Idle No More: Indigenous-Led Protests Sweep Canada for Native Sovereignty and Environmental Justice
Summary
TLDRThe 'Idle No More' movement in Canada is a nationwide campaign for indigenous rights and environmental justice. It began as protests against government budget bills and has expanded to demand political transformation, with activists calling for Prime Minister Stephen Harper to honor treaties, engage in dialogue with environmentalists, and reject pipelines that would affect First Nation territories. The movement has gained support from high-profile figures like Chief Teresa Spence, who is on a hunger strike to demand respect for historical treaties.
Takeaways
- π The Idle No More movement is a nationwide campaign for indigenous rights and environmental justice in Canada.
- ποΈ It began as protests against a government budget bill and has expanded into a broader movement for political transformation.
- π€ Aboriginal and environmental activists are uniting to resist the Canadian government's attempts to appropriate resource lands and assimilate Aboriginal Nations.
- π They are calling on Prime Minister Stephen Harper to honor treaties with Aboriginals, open dialogue with environmentalists, and reject pipelines that would affect First Nation territories.
- π’ The movement's message is spreading through social media, with activists rallying in cities, blocking highways, organizing flash mobs, and interrupting the legislature.
- π³ Chief Teresa Spence, a high-profile supporter, is on a hunger strike demanding a meeting with Prime Minister Harper to discuss respect for historical treaties.
- ποΈ The movement's name, Idle No More, symbolizes the need to organize grassroots efforts and empower indigenous people in decision-making processes.
- π The movement was sparked by changes to the Indian Act and the Navigable Waters Act, which activists argue would allow for the easy surrender of reserve lands and impact waterways.
- π³ The movement is also connected to resistance against pipelines like the tar sands pipeline, which activists argue would negatively impact Aboriginal territories and the environment.
- π The movement highlights the broader issues faced by First Nations, including high rates of unemployment, homelessness, incarceration, and suicide.
- π¬ Dialogue is not enough; activists argue that action is needed to address the fundamental crises in many First Nations communities, such as underfunding of water, sanitation, housing, food, and education.
Q & A
What is the 'Idle No More' movement and what sparked its creation?
-The 'Idle No More' movement is a campaign for indigenous rights and environmental justice in Canada. It began as a series of protests against a controversial government budget bill and has since expanded into a nationwide movement for political transformation. Aboriginal and environmental activists are resisting the conservative Canadian government's attempts to appropriate resource lands and assimilate Aboriginal Nations.
What are the main demands of the 'Idle No More' movement?
-The movement is calling on Prime Minister Steven Harper to honor treaties with aboriginals, open dialogue with environmentalists, and reject pipelines that would infiltrate First Nation territories.
Who is Chief Teresa Spence and why is she on a hunger strike?
-Chief Teresa Spence is a high-profile supporter of the 'Idle No More' movement and is on her 16th day of a hunger strike. She is protesting to demand a meeting with Prime Minister Harper to discuss respect for historical treaties and the rights of her people.
What are the key issues raised by the movement regarding the treatment of First Nations in Canada?
-The movement highlights issues such as the higher rates of unemployment, homelessness, incarceration, and suicide among First Nations compared to the general population. It also addresses the lack of benefits from resource exploitation on their lands, which are instead going to the government.
What is the significance of the name 'Idle No More'?
-The name 'Idle No More' symbolizes the movement's aim to organize people at the grassroots level and to empower the indigenous grassroots to be involved in decision-making processes that affect their lives, which have traditionally been controlled by politicians and the Indian Act.
What specific legislation sparked the initial protests of the 'Idle No More' movement?
-The initial protests were sparked by Bill C-45, an omnibus bill that made amendments to various pieces of legislation, particularly changes to the Indian Act and the Navigable Waters Act, which the movement sees as a violation of their treaty rights and a threat to waterways.
How has the Canadian government responded to the 'Idle No More' movement?
-The government, represented by Parliamentary Secretary Greg Rickford, has expressed willingness to engage in more dialogue between First Nations and the Canadian government, emphasizing the need for shared priorities to deliver real results.
What is the connection between the 'Idle No More' movement and the resistance against tar sands pipelines?
-The movement ties together various forms of resistance, including against tar sands pipelines, as part of a broader effort to protect lands and resources. The pipelines are seen as an aggressive form of resource development happening without the knowledge and consent of First Nations.
