents the very cost of ignoring the mercury crisis at Grassy Narrows. that [Calvin] went through that, it makes everybody sad. Our forthcoming print edition will further investigate the remediation plans of Dr. Rudd and his team. If Azraya was suicidal the Community members are pushing back against Ontario’s forestry regime because studies have shown that (Ed Ou/CBC), The song, which is yet unnamed, leans more toward contemporary dance music than traditional Anishinaabe drum songs. away into the woods. I urge immediate action by the Federal government to repair, upgrade, and maintain Grassy Narrows’ drinking water system. The Grassy Narrows story. Police had picked her up for public Azraya’s aunt Lorenda Kokopenace said her son Christian was stabbed in the head last October, only hours after being released from police custody. When you talk to young people at Grassy Narrows, they tilt between despair and defiance. To this date, there is still no safe tap water the land because that’s who we are.”, Steve Fobister said he tries to impart his traditional knowledge and Anishinaabe worldview in his conversations with Darwin. Taking Action. “I have so much to share. A recent health study demonstrates the depths of the health crisis experienced by the Grassy Narrows First Nation as the result of mercury poisoning, including learning disabilities and nervous system disorders among youth born long after the initial disaster. (Ed Ou/CBC). There’s nothing.”, A Grassy Narrows member undergoes a medical assessment to determine the extent of mercury poisoning in his body. In the vacuum created by this lack of answers, Azraya’s parents are left to ponder the theory that their daughter died by suicide. Tragedy runs deep in Azraya’s family, and police have typically had some involvement in it. Indigenous peoples have been victims of environmental racism for decades, with water quality and scarcity being one of the factors. “They’re never going to grow up normal,” Fobister said. “I’ve been in really dark places,” said Kyra Sinclair, “and I don’t want our younger generations to ever feel like that.”, Grassy Narrows youth enjoying the outdoors. In July, Lorenda started crowdsourcing a reward for information about the attack in the belief that police were ignoring the case. December 05, 2018. Solving the mystery of Azraya’s death has special urgency for young people in Grassy Narrows, who see her final days as the embodiment of an intergenerational tragedy unique to their community. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Colin … They are killing us,” said the tired veteran of so many battles. in the still lake nearby. Since the 1970s, the people of Grassy Narrows in Ontario, Canada, have fought for access to clean water. “Environmental racism has to stop,” DaSilva said. Traditionally, Ojibwe hunted large game for subsistence. (Ed Ou/CBC), Azraya's father, Marlin Kokopenace, far left, her mother, Christa Ackabee, second from left, and her brother Braeden, holding the sign, were in Kenora that day. Violence and a distrust of police keep spreading. “Knowing how Calvin died, we could all be dying. The government shipping bottles water to reserves is a short-term solution, so money, time, and effort need to be put towards long term solutions, such as cleaning the waterways to get rid of contaminants such as e-coli. He arrived on Grassy Narrows with a Japanese delegation in 1975 and stayed for years documenting the residents' plight. Few of them are familiar with a world beyond loss and pain and grief. Steve Fobister is among the select few who have received any compensation at all; Azraya’s brother Calvin also got some money before he died. They want to explore and I just want to make sure they have activities, things they want. Grassy Narrow’s fight for clean water began almost immediately after the discovery of mercury in the water. Despite her disability, DaSilva has helped maintain the 15-year-old (Ed Ou/CBC), “When the land is exploited by industrial development, they are killing our medicines. environment and because all we see is bad stuff. The federal government is taking important steps to address the First Nations drinking water crisis, but falls short of the strides needed to realize its crucial promise. The disability board was established in 1986 as part of a court settlement with Ontario and Canada and the two paper companies involved in the contamination. Thousands of people in First Nations communities across Canada continue to live without access to clean drinking water. Young women sing an ethereal chorus over an electronic beat while Darwin and other young men rap verses with uplifting The Wabigoon River has been sacred to the people of Grassy Narrows for generations. The 15-year-old dropped out of school after Azraya’s death. Cramped homes became scarred by violence, with teens regularly the victims. Indigenous peoples have been victims of environmental racism for decades, with water quality and scarcity being one of the factors. Bibliography. The It’s a dream his grandfather supports, even as he contemplates the fact that his grandson’s future will be tainted by mercury. with her grief. The people of Asubpeeschoseewagong (Grassy Narrows) have already paid too-high a price for the contamination of their waters. said the recent focus on remediating the river does not address the lingering issue of health care. More than a year later, no one seems to know how she got there. Given these challenges, many people turned to alcohol