Jan 24, 2013 - CHIEF SPENCE TO END HUNGER STRIKE by Andrea Landry

The announcement came from a variety of sources; yet the real source brought it to reality- the message was simple:
Chief Spence has officially announced that she will be ending her fast on the morning of January 24th, 2013. During the morning hours, she will be doing ceremony to ensure that the Creator’s wishes are kept integral to the cause. This is simply a time for others to stand up. Through ceremony, Ray Robinson and Chief Spence, alongside their helpers – the Etherington brothers- and others, have truly showed us how to keep our fight peaceful.

They may be done withtheir fasting,but the Creator knows there is a lot more work to be completed. They are the grounders of ceremony in this movement. Honour them and remember that although their fasting is done, the prophecy is in full force. Live that prophecy, breathe that prophecy, and do ceremony for that prophecy. We are living, breathing prophecy and we are living, breathing treaties. Stand proud and keep up the fight- these leaders built the path, it’s up to us to walk in unity upon this path with our hearts, minds, spirits, ancestors, and future generations. Miigwech leaders for doing your part- it’s our time to lead.

When the strike first began, it was an official wake-up call; a wake-up call to the Indigenous and non-Indigenous nations alike to take the issues that our affecting our people seriously. When our babies are starving in the communities where food prices are beyond reasonable, and our traditional ways of life are being strangled by economic development and mining industries, we realize we have been starving all along. Chief Spence, Ray Robinson, and Jean Sock were just putting it into a higher context; they were showing us what our Mother Earth is feeling daily, by placing it upon them-selves. Media attempted to deconstruct the ceremony and disregard it with countless of negative undertones and dishonesty, yet our people know when ceremony is occurring – it is always done with honour. Seeing Chief Spence speak, feeling the ancestors around her, and seeing the strength in her spirit showed the reality behind it all. The prophecy, in its truest form. Our ancestors, in their truest form. She didn’t do this fast to simply show a message, she did it to show the world how long the colonial mindset has been starving our people, she did it to show the world how much work has to be done, and she did it out of love. Through her message we only stand closer together with our ancestors and future generations, this movement is gaining ancestral power due to the ceremony that has been done, due to honour and diligence of Chief Theresa Spence.