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International Colloquium – Indigenous Struggles for Territory: Latin America and Quebec

International Colloquium

Indigenous Struggles for Territory: Latin America and Quebec

October 12-13, 2017
Montreal, QC

Location: Room PK 1140 – Pavilion PrĂ©sident-Kennedy, UQAM

Program   |   Facebook event page   |   Colloquium videos   |   Sponsors

The central objective of the International Colloquium is to make it possible for representatives of indigenous organizations from various countries in Latin America and to present to an academic public, to members of other indigenous groups and to the public in Quebec, their experiences of struggles for territory against large extractive projects: open-pit mining, hydro-electric dams, high-voltage lines and fracking for oil and gas. The relevance of this colloquium is made even greater since Canadian mining and hydroelectric companies are front-stage actors in these projects which have devastating social and environmental effects.

Participants from Indigenous Peoples
  • RomĂ©o Saganash, Federal MP for Abitibi-James Bay-Nunavik-Eeyou
  • RĂ©al MacKenzie, Former Chief of the Innu Nation from Shefferville, QuĂ©bec
  • Angus Mayappo, Stephanie Georgekish and Louise Mayappo – customary owners of a family hunting territory at Wemindji
  • Rodney Mark, Former Chief of the Cree Nation of Wemindji and former Deputy Grand Chief of the Grand Council of the Crees of Eeyou Istchee
  • Nazario Diego, representative from Altepe Tajpianij, which gathers various Maseual (Nahua) communities in the Sierra Nororiental de Puebla (Mexico)
  • Miriam Bautista GutiĂ©rrez, representative from the Frente de Defensa del Apulco, which gathers various Nahua and mestizo communities in the Apulco Valley, Sierra Nororiental de Puebla (Mexico)
  • Alejandro Marreros Lobato, representative from the committee which opposes Almaden Mining project in Ixtacamaxtitlán, Puebla (Mexico)
  • Miguel MelĂ­n, representative of the Mapuche people (Chile)
  • Aniseto LĂłpez DĂ­az, representative of the Frente de Defensa San Miguelense, Mam, de San Miguel Ixtahuacan (Guatemala)
  • Pedro Nola Flores, President of the Congreso Ngabe-BuglĂ© (Panama)
  • Manari Ushigua, President of the Sápara nation (Ecuador)
  • Sergio Campusano, President of the Diaguitas Huasco Altinos community (Chile)
Academics and collaborators
  • Pierre Beaucage, Professor Emeritus, Department of Anthropology, University of Montreal, member of GREPIP
  • Nancy Thede, dĂ©partement de science poitique, UniversitĂ© du QuĂ©bec Ă  MontrĂ©al, member of GREPIP
  • Colin Scott, Associate Professor, Department of Anthropology, McGill University
  • Daviken Studnicki-Gizbert, Associate Professor, Department of History, McGill University
  • JosĂ© Aylwin, Coordinador del Programa de GlobalizaciĂłn y Derechos Humanos, Observatorio Ciudadano, Santiago (Chile)
  • Jon Altman, Research Professor, Alfred Deakin Institute, Deakin University, and RegNet, Australian National University
  • Pierre Trudel, Lecturer, UniversitĂ© de QuĂ©bec Ă  MontrĂ©al
  • Karine Vanthuyne, Associate Professor, Sociological and Anthropological Studies, University of Ottawa
  • Eduardo Kohn, Associate Professor, Department of Anthropology, McGill University
  • Adriana Pozos Barcelata, Ph. D. student in Political Science, UniversitĂ© du QuĂ©bec Ă  MontrĂ©al
  • Ximena Cuadra, Ph.D. student in Political Science, UniversitĂ© du QuĂ©bec Ă  MontrĂ©al
  • Leah Temper, Researcher, Autonomous University of Barcelona
  • Iokiñe RodrĂ­guez, Senior Lecturer, School of International Development, University of East Anglia
  • Pablo Mansilla Quiñones, Institute of Geography, Pontifical Catholic University of Valparaiso, Chile
  • Alessandra Devulsky, Researcher, Faculty of Law, University of Montreal
  • Teresa Peñafiel, teacher, Montessori School, in charge of the cultural event