to ease the pain of disability or idleness. So Darwin Fobister and other youngsters have become activists in seeking the truth. Jul. of the poisoning, resulting in mass unemployment. There have been many battles — both public and private — during the decades of contamination at Grassy Narrows. what happened that night. rare. Water crisis in Indigenous Communities Across Canada . and I just needed to let go of everything.”, Looking out over the lake in Grassy Narrows. River 21 Indian Reserve. “I just want to be there for them. intoxication, but may have failed to notice she’d been injured. After government scientists first confirmed the contamination in the 1970s, Ontario closed the commercial fishery in the English-Wabigoon River system. Keewatin was held at the Kenora jail, where she went into medical distress. “If the government says no, just like that, I’d fight like hell to demand that I have it my way, even if I have to lay my life on the line,” said the then-31-year-old Fobister. feeling.”, Steve Fobister believes the clearest path to healing is for young people to reconnect with their culture. But their vulnerability is equalled by their resilience. Due to the high number of reserves experiencing 1 or more of these advisories, people have spent their whole lives without clean water, therefore having to drink from water bottles shipped from the government (Human Rights Watch, 2017). Police and hospital officials refuse to answer questions about “He’ll never be normal,” said Steve Fobister. Chayna Loon said she found a deeper connection to her heritage in April when she took part in traditional Anishinaabe healing ceremonies on the same weekend as the anniversary of Azraya’s death. She was later declared dead in hospital. This past April, on the first anniversary of her death, Azraya’s parents attended a vigil and wept quietly by the tree where their daughter’s body was discovered. “She meant so much to this whole They migrated northward and westward during the late 17th and early 18th centuries in search of animals to supply the fur trade. That’s when the trouble started. Dryden Chemical had dumped more than 20,000 pounds of mercury into the Wabigoon. “We deserve to know the truth,” said Azraya’s friend Kyra Sinclair, who is 15. The man who discovered Azraya said she appeared to have died by suicide, but her family says they have not received a copy of her autopsy report. He also has problems with memory and concentration and suffers from extreme headaches. I suffer every day.”, Steve Fobister, sitting on the seat of his walker, lives with his daughter and grandchildren. “We know the police don’t care about us,” she said. 1970: The government of Ontario closes the Wabigoon-English river system commercial fishery, removing one of the primary sources of income for residents of Grassy Narrows. Her death has become an emblem of the social devastation that followed the environmental destruction at Grassy Narrows, leaving many to wonder: If a child’s plea for help can go unanswered and the details of her death can remain In Canada, there are 3 types of water advisories: Boil Water Advisories/Orders, Do Not Consume Advisories/Orders, and Do Not Use Advisories/Orders. (Ed Ou/CBC). Some of the people in The water crisis in this Northern Ontario First Nations once again exposes the failure by the federal government to provide access to safe and clean water to First Nations. Since the government is technically not responsible for the water quality on Indigenous reserves, they do not feel obliged to solve the problem. In April, family and friends of Azraya Ackabee-Kokopenace gathered in Kenora, Ont., for a vigil marking the first anniversary of her death. (Ed Ou/CBC), A number of supporters marched through Kenora that day calling for an inquest into Azraya's death. which would prove the life of a teenager from Grassy Narrows has value. that it could facilitate the commission of an unlawful act and that the personal information in the case was highly sensitive. Japanese scientists have been studying people at Grassy Narrows and neighbouring Wabaseemoong (Whitedog) First Nation for decades, and in 2014 urged the federal government to provide care and financial support to every resident in the “I’m losing myself, I can feel it. Keewatin’s two sons, Elvis, 24, and Morris, 29, died in 1992 while trying to swim to shore after police took their boat, leaving them stranded on an island. “We are not expendable and we are important to the world and our children have to feel that.” She said teenagers in Grassy Narrows today were “just babies “I feel like the younger people are the ones who are going through a tougher time,” Chayna said. He leans heavily “I saw one kid that died in agony not so long ago. services only cover a fraction of the travel.”. She died nearby. That’s all we believe in... bad stuff.”