What are the broader implications of the 'Idle No More' movement for environmental protection in Canada?
-The movement underscores the role of First Nations as the last best hope for protecting lands for food and clean water for future generations, not just for their people but for all Canadians, given their constitutionally protected Aboriginal and treaty rights.
What criticisms has Chief Teresa Spence's hunger strike faced, and how does the movement respond to them?
-Some critics, including Senator Patrick Brazao and others, have voiced caution or disapproval of the hunger strike, suggesting it sets a bad example or is not an effective method for dealing with the government. The movement counters these criticisms by highlighting the dire conditions faced by First Nations and the symbolic importance of the hunger strike to bring awareness to these issues.
Outlines
π Indigenous Rights and Environmental Justice Movement
The 'Idle No More' movement in Canada has grown from a series of protests against a government budget bill to a nationwide campaign for political transformation. Aboriginal and environmental activists are resisting the conservative government's attempts to exploit resource lands and assimilate Aboriginal Nations. They demand Prime Minister Steven Harper to honor treaties, engage in open dialogue with environmentalists, and reject pipelines that would affect First Nation territories. The movement has gained momentum through social media, rallies, and protests, including a hunger strike by Chief Teresa Spence, who seeks a meeting with Harper to discuss treaty respect. The movement's goals are to empower grassroots First Nations communities and protect land and water from exploitation.
π Addressing the Core Issues of Indigenous Rights
Pamela Palmater, a spokeswoman for the 'Idle No More' movement, criticizes the Canadian government's approach to Indigenous rights, highlighting the lack of genuine dialogue and the failure to address critical issues such as underfunding of essential services in First Nations communities. She emphasizes the need for action beyond dialogue, pointing out the government's failure to improve socioeconomic indicators for First Nations over the past two decades. The movement is also linked to the resistance against the tar sands pipeline, which would cross Aboriginal territory, and is part of a broader effort to protect lands and resources for future generations, which is crucial not only for First Nations but for all Canadians.
ποΈ Hunger Strike for Treaty Respect and Indigenous Sovereignty
Chief Teresa Spence's hunger strike has drawn attention to the plight of First Nations people, who face significantly higher rates of suicide, unemployment, and other social issues compared to the general Canadian population. Her protest is a call for international awareness and a demand for a meeting with Prime Minister Harper to discuss historical treaty respect. While some critics argue that her actions are not setting a good example or are ineffective against the current government, supporters view the hunger strike as a powerful symbol of the struggle for Indigenous rights and the need for immediate action to protect the well-being of First Nations communities.
Mindmap
Keywords
π‘Indigenous Rights
π‘Environmental Justice
π‘Idle No More Movement
π‘Conservative Government
π‘Treaties
π‘First Nation Territories
π‘Hunger Strike
π‘Tar Sands Pipelines
π‘Grassroots Level
π‘Indian Act
π‘Resource Appropriation
Highlights
The 'Idle No More' movement in Canada is a nationwide campaign for indigenous rights and environmental justice.
The movement began as a protest against a government budget bill but expanded into a political transformation campaign.
Aboriginal and environmental activists resist the Canadian government's attempts to appropriate resource lands and assimilate Aboriginal Nations.
Activists call on Prime Minister Steven Harper to honor treaties with aboriginies and engage in open dialogue with environmentalists.
The movement opposes tar sands pipelines that would infiltrate First Nation territories.
The 'Idle No More' campaign uses social media to spread its message and has rallied in Canadian cities, blocking highways and organizing flash mobs.
Chief Teresa Spence, a high-profile supporter, is on a hunger strike demanding a meeting with Prime Minister Harper to discuss respect for historical treaties.
Aborigines in Canada face higher rates of unemployment, homelessness, incarceration, and suicide compared to the general population.
The movement's name, 'Idle No More', symbolizes the effort to organize grassroots and empower indigenous people in decision-making.
Protests were sparked by legislation changes, including amendments to the Indian Act and the Navigable Waters Act, impacting treaty rights and waterways.
The Canadian government's response to the movement has been criticized for not addressing core issues like underfunding of essential services for First Nations.
The movement has ties to national resistance against pipelines and other aggressive resource developments without indigenous consent.
First Nations are seen as the last line of defense for protecting lands and resources for future generations, affecting all Canadians.
Chief Teresa Spence's hunger strike is symbolic of the slow death experienced by her people due to lack of basic necessities and services.
