--- title: "What Happened at the Kanehsatà:ke Gathering to Stop Energy East" date: 2014-12-16T20:12:00Z modified: 2023-08-02T11:43:20Z permalink: "https://350.org/what-happened-at-the-kanehsatake-gathering-to-stop-energy-east/" type: post status: publish excerpt: "" wpid: 36033 categories: - Climate Justice - Featured - KIITG - North America featured_image: /wp-content/uploads/2014/12/ee-id-logo1.png author: Cam Fenton --- Nearly five years ago was my first time visiting the community of Kanehsatà:ke. It was the 20th anniversary of the events in 1990 that became known as the “Oka Crisis” and a march against plans to build a Niobium mine in the community. Much of my understanding of solidarity changed during that experience, hearing first hand from the community members who had stood on the blockades in 1990. Earlier this month I was lucky and honoured to return to Kanien’kéha:ka territory in early December for a gathering to support opposition to the Energy East tar sands pipeline. [![Photo Credit: Ben Powless](https://350.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/BPKana3-300x200.jpg) ](https://350.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/BPKana3.jpg)Photo Credit: Ben Powless [![Photo Credit: Ben Powless](https://350.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/BPKana2-300x200.jpg) ](https://350.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/BPKana2.jpg)Photo Credit: Ben Powless The gathering, was co-chaired by Clayton Thomas-Mueller Indigenous rights advocate, Ellen Gabriel. It brought together community members, allies and Indigenous leaders in the fight to stop the tar sands from both the United States and Canada. Here are some highlights: `` _Video by Clifton Nicholas_ The gathering ended with a declaration from the Kanien’kehà:ka on Kanehsatà:ke Territory. [Read the declaration here.](https://lastrealindians.com/declaration-of-kanehsatake-no-energy-east/) Want to help stand with communities resisting tar sands expansion? [Join the Energy East Action Network.](https://act.350.org/signup/eeaction/)