Barrier Lake Fundraiser

Last night about 100 people were at Umi to take in the sights and sounds of the Young Griot Collective and the Ottawa community in solidarity with the Algonquin community of Barrier Lake.

The Algonquins were in town to protest the neglect of a trilateral agreement signed by Quebec, Canada, and the Algonquin nation for the protection and self-governance of the land that their community lives and hunts on. Since the agreement was signed Canada has allowed logging companies onto the disputed territory without Algonquin consent.

Earlier in the day they marched through the city to parliament hill in the hopes of having a meeting by this Monday, but they promised that whether or not they are able to meeting this week they will be back.

The community at Umi showed its support by putting on another amazing evening of music and poetry, and raising a grand total of $590 over the course of the night to help cover the Algonquins' travel expenses.