Indigenous Food Systems Network

Wild rice is a traditional food that has virtually disappeared from the diets of Ontarian First Nations peoples and the waterways where it once flourished in the "rice bowl" of Turtle Island.

Our program to advocate for indigenous peoples affected by multilateral development banks is a cornerstone of the work at the Indian Law Resource Center. This project began in the late 1970s when the Center represented the Yanomami people of Brazil. The Yanomami lived a peaceful and self-sufficient life, with no ties to the global economy, until Brazil received money from the World Bank to build a road through their territory. The road unleashed chaos within the Yanomami communities. Road workers brought malaria and many Yanomami died because they had no resistance to the disease.

In the film Our Land, My People, the Lubicon people tell the story of their 30 year struggle for justice. It's a story of environmental destruction and shocking discrimination. It's also a story of determination and hope.

"APTN BRINGS VIEWERS “PERSPECTIVES ON THE ENVIRONMENT”

March 1, 2010 - APTN National News will premiere Perspectives on the Environment, a week dedicated to environmental issues affecting communities across Canada. The stories, which will be featured during APTN National News March 8 to March 11 at 6:00 pm ET on APTN East/MT on APTN West/CT on APTN North/ET on APTN HD, and will culminate in an hour-long special season finale edition of APTN InFocus March 12, will focus on the major issues in every region of Canada: North, South/Central, East and West.