Some critics, including a native Senator and politicians, have voiced caution and disapproval of the hunger strike as a method.
The movement's impact is highlighted by the stark contrast between Canada's international image and the reality faced by First Nations.
Transcripts
this is democracy Now democracynow.org
The War and Peace report I'm Amy Goodman
with nin sh we turn now to a new
campaign for indigenous rights and
environmental justice that's spreading
across Canada the idol no more movement
began as a series of protests against a
controversial government budget bill but
has since expanded into a nationwide
movement for political transformation
Aboriginal and environmental activists
are teaming up to resist what they say
is the conservative Canadian
government's attempts to appropriate
resourcer lands and to assimilate
Aboriginal Nations they're calling on
Prime Minister Steven Harper to honor
treaties with aboriginies open dialogue
with environmentalists and reject
taran's pipelines that would infiltrate
First Nation territories the website IDL
more.com calls on people to quote join
in a revolution which honors and
fulfills indigenous sovereignty and
protects the land and water spreading
their message on social media Outlet
activists with Idol no more have rallied
in dozens of Canadian cities held
countless teachings blocked major
highways organized flash mobs and
shopping centers and even interrupted
the legislature one of the movement's
most high-profile supporters is Chief
Teresa Spence who is on her 16th day of
a hunger strike in a TP just outside
ottawa's Parliament she warns she will
starve herself until she gets a meeting
with prime minister Harper to discuss
respect for historical treaties we're
living in the third world and this
shouldn't be happening in this country
you
know they're getting riched by your land
everybody's using our traditional land
except us in all these mining companies
and other forestries and other things
has been happening in our community
there's no benefit for us it's all going
to the government so far Chief Teresa
Spence has not received a response from
Canadian Prime Minister Harper um in
Canada Aborigines suffer far higher
rates of unemployment homelessness
incarceration suicide than the general
population we're going now to Toronto
where we're joined by Pamela palmat the
chair and Indigenous governance at
Ryerson University spokeswoman for the
idol no more movement and member of the
IL River Bar First Nation uh Pamela
welcome to democracy Now start off by
why the name of the movement Idle No
More
well it's it's really symbolic of trying
to get people organized at the
Grassroots level because for many
decades we have this scenario where
politicians in Canada are making
decisions over the lives of First
Nations communities across this country
and First Nations leaders who are
trapped in this system under the Indian
Act that's Federal legislation that we
have that controls every single action
and decision they make which really
leaves the Grassroots people out of the
decision-making process and for
traditional indigenous governments here
in Canada it's the indigenous Grassroots
people that are the real decision makers
they've been kept in the dark they
haven't known what's going on and so
what we tried to do for this movement is
is come up with um teachings come up
with information that would help empower
the Grassroots to know what is the
threat against them and how to take
action to address it regardless of
what's happening at the political level
uh Pamela can you say a little about
what precisely sparked uh these protests
what was the budget bill that was being
considered well it's it's actually 14
pieces of legislation some of the
earlier protests were focusing just on
bill c45 which was a giant Omnibus Bill
uh which made amendments to tons of
pieces of legislation but the two kind
of critical pieces for us at the time
were the changes to the IND unilateral
changes to the Indian Act which would
allow this the easy surrender of our
Reserve lands and the changes to the
navigable Waters act which doesn't just
impact first nation's people it also
impacts Canadians and Americans because
we share between Canada and the US lots
of waterways and water basins and and
rivers and lakes and so these changes
will be catastrophic to those waterways
and affect people on both sides of the
border so what we were trying to do was
not just inform and Empower First
Nations communities about that violation
to our treaty rights because we never
surrendered our waterways but also the
devastating impacts on Canadians and
Americans in terms of clean drinking
water I want to turn to Greg rickford
the Parliamentary secretary to the
minister of Aboriginal Affairs in Canada
he told the global Toronto that the
government is willing to engage in more
dialogue between First Nations and the
Canadian government we understand the
dynamic of that demand uh and we want to
be sure in every sense that we're
working and singing from the same song
book in terms of having shared
priorities with that deliver Real
Results Pamela paler your
response well I mean it's just more of
the status quo we have I mean from very
early times we negotiated
nation-to-nation based treaty
relationship and ever since then
Canadian officials have decided to make
laws and policies and direct our
communities without any consent on our
part um this is just more of the same
you notice how he doesn't address any of
the core issues like the fundamental
