Alberta's Oil Sands: Rich in Controversy

                The tar sands of Alberta are well-known as a contentious environmental issue, but Arij Riahi and Tim McSorley, in an article published on The Dominion's website, point out the impact the oil country has had on the Indigenous residents near Fort McMurray, including the Fort McMurray First Nation and the Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation. Loss of their land, which they may use to hunt and fish, is a major issue, but it isn't the only one. The industrial project also represents violation of treaty rights when spills are covered up, such as in late June when Crystal Lameman could not get information on the extent of the spill on Beaver Lake Cree Nation territory without journalistic pressure. Many Indigenous communities also suffer poor health due to severe pollution, such as abnormally high cancer rates.

                

               The Healing Walk, which took place on July 5 this year and consists of a walk around the tar sands, aims to show activists and other residents from the Fort McMurray area and across Canada the impact the tar sands are having not only on the environment but the health of the people who live in oil country. Events such as this and people such as Lameman and Chief Allan Adam are fighting for cultural survival against the tar sands, an issue not only affecting Aboriginal populations but disproportionately impacting the lives of Indigenous Canadian peoples.