Canada's tar sands aren't just oil fields. They're sacred lands for my people | Eriel Tchekwie Deranger

After centuries of abuse of Mother Earth, we must draw on First Nations people's perspective of earth's sacredness for our collective survival

For years, concerned members of the Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation (ACFN) in Canada, like myself, have voiced concerns about the impacts caused by oil sand exploitation. The vast majority of our community resides downstream from large scale oil sands surface mining and has seen first hand the complex impacts this industry has.

Now, over 100 renowned scientists and academics have echoed our concerns about oil sands in a call for a moratorium on expansion, which is being taken seriously by the public and the media.