crisis in many of our communities the
purposeful chronic underfunding of Water
Sanitation housing food education the
very things that contribute to our
premature deaths by up to 20 years less
than other Canadians what he's talking
about is more dialogue well we have been
dialoguing for decades and look at where
it has got us in the last 20 years years
every single socioeconomic indicator for
First Nations has gone downhill which
when you look at the Mandate of Indian
Affairs they only have one job of those
5,000 bureaucrats who use up billions of
our dollars have to improve the the
social well-being of First Nations in
this country and they have failed over
and over again so dialogue's not going
to do it it's only going to be action uh
Pamela can you talk a little about how
the idol No More protest time into the
uh national movement against uh tarand
the tarand pipeline uh that would cross
uh uh Aboriginal
territory well when you think about it
this movement has been in the works for
several years I know myself and many
others have been working to inform First
Nations about what's happening on their
territories not just in terms of
legislation and the funding Cuts but
also what's happening politically and
then what's happening in terms of the
aggressive resource development that
happening without our knowledge and
consent like tar Sands like pipelines
like mining hydr fracking and all of
those things um all of that is tied in
you'll notice even before the idol no
more movement officially came out on
social media you've had lots of protests
against Enbridge and Kinder Morgan and
and I mean even earlier against McMillan
bodell for for forestry and that kind of
thing so we have been working on
resisting What's Happening Here in
Canada it's just that what this movement
has done is kind of tied it all together
so the idol no more movement tied in
with the resistance to pipelines with
you know other informal movements called
the indigenous rights uh Revolution and
individual First Nations who are
standing up and exercising their
sovereignty to protect the lands and
resources for everybody because
something that Canadians don't often
realize is that first nations are the
last best hope that they have of
protecting lands for food and clean
clean water for the future not just for
our people but for Canadians as well
because we have constitutionally
protected Aboriginal and treaty rights
that they don't have so this country
Falls or survives on whether or not they
acknowled or recognize and Implement
those Aboriginal and treaty rights so
they need to stand with us to protect
what will be essential and what we're
talking about is having food and water
for future generations and that impacts
all of us Pamela Pomer I wanted to ask
you about Chief Teresa Spence who's been
on the hunger strike for over two weeks
she says she's willing to die for her
people she wants prime minister Harper
native Chiefs the queen to discuss
respect for historical treaties however
her hunger strike has led some to voice
caution and even disapproval like
Patrick brazo a native Senator appointed
by Harper stating he thought she wasn't
setting a good example for Aboriginal
youth meanwhile Kate Hartfield of the
Ottawa Citizen warns this isn't the way
to deal with the government headed by
Harper and politician Charlie Angus
suggested this type of potential
martyrdom could lead to the type of
strife experienced in Northern Ireland
what is your response to
this well I mean you have to look at who
is who who is making those comments so
Senator Patrick brazo um he's an
indigenous person that uh came to Senate
uh most First Nations in this country
consider him a traitor because he
actively works against first nation's
interests uh for his own personal gain
Accord in to First Nations and so we we
tend not to pay attention to the things
that he says but in terms of other
politicians of course they're going to
say these things because the the current
status quo benefits the majority
population even if they don't have a
direct hand in it because we First
Nations people have been subsidizing the
wealth and prosperity and programs and
services of Canadians from our lands and
resources and that's the reality here
that most people don't understand this
hunger strike is very symbolic um if you
if you look at every day that Chief
Teresa Spence doesn't eat she's slowly
dying and she's doing that for her
people and why because our people are
slowly dying 22% of our youth die from
suicides our people die in Child and
Family Services in prisons from
contaminated water and lack of food lack
of housing this is what's happening to
our people and Chief Teresa Spence's
hunger strike is meant to bring
awareness to what's happening around the
world because International countries
look at Canada and see the Olympics and
some uh Native people dancing in their
regalia at the opening ceremonies and
think everything is wonderful here in
Canada when an actual fact you know the
the United Nations human development
index puts Canada from number four as a
wonderful country for living down to 78
if you isolate First Nations that's how
bad things are here in Canada Pamela
Pomer will have to leave it there chair
in indigenous governance at Ryerson
University I want to thank you for being
with a spokeswoman for Idle No More I'm
Amy Goodman with n Shake our website is
democracy now.org thanks so much for
watching this report from democracy Now
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