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Rally Saturday in Orillia will show support for Wet'suwet'en

'In Orillia, with the unceded Chippewa Tri-Council land, it’s important to do something here,' organizer says
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A drumming circle was part of a rally in Guelph in support of Wet'suwet'en First Nation. Tony Saxon/GuelphToday

A gathering in support of the people of Wet'suwet'en First Nation will take place Saturday in downtown Orillia.

A group of organizers have been holding solidarity rallies around the region to show support for the First Nation in British Columbia that is fighting a pipeline project proposed to run through its land.

“We’re really taking the lead from Wet'suwet'en hereditary chiefs. We want to show our support in Simcoe County,” said Brandon Rhéal Amyot, one of the organizers. “In Orillia, with the unceded Chippewa Tri-Council land, it’s important to do something here. This is a way for Chippewa Tri-Council members and allies to show support close to home.”

The local gathering, beginning at the corner of Mississaga and West streets at 3 p.m., will be in support of the wishes of the Wet'suwet'en that the RCMP leave the First Nation and that federal officials meet with hereditary chiefs “in the spirit of reconciliation to move forward,” Amyot explained.

“We need to keep pressing the government,” they said. “It cannot just happen on the front lines. It has to happen in communities across Turtle Island. When it comes to supporting land defenders, when it comes to supporting Wet'suwet'en, every voice matters.”

Those who show up for Saturday’s rally are invited to bring their “rattles, hand drums, pipes and voices,” according to the Facebook event page. At 3 p.m., participants will start walking, then return to Mississaga and West for a ceremony.

Amyot would like to see the community well represented.

“Even those who are on the fence about this can come out and see what it’s about,” they said.


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Nathan Taylor

About the Author: Nathan Taylor

Nathan Taylor is the desk editor for Village Media's central Ontario news desk in Simcoe County and Newmarket.
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