At the resistance camp at kilometer 106 on the Parent road, where Atikamekw families are blocking logging operations and opposing Bill 97, an important show of solidarity arrived: Al Harrington, an Ojibway man living in Kanesatake — a Mohawk territory — came with his son Nation, a Kanesatake band member, bringing donations collected from their community.
A Shared Reality Across Territories
Harrington explained that he had come to witness firsthand what was happening on Atikamekw land. After walking the area and observing the logging operations, he said the devastation mirrored what he and others see in Kanesatake and in many other Indigenous territories across Canada.
“I came here to see what is happening. Yesterday I was able to see clearly, and it is the same thing that is happening on my territory.”
His words highlight a common struggle: industrial logging, enabled by laws like Bill 97, results in widespread deforestation, biodiversity loss, and the exclusion of Indigenous peoples from decision-making about their own lands.
Donations, Family, and Solidarity
Harrington did not come alone. He was joined by his son, Nation, a Kanesatake band member, and together they delivered material support from their community. The donations were collected in Kanesatake to help sustain the Atikamekw camp and blockade. For Harrington, solidarity means showing up not only with words, but with family and concrete support.
“I really appreciated the welcome we received. I also made new friends, new allies in this fight.”
The exchange of support — Atikamekw welcoming Ojibway and Mohawk community allies, and Kanesatake sending resources — is a powerful reminder that these struggles are interconnected and intergenerational.
Building an Alliance of Resistance
Al Harrington’s presence with his son demonstrates that the Atikamekw fight at km 106 is not isolated. It is part of a larger network of Indigenous land defense efforts across Turtle Island. His participation carries symbolic weight, as Kanesatake’s history of resistance — especially during the 1990 Oka Crisis — continues to inspire new generations.
By standing together as father and son, and by sharing resources from their community, Al and Nation Harrington strengthened the bonds of solidarity between Kanesatake and the Atikamekw — a unity rooted in history and vital for the future.
