Grassy Narrows Protesters Refuse to Plea to Charges. Kenora Daily Miner and News, February 6th. Dan Gauthier

Three Grassy Narrows First Nation women, charged with mischief in connection to a pair of highway blockades last summer, refused to enter pleas to the charges during a brief appearance in Kenora provincial court Monday. Adrienne Swain, 27, Bonnie Swain, 32, and Chrissy Swain, 27, told visiting Justice Thomas McKay, from Fort Frances, they neither had a lawyer, nor were they planning to seek one to deal with the charges.Each is facing two counts of mischief related to the July 13, 2006 roadblock at the Highway 17A Kenora bypass, and the July 26, blockade of the English River Road at the Separation Rapids Bridge.

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Separation Lake Bridge, Ontario – On Wednesday July 26th at approximately 9:30pm, nine people were arrested in a police raid of a logging road blockade.

On Tuesday, July 25th, a blockade was started at the Separation Lake Bridge, the border of Grassy Narrows’ traditional territory, at approximately 2:00pm. The blockade, led by Grassy Narrows community members Bonnie, Chrissy, and Adrienne Swain was peaceful, and was attended by around fifteen people, including four children.

At 9:30pm on Wednesday, approximately 30 police officers approached the blockade without warning, and arrested nine of the eleven adults who were present. All of the arrests took place in front of the children who were present: Shayne Swain, 6 years old; Robyn Swain, 14 months old; Tanisha Swain, 4 months old; and Corissa Swain, 5 years old. The only two adults who were not arrested were Adrienne Swain, mother of Shayne and Robyn, and Shelagh Pizey-Allen, who was taking care of the children. Chrissy Swain,
mother of Tanisha and Corissa, was arrested by the OPP in front of her children. Eight of the nine arrestees were female.

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