June 26, 2016

Dear Dwayne Anderson,

We write this to you on June 26, 2016 Day 70 of the Colonialism No More camp.
We acknowledge that you took time to visit the camp last week, to present your concerns, and
to speak with individuals and to share your plans for landscaping. We understand that you want
to landscape the building and that you want to have potential tenants visit and view the site
without tents. That said, your building is on Treaty Four Territory and your primary tenant is
INAC. This camp was set up in solidarity with a movement called #occupyINAC that emerged
in Spring 2016 in response to the suicide crisis in Attawapiskat; occupations occurred across
Canada to support a youth movement and to raise concerns with INAC about local issues
facing Indigenous peoples across Canada. The Saskatchewan camp is the only camp remaining.
We set up a camp as an accessible place for community members to come and learn about the
issues and share their stories. Since starting the camp hundreds of people have visited the site
including visitors from across Canada as well as visitors from around the world. The camp is
having regular meetings with INAC including hosting special guests to speak to INAC.
Your building is the site of historic activities.
The camp is being watched and supported at the local, national and international level. INAC,
by their own admission, has never held meetings with a grassroots movement. We are in
ongoing dialogue with INAC and other organizations to bring about much-needed change.
In the middle of this, you came to camp last week with two requests: (1) move the tents off the
property and the leave the tipi for a tenant visit; (2) move the tents off the property for future
landscaping (tipi can stay). You offered the use of parts of the first floor of the building. We
have met and discussed your request. We cannot assist you. The presence of the camp is key.
This camp is focused on important issues that are a matter of life and death including access to
safe drinking water, access to health care, access to education, and child welfare.
We realize that you might not want to be embroiled in this matter and are focused on renting
your building. Your building has been largely vacant and not landscaped for the past five years.
In good faith, any potential tenant should know that there is a controversial tenant inside and
we believe that you can wait another year to landscape since you have already waited five. That
said, you indicated the need for a path to move forward so we offer the following ideas: (a)
place pressure on the federal government to address the key issues facing Indigenous peoples.
When changes are made we will leave the site; (b) if INAC is not in your building we will not
be outside. Our concern is with INAC not with Anderson Construction. We will restate that we
appreciate that you came to camp seeking a joint solution. But your proposals involve moving
the camp which will disrupt this historic work and our camp represents a movement.
Sincerely,
Colonialism No More