Tar Sands Healing Walk
| Tar Sands Healing Walk | |
|---|---|
2013 participants | |
| Genre | Grassroots demonstration |
| Begins | August 14, 2010 |
| Ends | June 28, 2014 |
| Frequency | Annual |
| Location(s) | Fort McMurray, Alberta, Canada |
| Founders | Eriel Deranger, Melina Laboucan-Massimo, Cleo Reece |
| Participants | First Nations, Métis, Inuit, various environmental groups, and citizens of the Athabasca River watershed |
The Tar Sands Healing Walk was a 14 km annual prayer walk in demonstration against crude oil extraction in the Athabasca tar sands. It began in 2010, starting just north of the city of Fort McMurray, Alberta at a location known as the Syncrude Loop, and traveling through the heart of the tar sands extraction zone. The walk was led by local Indigenous Elders, who prayed for the healing of the land and to bring attention to the destructive impacts of the tar sands.
The Tar Sands Healing Walk was founded by a coalition of Indigenous women from First Nations communities impacted by Tar Sands projects, and included Cleo Reece (Fort McMurray First Nation), Eriel Tchekwie Deranger (Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation) and Melina Laboucan-Massimo (Little Buffalo First Nation). It was supported by environmental organizations Greenpeace, Sierra Club Prairie Chapter, and Keepers of the Athabasca. The last walk took place in 2014, as the organizers felt their goals of spreading awareness were achieved.