Innu Elder, Elizabeth Penashue, Walks in Defense of the Land

On October 12, 2009, Elizabeth Penashue, Innu elder and activist, will be leading a week-long walk to Gull Island from Happy Valley-Goose Bay, Labrador (Canada). The route of the walk follows the Mitsa-Shipu (Churchill River), and highlights the need to protect the land and her people from the proposed Lower Churchill Hydro Project. This development project would mean the construction of two hydroelectric dams on Innu territory, causing vast environmental devastation, as well as irreparable loss of Innu land, history and culture.

Elizabeth Penashue begins her walk on the day that thousands of indigenous peoples across the continent stand together and register their opposition to ongoing colonization and ecological destruction. This years’ IV Continental Summit of Indigenous Peoples of Abya Yala (the Americas) has called for a Global Mobilization entitled, “In defense of Mother Earth, Her People, and against pollution, the commercialization of life, and the criminalization of indigenous and social movements”, set to begin on October 12, 2009. This marks the day Christopher Columbus first set foot on Abya Yala, 518 years ago.

Elizabeth Penashue is an Innu woman living in Sheshatshui, Labrador. She has committed her life to protecting the land and culture for the future generations. In the last thirteen years, she has led a canoe trip and spring snowshoe walk yearly to educate the people about the importance of Mother Earth.

Elizabeth invites everyone to walk in solidarity with her and our indigenous brothers and sisters. She encourages you to participate in other actions in defense of Mother Earth. She tries to work hard to protect the animals and river, but the government is very strong.  She feels sad when she thinks about how powerful money is - that's what the government has lots of and wants more of. 

For more information about Elizabeth’s efforts to defend the land, visit: http://elizabethpenashue.blogspot.com/