Settlers in Solidarity with Spence Phone Campaign Cheveldayoff to Elhard

I am phoning and leaving messages. I know it's Saturday, but I am desperate to find any settler Canadian who will use his or her influence and networks to get through to Prime Minister Harper. We have an introduction to make.

Harper meet Spence. Spence meet Harper. Servant-leader to Servant-leader, Nation to Nation.

I call the Minister of the Environment, Hon. Ken Cheveldayoff from Saskatoon and leave a message. Herb Cox, Mark Docherty, Larry Doke, and Doreen Eagles all have the 787-4300 number listed and I've already left a message there.

The Speaker of the House, Hon Dan D'Autremont has a message for me that he is away until January 2nd, but that he'll be monitoring calls and will call back if it is an emergency. Hon. Dan D'Autremont, this is an emergency!

Hon. Kevin Doherty and Hon. June Draude's phone rings and rings and rings. No answer. No message left.

I leave a message on Health Minister, the Hon. Dustin Duncan's line. Then I get through to an executive assistant at Wayne Elhard's number. She wonders how I got her number, then, when I tell her the number, she sees that her calls are being forwarded. She listens as I explain my concern for Chief Spence. She reminds me that it is Saturday and the beginning of holidays. I tell her I realize this, but that there are bigger things going on. I complain a little too, that I'm a teacher, and I'm tired, but there is a woman willing to die for her people on a hunger strike, and what are we doing about that?

She tells me she will forward anything I wish to send to his Honour Wayne Elhard. I thank her for taking my call.

Subject Line: Settlers in Solidarity with Chief Spence

Dear Office of the Hon. Wayne Elhard:

Thank you so much for taking my phone call earlier today.

As per the email I sent yesterday and the hard copy letter I delivered for you to the legislature at the Idle No More walk in Regina, I want you to ask your MLAs if they are doing everything in their power to intervene on behalf of Chief Theresa Spence of Attawapiskat First Nation as she nears her third week of a hunger strike?

• Have they written a letter to Prime Minister Harper and the leaders of official parties?
• Have they phoned their Ottawa contacts, networking at every level?
• Have they utilized their email and phoning trees encouraging their constituents to write, walk, phone on behalf of Chief Spence?
• Have they fasted and/or prayed? (not to be answered, but to be considered).

Please forward my two letters to anyone who wishes to write to Prime Minister Harper and to Premier Brad. They may use any of my words in the letter as their own.

Please note, I will be updating my phoning campaign results on my blog. www.treatywalks.blogspot.com Thank you for taking my call and for all you do as a public servant. I know it's a Saturday and the beginning of the Christmas Holiday, but how are we going to sit down to our Christmas Dinner if Chief Spence is not able to enjoy the same with her family?

For convenience, here are leader's emails:

theresa.spence@attawapiskat.org
stephen.harper@parl.gc.ca
info@afn.ca and jyoung@afn.ca (National Chief Shawn Atleo, Assembly of First Nations)
thomas.mulcair@parl.gc.ca
bob.rae@parl.gc.ca
elizabeth.may@parl.gc.ca
Daniel Pailee, Bloc Quebecois (couldn't find his email, but sent a letter)

bwall@mla.legassembly.sk.ca
(for list of Saskatchewan MLA's emails go to http://www.legassembly.sk.ca/mlas/)

As a Settler in Solidarity with Chief Spence,
Sheena Koops
Fort Qu'Appelle, Saskatchewan