. He said they need to understand that as Anishinaabe, they have a deep relationship with the land, and that “when we talk about One of the reasons the water crisis on Indigenous reserves has not been addressed is because the government does not regulate the water quality on reserves, like the rest of Canada (Human Rights Watch, 2017). “He might just end up being like me, not being able to walk and not being able to provide for myself the daily routine it requires to be normal. hidden from her family, what hope is there of healing? Azraya’s death marked a new chapter in this decades-old tragedy. “This really is a litmus test around government's commitment to addressing the water crisis in Indigenous communities,” said Moola. But before that, she wants to get treatment for her alcohol dependency. For years, Canada did not understand the harsh reality and extent of the problem. The lucrative fishing tourism industry near Grassy Narrows also crashed as a result If that is the case, there are questions her father, Marlin Kokopenace, wants answered. Azraya Ackabee-Kokopenace wanted help. He is healthy, handsome and energetic, as yet unmarred by the mercury — but making the same demands for compensation he does today. “They want to see things. First, there Sixty-five-year-old Steve Fobister is among the hardest hit by the mercury poisoning in Grassy Narrows. Neither the companies, the governments nor the disability board has ever admitted My research question began as: how might we treat the patients suffering from mercury poisoning in Grassy Narrows. (Ed Ou/CBC), People came from neighbouring First Nations to take part in the ceremonies. A week later, when CBC asked why the family had not been informed of the decision, the coroner’s office had a new answer: Azraya’s case would be reviewed by an internal inquest advisory committee in September. September 17, 2019. The contamination in this community of about Home. “I want the youth to see there’s a greater thing they can turn to. in most homes at Grassy Narrows. Water Canada has provided ongoing coverage of Grassy Narrows’ struggle to remediate their watershed and gain recognition and support from government and public institutions with respect to their crisis. Grassy Narrows: Community in crisis. All this came shortly after the community was relocated to a reserve, lured by the promise of better services, such as clean drinking water. Ancestors of the northern Ojibwe are thought to have originally inhabited the north shore of the upper Great Lakes. I want to get the help I think I might need. Ontario to take action. There is no help. Years of government inaction have resulted in the birth of generations of activists. Azraya’s grandmother, Mary Eliza Keewatin, died in police custody in 1999, at the age of 57. Photos by Ed Ou. to the board are denied, according to a 2014 report from the board’s chair. “These past few generations, it has been getting worse for us,” said 17-year-old Chayna Loon. Once ingested, mercury never goes away. The girl with the bright smile had just turned 14 when she left her family in Grassy Narrows First Nation in northwestern Ontario last spring in search of someone — or something — to ease her overwhelming grief. The Trudeau government has promised to end drinking water advisories in over 100 First Nations by 2021, but the solutions so far have stopped at short-term, Band-Aid fixes. It’s not the right way I want to be. After one year under a boil-water advisory, Grassy Narrows declared an official state of emergency in August 2015 due to the unsafe drinking water. As of January 2016, drinking water advisories were in effect in 85 First Nations communities across Canada, with the majority in Ontario. night she disappeared, how did police and hospital staff miss the signs and let her walk away? I actually felt wanted. Candles flickered in the pink evening light, perfectly reflected It was denied, on the basis that it might interfere with a law enforcement matter, I felt happy being there but at the same time I was crying so bad because I just felt so overwhelmed Grassy Narrows, approximately 500 kilometres northwest of Thunder Bay, has a long history with unsafe drinking water. It “bioaccumulates,” meaning it passes from one generation to the next, from mother to child, through the placenta. Operates a self government and is responsible for the day to day operations of the First Nation Community members conduct most shopping and business affairs in the city of Kenora Provides a community store called JB's Store which also serves as the Canada Azraya’s friends and family say that finding answers about how she died will help get young people in Grassy Narrows back on track. In it, she is being held to the ground by the burly male officer, begging to go home. When Azraya was struggling with her brother Calvin’s death, she asked her parents to put her in the care of a child welfare agency in Kenora so she could receive counselling. It’s a depressing It's a critical point, because any death in custody in Ontario results in a mandatory inquest. Still, they fight. reserve. no inquest. 1,000 residents has affected three generations. Azraya’s family and friends have been pushing for an inquest. blockade against logging on traditional territory. Early protests led to the arrival of the Japanese researchers, who established the human health consequences The fur trade economy transformed Ojibwe social organization and resource use. messages such as “The more youth voices, the stronger we can be / Come together in strength and unity.”. He plans to go to college and return to Grassy Narrows to help other young people express themselves in song. Grassy Narrows members are welcoming safe drinking water in their community. Medical Grassy Narrows is an Ojibway First Nation band government who inhabit northern. two communities affected by mercury. “People look at us as drunks and addicts and that’s not our fault, because we’ve grown up in a really bad Grassy Narrows. “It knocked me off my “They have to go to appointments in Winnipeg with a neurologist just about every month. 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