PROGRAM
October 12 – morning session – watch video

Welcoming words – Pierre Beaucage

Opening Statement – RomĂ©o Saganash

The Northeastern Sierra de Puebla de Puebla (Mexico): Communities facing mining, hydroelectric and fracking projects (Chair: Adriana Pozos Barcelata)
The Maseualmej (Nahua) from Cuetzalan: From farmers’ cooperative to an organization in defense of the territory (Nazario Diego)

The indigenous and mestizo communities from the Apulco Valley: From local to regional action (Miriam Bautista Gutiérrez)

The impact of the Ixtacamaxtitlán mining project on indigenous rights (Alejandro Marreros Lobato)

Land Rights and Resource Extraction in Australia
Land rights and native title in remote Australia and the contests over resource extraction (Jon Altman)

October 12 – afternoon session – watch video

The Ngäbe and Buglé of Western Panama (Chair: Ximena Cuadra)
How we obtained autonomy for the Comarca Ngäbe Buglé (Pedro Nola Flores)

The Indigenous Peoples of Chile against the extractive companies (Chair: Nancy Thede)
Fighting for human rights and for the rights of indigenous peoples in a legal context built by the Pinochet dictatorship (José Aylwin)

The struggle against Barrick Gold in Pascua Lama (Sergio Campusano)

The present-day struggles of the Mapuche people (Miguel Melín and Pablo Mansilla Quiñones)

The struggle of the Mapuches for their territory, against the energy policy of the Chilean Government (Ximena Cuadra)

The First Nations from Quebec (Chair: Pierre Trudel)
The Innu and solidarity with the other indigenous struggles on the continent (RĂ©al MacKenzie)

The Cree-Eeyou Nation in Wemindji and mining activities (Angus Mayappo, Stephanie Georgekish, Louise Mayappo and Rodney Mark)

October 13 – morning session – watch video

Roundtable: The struggles and resistance of indigenous women for the protection of the territory (Moderator: Alessandra Devulsky)
Participants: Miriam Bautista Gutiérrez (Mexico), Stephanie Georgekish and Louise Mayappo (Quebec), and Tess Tesaloma (Philippines). Organized by CDHAL (Committee for Human Rights in Latin America), FAQ (Indigenous Women of Quebec) and FDO (Women of Diverse Origins).

The struggle against oil companies in Ecuador (Moderator: Paul Cliche)
How the Sápara Nation won this battle (Manari Ushigua)

An experience of collaboration between an academic and the Sâpara nation (Eduardo Kohn)

October 13 – afternoon session – watch video

Projection of the film “El Mineral o La Vida” by JosĂ© Luis MatĂ­as Alonso (Nahua from Guerrero, Mexico). (Spanish with French sub-titles). The struggles and victories of the indigenous peoples from Guerrero against the devastation of their territories by mining companies.

Guatemala: The destruction of the environment and its costs. Who is going to restore it? (Moderator: Daviken Studnicki-Gizbert)
Guatemala: When the company leaves, who repairs the disaster? (Aniseto LĂłpez DĂ­az)

Environmental Justice
ACKnowl-EJ: Academic-Activist Co-Produced Knowledge for Environmental Justice (Leah Temper and Iokiñe Rodríguez)

Conclusion
Indigenous territorial rights, extractive enterprises and conflicts over the use of resources (Colin Scott)

Concluding remarks (Alejandro Marreros Lobato)

Simultaneous translation services provided by CDHAL

Sponsored by:
GREPIP (Groupe de recherche sur les espaces publics et les innovations politiques) – Director: Charmain Levy, Université du Québec en Outaouais

Groupe de travail « Espaces de vie » : Nancy Thede and Pierre Beaucage

CICADA (Centre for Indigenous Conservation and Development Alternatives) and INSTEAD (Indigenous Stewardship of Environment and Alternative Development) – Director: Colin Scott, Department of Anthropology, McGill University

CDHAL (Comité pour les droits humains en Amérique latine)

        INSTEAD   

Coordinators:
Pierre Beaucage
Département d’anthropologie
Université de Montréal

Daviken Studnicki-Gizbert
Department of History
McGill University

Centre for Indigenous Conservation and Development Alternatives