Rolling back the Coup d’Etat: Barriere Lake Algonquins Panel** *With exerts screened from *The Invisible Nation *

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= WEDNESDAY, October 1, 6:00pm, 2008 McGill Faculty of Law, Moot Court 1st floor of New Chancellor Day Hall 3644 Peel Street Donations encouraged =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

Hear from Barriere Lake Algonquin community representatives, in the midst of an electoral campaign targeting Pontiac Riding Conservative Minister Lawrence Cannon. After racist remarks from Cannon’s assistant triggered a national media frenzy last week, Cannon was forced to meet with Barriere Lake representatives. The community had been calling for a meeting without luck since Cannon’s election in 2006 -- over the summer, they picketed his office, camped out and protested for several days in Ottawa, and peacefully sat-in in one of his constituency offices, after which some Algonquin youth and their supporters were arrested. On Friday, they finally met for brief negotiations, but Cannon would not consider agreeing to their demands.

Since the Department of Indian Affairs ousted their Customary Chief and Council in March 2008 and used the Surete du Quebec to forcibly impose the authority of a minority community faction, the Algonquins have been organizing to roll-back the quiet coup d’etat. They are campaigning to make the government honour a number of agreements, including the Trilateral, a internationally praised land co-management and resource-revenue sharing deal the Algonquins signed with Canada and Quebec in 1991. It remains unimplemented.

For more information: www.barrierelakesolidarity.blogspot.com

Donations of money are encouraged to support the community’s campaign – they need money for gas to travel. Dried goods are also welcome. For a full list of community needs: http://barrierelakesolidarity.blogspot.com/2008/03/donations.html

*Speakers*:

*Michel Thusky*: Band Manager from 1980 to 1996, he has been heavily involved in the Trilateral agreement land-use consultations and research. He is a residential school survivor, and a community spokesperson.

*Norman Matchewan*: A teacher in Barriere Lake’s Algonquin elementary school, he is Barriere Lake’s youth spokesperson.

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> featuring short exerts from:

**The Invisible Nation* Directed by Richard Desjardins and Robert Monderie

Less than two centuries ago, the Algonquin nation occupied land stretching from Laval to Lake Huron. Despite never ceding their land rights, the Algonquin today are squeezed onto small reserves, while corporations freely plunder their natural resources. Award-wining Québécois filmmaker and folksinger Richard Desjardins and Monderie expose the plight of an oft-ignored people living in our midst.

More about the film: http://www.nfb.ca/webextension/peuple-invisible/

**Co-presented by the Aborginal Law Association (ALA) of McGill University**

Collectif de Solidarité Lac Barrière ******************************************* www.solidaritelacbarriere.blogspot.com barrierelakesolidarity@gmail.com 514.398.7432