TEK Elders Called for Action: No More Toxic Spraying!

The Message was LOUD AND CLEAR! STOP POISONING OUR FORESTS, WATERWAYS, WILDLIFE AND COMMUNITIES!

Press Release: August 1, 2025

Press release detailing glyphosate use and its impact on the Anishinaabe way of life, with a call to action for August 14, 2025.
Image of a press release detailing a protest organized by Anishinaabe leaders against aerial spraying of glyphosate in Ontario.

What They are Calling For:

  • A moratorium on aerial herbicide use, respecting Anishinaabe Law across unceded traditional lands.
  • The immediate abolition of glyphosate-based herbicides within Ontario’s First Nations territories.
  • Partnerships with First Nations to implement sustainable, non-toxic alternatives – with proper resources and support.

Why This Matters

Since the 1980s, all 133 Ontario First Nations have passed or been represented in resolutions opposing herbicide spraying. Yet their concerns have been ignored for decades. Toxic Chemical Herbicides poisons water, destroys wildlife habitat, and threatens community health across the Boreal Forest.

Photo from 2016 on Parliament Hill –

A diverse group of protesters gathered on the steps of a government building, holding signs advocating against the use of herbicides and urging for the protection of medicinal plants and environmental health.

Earth Day, 2024 – Presentation against Herbicide Spraying in Forestry representing over 310,000 Ontarians

TEK Elders at the Chiefs of Ontario 50th anniversary meetings to bring forward a resolution – Cheifs of Ontario supports the Elders’ campaign to demand a moratorium on herbicide use in forestry.

Three Traditional Ecological Knowledge Elders stand together at a table with campaign materials, advocating against the aerial spraying of glyphosate, with signs displaying messages such as 'Glyphosate Kills All' and 'No Aerial Spraying'.
Press release detailing the protest against glyphosate spraying by Chiefs of Ontario and TEK Elders.
A press release calling for a protest against glyphosate-based herbicides, featuring a formal letter from the Chiefs of Ontario addressing the government regarding concerns over aerial spraying.

Ontario’s Northern communities have been given the run-around for far too long. Logging companies blame the government for allowing spraying. The province blames the feds for declaring glyphosate “safe.” And the federal government points back to the province, saying they can ban it – just as Quebec did in 2001.

But momentum is building. On August 7, 2025, the Township of Moonbeam passed a resolution to stop glyphosate spraying and called on both provincial and federal governments to take action. Now, it’s time for other municipalities to join them. Send an easy electronic email to your Municipality asking them to support an anti-spraying resolution, or to draw one up of their own.

Help Save Our Forests, Our Future.

A person stands on a rocky shoreline with ice and snow, gazing out over a calm body of water. They are wearing a black hoodie with the message "HELP SAVE OUR FORESTS OUR FUTURE" visible on the back.
A press release highlighting a rally on August 14, 2025, featuring the Chiefs of Ontario and TEK Elders at Highway 17, Serpent River First Nation, advocating against the use of glyphosate-based herbicides.
Illustration featuring a moose with a heart on its chest, surrounded by green trees and hearts, with the text 'NO AERIAL SPRAYING' prominently displayed.
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