Although Bill 5 passed, they cannot pass laws strong enough to break the bond we have with this land. They cannot legislate away the breath of the rivers, the strength of the forests, or the memory of our ancestors in the stones. The land remembers. And so do we.
Indigenous Peoples make up just 5% of the world’s population — yet we protect 80% of the Earth’s remaining biodiversity. That is not by accident. That is by design — the Creator’s design. Our sovereignty is not just political — it is a living relationship with the land, the water, the sky.
When we assert our rights and title, we are doing more than resisting — we are healing. Every time we stand up, every time we say no more, every time we plant a seed, speak our languages, sing our songs, or defend a river — we are shaping a future where all life can thrive.
But let’s not pretend Bill 5 is something new. This bill reeks of the same old tactics: silence the protectors, fast-track development, make the rich richer, and call anyone who resists “uncooperative.” We’ve seen it for generations — mining, pipelines, hydro, wind, solar — always wrapped in greenwashed lies to justify the destruction of our lands for corporate profit. They dress it up in climate talk, but the land bleeds while they cash their cheques.
And it’s not just settler governments anymore. Some of our own so-called Indigenous “leaders” are signing off on these extractive projects — trading away the breath of our grandchildren for payouts and power. That betrayal cuts deep. We watch another clearcut, another spill, another backroom deal that buries our future — while our children are left to carry the cost.
We need better leadership. The kind that stands on the land — not behind boardroom tables. The kind that remembers our teachings. The kind that knows water is life, not lawsuits. The kind that understands we are bound to protect what was never ours to sell.
Their “special economic zones” might leave scars on the earth — but the land knows how to heal. And so do we.
We have always known.
Look to the frontlines — Idle No More. Tiny House Warriors. Defenders of the Land. Protect Mauna Kea.
Our movements are not about destruction — they are about rebirth. They are about life. They are about tomorrow.
The laws of men come and go.
But Natural Law remains.
The Creator still watches.
The ancestors still walk with us.
The land still breathes — and so do we.
We are not going anywhere.
We stand.
We rise.
We heal.
We protect.
We remember.
We dream.
And above all — we continue.
—Kanipawit Maskwa
John Gonzalez
Standing Bear Network
