On December 10th (2012) I woke up to find my Canadian friend had posted instructions to those he would be marching with that day. I was curious what he was up to, but I didn’t think anything more about it. By the afternoon, I saw a post from the popular Native Appropriations blog about the Idle No More campaign. It turned out my Canadian friend was just one person involved in, and organizing, a march to protest the historical mistreatment of indigenous people by the Canadian government, and the ongoing mistreatment enacted through Bill C-45. That day, the Idle No More campaign had spawned protests marches and actions throughout various regions of Canada.
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The original call for the Idle No More movement was made by four women: Nina Wilson, Sylvia McAdam, Jessica Gordon, and Sheelah McLean. In October, these four women began holding teach-ins and distributing information about Bill C-45. On December 4th, First Nations chiefs attempted to engage in the House of Commons conversation about the bill, but were barred by police from entering the building. On December 10th, the same day as the nationwide protests, Attawapiskat First Nations Chief Theresa Spence began a hunger strike. Her goal is to open dialog between First Nations people, Prime Minister Harper, and the Queen of England. She argues that treaties signed between First Nations people and the crown must be upheld. Specifically, her mission is a personal one: the chief had previously asked for help from Prime Minister Harper regarding the living conditions on the Attawapiskat reserve, but had not received sufficient aid from the federal government. Chief Spence states that she is willing to die for the sake of her people.
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On the morning of December 14, 2012, the controversial Bill C-45 was passed, and put into law, by Canada’s conservative government. Bill C-45 will impose changes to the use of land and water on tribally owned land. According to the Idle No More website, “the Bill brings forward changes specifically to the Indian Act that will lower the threshold of community consent in the designation and surrender process of Indian Reserve Lands.”
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Essentially, this bill is about control of land, resources, and the environment. The bill will make it easier for corporations (and the government) to access and extract resources from these lands. The bill also serves to weaken indigenous sovereignty. This bill is a continuation of settler-state policy. I don’t say this gently; policies such as these have been complicit in the continued degradation of this land and in indigenous genocide.
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However, the Idle No More movement has been met by criticism from Natives and non-Natives alike. Zig Zag, indigenous author and activist, argues that the title Idle No More does not aptly describe the activism that First Nations people have engaged in since colonial times..
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But, perhaps the largest criticism to be leveled at the movement is about money paid to First Nations chiefs. Alongside Zig Zag, some Canadian news sources have pushed the idea that the movement may have been orchestrated by (corrupt) First Nations chiefs, who are facing extreme budget cuts through Bill C-45’s enactment. These accusations echo stereotypes that have plagued indigenous people since colonial contact: that indigenous chiefs are despotic, that indigenous people are “wasting” “free” money, that indigenous people need to be ruled because they cannot rule themselves. To be fair, Zig Zag’s argument is more nuanced: First Nations chiefs are embroiled in a colonial governmental system, not in an indigenous governmental system. In other words, First Nations people should assert their sovereignty and stop paying attention to the federal government and these corrupt chiefs (who do not actually work for First Nations people).
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What I find most important about this movement is that it has mobilized thousands of indigenous people and their allies. Now that Bill C-45 has been voted in, I am curious as to how these old, new, and reinvigorated spaces of indigenous protest continue to exert indigenous insurrections across Canada. I am even more curious to see if this fire will spread below the border.
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Additional links:
Idle No More Day of Action Draws Indigenous Protestors Across Canada
Samson Cree Nation Blockade Shuts Down Alberta Highway
The Natives Are Restless. Wondering Why?
Idle No More. I Wanted to Share Some Few Nehiyaw Thoughts and Teachings With All of You.
Idle No More, Speak For Yourself
As AFN Pushes for Harper Meeting, Attawapiskat Chief Spence Says Crown Needs to be Involved
