Everyone's Downstream II: Stop Playing Games With Our Lives
Was held November 22nd, 23rd at
The Edmonton Native Friendship Centre
This event was co-presented by OilSandsTruth.org [OST] with the Indigenous Environmental Network [IEN]
And on Friday November 21, 2008 at the University of Alberta
Dominion Launch of "State of Mine: An investigation of Canada's extractive industries," was presented by Apirg with help from OST.
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Why Everyone's Downstream II?
In the words used by the oil industry, the “upstream” location of an oil operation is where the oil is extracted. Everything else is “downstream,” from pipelines to refineries or even an upgrader located close by.
Everyone's Downstream II (November 22, 23 2008) was a conference designed to explore “further downstream” than usual. From many refinery, pipeline and proposed development locations we will hear the voices of front line communities resisting further tar sands encroachments in many places throughout North America. This included locations in areas commonly thought of as Central and Eastern Canada as well as several locations throughout the lower 48 United States.
We also went into depth with many of the peoples on issues being resisted in both British Columbia and Alberta, in relation to the 2010 Winter Olympic Games and the Tar Sands respectively. From the environment to war, housing and self determination both massive developments not only are making human lives and ecological survival far more difficult, but are also being carried out by many of the same corporations, along with participants in the North American Competitiveness Council (NACC).
Speaking with activists, scholars and front line community members from both regions, Everyone's Downstream II explored the links between Olympic and Tar Sand development-- as well as commonality in resistance, struggle and solidarity across many time zones, locations and identities for both the 2010 Winter Games in Vancouver and Whistler, and the continent wide Tar Sands Gigaproject.
The night before Everyone's Downstream, The Dominion: Canada's Grassroots News Cooperative launched State of Mine.
Canadian mining and exploration companies have created conflict from Northern BC to Thailand to Congo and back to rural Nova Scotia. Around the world, anti-mining networks have sprung up, spearheaded by communities who realize they have more to lose than to gain from open-pit megaprojects on their lands.
State of Mine: An investigation of Canada's extractive industries is the collected work of dozens of independent journalists, our effort to jump-start a much needed national debate about the future of mining. We include stories from communities spanning the globe – more stories than we could fit in this, our biggest issue ever.
Dominion editors Dru Oja Jay and Dawn Paley presented the launch of State of Mine, Friday, November 21 (2008) at the University of Alberta.
State of Mine Launch was an Ap!rg/OST co-sponsored event.
The conference was co-sponsored by the Indigenous Environmental Network [IEN] with OilSandsTruth.org [OST]
Two audio broadcasts from the conference are available here:
"Slow Industrial Genocide" -- talk by Mike Mercredi
Casey Camp-Horinek Speaking at Everyone's Downstream II (CJSR Rebroadcast)
Panels were:
**Downstream by River & Downstream by Industry**
(9:00am until 12:00pm)
Casey Camp, Ponca Nation. Tar sands refinery expansion in major refinery "hub" of Oklahoma.
Kandi Mossett, Fort Berthold Indian Reservation (territory of Mandan, Arikara and Hidatsa), tar sands refinery plans.
Eriel Deranger, Rainforest Action Network [RAN] tar sands campaign, Athabasca Chipewyan/Dene First Nation. Development of tar sands in Northern Saskatchewan.
Melina Laboucan-Massimo, Lubicon Lake Indian Nation (Little Buffalo). Tar sands development as well as TransCanada Pipelines "North Central Corridor".
Steven Kozel, President--Calumet Project, Whiting, Indiana (East Chicago), British Petroleum Tar Sands Refinery Expansion.
George Poitras, member, Mikisew Cree First Nation. Impacts of tar sands develpment on Fort Chipewyan.
Dru Oja Jay, Editor, Dominion news cooperative (Montréal). Tar sands expanding into Petro Canada refinery in Québec?
Dustin Johnson, Tsimshian Nation and coordinator of North Coast Enviro Watch. Proposed Enbridge Gateway Pipeline, LNG Port near Kitimat, major Container Port near Prince Rupert and super oil and gas tanker traffic.
Lunch Break
1:00pm- 2:30pm
2010 Winter Olympics and Tar Sands Development:
Stop Playing Games with Our Lives
Introduction to the Tar Sands and 2010 Games as issues that must be connected.
--Clayton Thomas-Muller, Indigenous tar sands campaigner for the Indigenous Environmental Network [IEN]
Trade Deals and massive developments:
--The Security and Prosperity Partnership [SPP] and Tar Sands Development.
Gordon Laxer, Director, Parkland Institute.
Brief overview of SPP and 2010 Olympic Developments presented by hosts.
2:45pm-4:00pm
Greenwashing and massive developments
--corporate greenwashing in the Alberta Tar Sands.
Petr Cizek, independent environmental consultant and PhD Candidate, Faculty of Forestry, UBC & map designer for OilSandsTruth.org (by live audio feed)
--The Vancouver Organizing Committee (VANOC) & Greenwashing efforts.
Dawn Paley, contributing editor with the Dominion news cooperative
4:15pm-5:30
Massive Developments and connections to Wars of Aggression
-- Tar Sands feeding the War on Iraq?
Ricardo Acuña, Executive Director, Parkland Institute
-- 20th Century Wars and their ties to Olympic Games.
Dustin Johnson, member Native 2010 Resistance, coordinator North Coast Enviro Watch.
Sunday November 23, 2008.
9:00am-1:00pm
labour, housing crises, gender violence and other social impacts of massive developments.
-- Albertan Tar Sands Boom and the housing crisis.
Albertans Demand Affordable Housing Greg Farrants & Alex Caldararu
-- 2010 Winter Olympics and the housing crisis.
Carol Martin, Nisga'a/ Gitxsan nation, Downtown Eastside Women's Centre (DEWC).
Impacts of massive developments on indigenous self determination
--Impacts of the tar sands on indigenous communities in the Athabasca Region.
Mike Mercredi, community member, Fort Chipewyan
--Impacts of the 2010 Olympic Games on indigenous communities across British Columbia.
Miranda Dick, Secwepemc Nation and member, Secwepemc Native Youth Movement.
Lunch Break
2:30pm- close:
Closing Panel: 2010 Olympics and Tar Sands Gigaproject: Where do we go from here?
Conference Facebook Group:
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=42907433053
IEN Tar Sands Campaign:
http://www.ienearth.org/cits.html
Oil Sands Truth Facebook Group:
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=8351822347
