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FortSmithmarksEarthDaywithacalltoactionEnvironmentEarthDay13TuesdayApril292014ByMARIACHURCHForthemorethan30par-ticipantsofEarthfestinFortSmiththecelebrationofEarthDayheldlastweekendwasbothanodetoMotherNatureandacallforaction.HuddlingaroundareinacrowdedteepeeFortSmithresidentsengagedinadis-cussionledbyDeneelderFrancoisPauletteabouttheimportanceofstandingupfortheEarthinthefaceofgrowingcorporategreedandenvironmentalapathy.Ourpeoplesaythattheonlywaythingsaregoingtochangeisbecausetheyareforcedtochange.Peopleareforcedtochangethewaytheylookattheworld.TheyhavetobeconnectedtotheEarthandtheyhavetoreconcilewiththeEarthPaulettetoldthegroupbetweenstoriesoftherivercommunityhistoryandlocalwildlife.Residentstookturnschim-inginonever-increasingen-vironmentalconcernsandtheireffectontheNorthmentioningeventslikethespillfromObedMinelastOctoberthatdumpedmillionsoflitresofcoaltailingsintotheAthabascaRiver.PeoplemuststopthehabitthatweallasWesternpeo-plehaveofthinkingImjustleavingwhatevermessIvemadeintheplaceandgoingsomewhereelse.Wemuststartthinkingabouttheplacesweliveandtheirhis-toryMarinaDevinesaid.Ithastoberesponsibil-ityonagrandscale.IcanstandontheriverbankandfeelpersonallyresponsiblebutIamjustonepersonandtheresvaluetothatbuttheresonlysomuchvalue.ThehigheruppeoplewillhavetobeforcedHilaryLeRoy-Gauthiershared.SarahRosolenoneoftheeventsorganizerssaidthegoalwastobringresidentstogethertogetapulseonenvironmen-talstrideshappeningonbothalargeandsmallscalewithtowneventsandorganizations.Itstondoutwhatshap-peningtondoutwhatsbeingdoneandwhatwecandoshesaid.Someofusdogetalittledisenchantedwiththestateoftheenvironmentanditsgoodtogettogetherwithpeoplethatarecommittedandfeelpositive.WhiletheoriginalthemefortheeventwasIsthistheendoftheworldasweknowitco-organizerDianeSealssaidtheyoptedtoscrapthethemeinfavourofalessdoomsdaymorecelebratorythemebutthatdidnttakeawayfromtheseriousnessofthemessage.Peoplewanttodosome-thingandtheywanttobeabletotakeaction.WecantalkaboutitandfeellikeYeahIappreciatetheEarthbutitcanbesuchabigtask.Iliketheideaofactionandwhatac-tionscanbetakenSealssaid.Fromactionsassmallaschoosingtohaveagardeneachyeartobecomelessre-liantonmanufacturedgoodsandshippingtolargescalelobbyingagainstcompanieswithpoorenvironmentaltrackrecordseveryonecanplayapartshesaid.Earthfestseveningcel-ebrationsincludedaslide-showofwildlifeandnaturephotographsbylocalpro-fessionalphotographerDanHillertandthescreeningofthenewdocumentaryColdAmazonthathighlightstheimportanceofpreservingtheMackenzieRiverBasin.EarthDaymarkedinter-nationallyonApr.22since1990isthelargestenviron-mentaleventintheworld.PhotosMariaChurchDeneelderFrancoisPaulettespeakstoagroupofFortSmithresidentsgatheredtocelebrateEarthfestattheNorthernLifeMuseumandCulturalCentrelastweekend.Youthsitquietlyasresidentstaketurnsexpressingtheirthoughtsabouttheimportanceofprotectingthenaturalworldforfuturegenerations.Morethan30peoplegatherintoacrowdedteepeeetosharestoriesanddiscussthestateoftheenvironmenttomarktheinternationalcelebrationofEarthDayinFortSmith.