Grassy Narrows looking for ‘mercury justice compensation for the ongoing crisis’ with online rally

A virtual rally is being held by Grassy Narrows First Nation Saturday to demand full compensation for everyone in the community to address the ongoing human and cultural costs of mercury poisoning.

The rally, which already has more than 1500 people registered to attend, will have a number of familiar faces speaking about these ongoing impacts, including Chief Randy Fobister, Grassy Narrows mother and environmental health coordinator Judy Da Silva, as well as Michi Saagiig Nishnaabeg scholar Leanne Betasamosake Simpson and Ojibwe journalist Tanya Talaga.

“The reason for this whole thing is to go to the next phase of the injustice to Grassy Narrows because of the mercury poisoning, and that’s for full compensation for everyone,” said Da Silva.

The rally will be virtual because of COVID-19. But Grassy Narrows mother Judy Da Silva says more than 1,500 people are expected to attend, as she hopes for a large turnout similar to the in-person events, like the 2019 march (pictured above) at Queen’s Park in Toronto. (Allan Lissner/ FreeGrassy.net)

Da Silva says when an environmental disaster happens that affects a non-Indigenous community, the government usually reacts quickly to compensate people.

“And that means money. That’s what we’re seeking, is compensation for the people that are suffering with mercury poisoning. In Grassy, we’ve never had that,” she added.

Health impacts of mercury poisoning are ongoing

During the 1960s and early ’70s, the chemical plant at the Reed Paper mill in Dryden, Ont., which is upstream of Grassy Narrows, dumped 9,000 kilograms of mercury into the English-Wabigoon River. The fish in the river were full of poison, and the people from Grassy Narrows, who relied on the fish as a staple in their diet, were full of it, too.

Once ingested, mercury never goes away. It “bioaccumulates,” meaning it passes from one generation to the next, from mother to child, through the placenta. There are a range of physical and mental health impacts related to mercury poisoning, including tremors, headaches, neuromuscular effects, memory loss, and others.

A 2018 report by environmental health expert Donna Mergler found that residents of Grassy Narrows diagnosed with mercury poisoning are up to six times more likely to suffer from a wide range of debilitating health problems, and nearly six times more likely to have a neuropsychological disorder.

The Mercury Disability Board was established in 1986 as part of a court settlement with Ontario and Canada and the two paper companies involved in the contamination to provide financial compensation for members of Wabaseemoong Independent Nations and Grassy Narrows First Nation whose health may have been affected by the mercury poisoning.

Judy Da Silva is a mother-of-five and the environmental health coordinator for Grassy Narrows First Nation. She says the First Nation and its residents must be compensated for the ongoing harms caused by the mercury contamination. (CBC)

But Da Silva says the mercury disability board doesn’t cover everybody, and doesn’t account for the untold changes to the way of life for people living in Grassy Narrows.

“It’s like just a small batch of people that get mercury disability. So it’s almost like there’s a denial we were even poisoned.”

Compensation is justice: Grassy Narrows chief

In an interview with CBC, Chief Randy Fobister recalls stories from a time before the dumping of mercury happened.

“There was a time when you could paddle down the creek, the river and just dip your hand, when you’re thirsty, and just drink the water. That’s how clean it was.”

“I know money’s not going to fix anything,” he said. “But for now, it should be a blanket compensation. That’s what needs to happen. It’s justice.”

‘I grew up not knowing that the land, the water was already poisoned,’ Grassy Narrows First Nation Chief Randy Fobister said. 2:30

The provincial and federal governments have made some recent commitments to deal with the mercury poisoning. In 2017, Ontario announced up to $85 million to clean up the mercury contamination. In April 2020, Grassy Narrows and the federal government reached a $19.5 million agreement to build a mercury care home to provide access to specialized health care services.

But Da Silva says most of that money is going to provide the basic necessities and does not compensate Grassy Narrows residents for the poisoning or ongoing impacts.

“The money’s not going into our impacts. It goes into an industry that’s trying to clean the river. And then with the mercury home, it’s going to go toward building the building and having staff to keep the place running. So the compensation is what?”

Up North7:59Grassy Narrows First Nation is taking their campaign for mercury justice to the next phase

Grassy Narrows First Nation has been fighting for a long time to get help from the provincial and federal governments for mercury contamination that happened decades ago. It was in the 1960s and 70s that a paper mill near Dryden, Ontario dumped 9-thousand kilograms of mercury into the English-Wabigoon River. By eating the fish from that river, many people from Grassy Narrows were poisoned with that mercury. But it wasn’t until 2017 that Ontario agreed to pay to clean the mercury from the river. And then just last year the federal government agreed to build a specialized mercury care home in Grassy Narrows. Saturday the First Nation will be holding a virtual rally to demand compensation for the ongoing and deadly costs of the mercury poisoning. Judy Da Silva is a mother of five and the environmental health coordinator for Grassy Narrows. She told the CBC’s Logan Turner about the latest in their campaign for mercury justice. 7:59

With files from Jody Porter, and from Tashauna Reid and Alice Hopton