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Warning: This story contains references to suicide.
Annie Sneaky says the loss of her two sisters to suicide is what drives her to defend the land and waters of Grassy Narrows First Nation.
“My twin sister and I have been doing a lot of this work since losing our younger sister in 2016. She was only 11 years old,” Sneaky said.
“Last year, in July 2023, I lost my twin sister to suicide. So that’s two sisters that I lost, and I know that it shouldn’t have happened this way and that I should never have lost them.”
Sneaky is part of a caravan of more than a dozen people traveling from northwestern Ontario to Toronto to raise awareness about the impact of mercury poisoning in Grassy Narrows, also known as Asubpeeschoseewagong Netum Anishinabek. They will pick up more people along the way, including a bus full of 50 others.
Mercury contamination at Grassy Narrows dates back to the 1960s and 1970s, when the Dryden Paper Mill dumped about nine tons of mercury into the English-Wabigoon River system. Recent research from the University of Western Ontario suggests the contamination aggravated by continued industrial pollution from the mill.
Last summer there was a study published in Environmental Health Perspectives found that youth from Grassy Narrows are three times more likely to attempt suicide than youth from other First Nations in Canada.
“The poisoning has a lot to do with it, but a lot of young people don’t know that and don’t understand it,” Sneaky said.
The caravan is expected to arrive in Toronto on Monday and join supporters from across the province on Wednesday for an event called River Run 2024: Walk with Grassy Narrows for Mercury Justice.
The rally will start at Grange Park and head to Queen’s Park, where participants will call for compensation for everyone in Grassy Narrows affected by mercury poisoning, and respect for the First Nation’s Indigenous Protected Area — land where the community has banned development.
In June, Grassy Narrows a lawsuit filed in the Ontario Supreme Court against the provincial and federal governments. The lawsuit alleges that the governments breached their obligations under Treaty 3 by failing to protect against or remedy the effects of mercury contamination in the English-Wabigoon River system.
Pollution ‘robbed us of our way of life’
The caravan has already made stops in Dryden, Thunder Bay and Biigtigong Nishnaabeg, also known as Pic River First Nation, to educate people about mercury contamination. In the coming days, the caravan will also visit Sault Ste. Marie, Sudbury and Six Nations before arriving in Toronto.
It is estimated that 90 percent of the population of Grassy Narrows — just under 1,000 people — has symptoms of mercury poisoning. Symptoms may include: tremors, insomnia, memory loss, neuromuscular effects, headache and cognitive and motor dysfunction.
“Arthritis is a big problem that I never had a problem with before and now it’s slowly starting to overtake me,” said Keiyanah Bird, a caravan member who says her arthritis is linked to the community’s mercury contamination. “I’m only in my mid-20s, so it’s a concern.”
Chrissy Isaacs, lead organizer of the caravan, said she became involved in the issues surrounding mercury poisoning to protect her children, and now her grandchildren.
“There are so many lives lost. There is a lot of illness in our community, there is a lot of mental health issues, social issues, because mercury poisoning has robbed us of our way of life,” Isaacs said.
“I want everyone in my community to get compensation and I want the factory to be closed.”
Province and paper mill respond to concerns
CBC News reached out to Ontario Indigenous Affairs Minister Greg Rickford and asked if he would meet with members of the caravan in Toronto. No response had been received by the time of publication. CBC News also reached out to Dryden Fibre Canada, the owner of the Dryden Paper Mill, for comment on the caravan and the concerns of community members, and awaited a response.
Meanwhile, the community of Grassy Narrows awaits the start of construction on a Mercury Care HomeFirst Nation advisor David Sone confirmed to CBC News that ground has not yet been broken for the house. There were hopes that construction would begin this summer.
A spokesperson for Indigenous Services Canada told CBC News in May that the federal government has allocated $77 million for construction of the house, which is expected to take two to three years, and $68.9 million for operation, maintenance and provision of specialized services.
“That was one of our requirements, so we could take care of our own people,” Isaacs said of the nursing home.
As the caravan continues its journey, Sneaky carries a bright red flag with the face of a warrior against a yellow sun. This is known as the Mohawk Warrior Flag or Unity Flag, and became a symbol of resistance during the Oka Crisis.
She hopes she can advocate for better mental health care for young people in her community and remind them that they are not alone.
“I feel it, because I’m from Grassy — knowing that people from Grassy will never have a normal life because of the poisoning,” Sneaky said. “I just want to make sure no one else feels this kind of pain.”
The Walk for Mercury Justice is one of many events taking place during River Run 2024 in Toronto from September 16 to 18. Other events include a community dinner, an art project and a creative rally.
Her advice to others is to take someone with them when they go to the ER – someone “who can advocate for them in the situation I was in, when I had no resources to fight for myself.”
If you or someone you know is in immediate danger, call 911.
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