First Nations Take United Stand Against Glyphosate Use in Ontario Forests

In February 2025, Wahkohtowin hosted the Indigenous Lands Symposium in Sault Ste. Marie, a gathering that brought together Indigenous leaders, land stewards, Elders, youth, and allies to share knowledge and take action. One issue that emerged loud and clear from those conversations: the use of glyphosate-based herbicides in our forests must end.

That spark ignited a larger movement.

At the Annual Chiefs Assembly this June, Ontario First Nations passed Resolution 25/03A: Abolition of Glyphosate-Based Herbicides, a strong and unified declaration calling for the end of glyphosate spraying across traditional territories. The resolution was moved by Bingwi Neyaashi Anishinaabek and seconded by Temagami First Nation, and reflects decades of concern voiced by communities living on the land.

The Indigenous Lands Symposium 2025, where Wahkohtowin’s glyphosate petition was launched.

Wahkohtowin’s Role: From Gathering to Action

Wahkohtowin played a key role in catalyzing this next chapter. The glyphosate petition launched during the 2025 Indigenous Lands Symposium, initiated and circulated by Wahkohtowin staff, helped bring attention to the issue, laying the groundwork for broader conversations and eventual media coverage. At least one news outlet picked up Wahkohtowin’s press release, helping amplify Indigenous voices calling for change.

Following the Symposium, Wahkohtowin has continued to support momentum on this issue by:

• Sharing information with partners and communities;

• Facilitating regional coordination, including helping circulate the petition and media materials;

• Participating in federal-level conversations through a bi-annual update call with Natural Resources Canada’s Canadian Forest Service;

• Working to secure a direct meeting with the Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA), which is now required, due to a recent court ruling, to re-open its evaluation of glyphosate;

• Leading sustainable land management initiatives, including manual brushing (hand clearing of competing vegetation) as a chemical-free alternative to herbicide spraying that aligns with Indigenous traditional knowledge and helps protect ecosystems.

What’s at Stake

Glyphosate-based herbicides are sprayed by industrial forestry companies to suppress broadleaf growth after clearcutting,a practice that impacts biodiversity, threatens human health, and disrupts Indigenous harvesting rights. While over 40 countries have banned or restricted glyphosate use, Ontario continues to allow its application on public forests. Quebec stopped using it in forestry more than two decades ago.

For First Nations who rely on the land for hunting, fishing, gathering, and ceremony, glyphosate represents not only an environmental risk, but a violation of constitutionally protected rights.

Resolution Highlights

Resolution 25/03A calls for coordinated action, including:

• Advocacy to abolish glyphosate-based herbicides across Ontario;

• Intervention in the upcoming federal review;

• A scientific position paper to examine health and ecological risks;

• A communications and government relations strategy;

• Possible legal action if the review does not lead to change;

• Support for national coordination through the Assembly of First Nations;

• A formal report back to Chiefs in Assembly at the Fall 2025 meeting.

Grassroots Support and Community Voices

In solidarity with grassroots activists, Wahkohtowin has also ordered “Stop the Spray” signs from northern organizers Joel and Troy (of the Stop the Spray Facebook group), to help raise awareness in the North. These visual tools will be shared in communities and on the land, reinforcing the growing demand for change and making visible the resistance to harmful practices.

The Work Continues

Wahkohtowin remains committed to supporting this work, coordinating across regions, keeping communities informed, advocating for Indigenous-led land stewardship, and actively promoting sustainable alternatives like brushing that uphold Traditional Ecological Knowledge and protect the land for future generations.

To everyone who signed the petition, shared your voice at the Indigenous Lands Symposium, or helped bring attention to this issue. Your efforts have mattered. This resolution is proof of that.

And as the federal review process unfolds, Wahkohtowin will continue standing with communities to demand accountability, transparency, and respect for the land.

Written by: Sara Bilodeau