Idle No More is an ongoing protest movement originating among the Aboriginal peoples in Canada comprising the First Nations, Metis and Inuit peoples and their non-Aboriginal supporters in Canada, and to a lesser extent, internationally. It has consisted of a number of political actions worldwide, inspired in part by the hunger strike of Attawapiskat Chief Theresa Spence[1] and further coordinated via social media. A reaction to alleged abuses of indigenous treaty rights by the current federal government, the movement takes particular issue with the recent omnibus bill Bill C-45.
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Revving up for a revolution
by:
Tamara Cottle
Opinions Editor
Ever since Confederation, an aggressive national policy of assimilation has been pursued by the Canadian government to delegitimize aboriginal culture and rights. For 146 years, politicians have instituted laws, amendments and statutes designed to weaken the aboriginal population. Aboriginal rights to land were clearly defined by the Royal Proclamation of 1763 and reaffirmed in the Constitution Act of 1982. The only legal way Canada was able to access land was through the negotiation of treaties with Aboriginal Peoples. Throughout the treaty process, promises were made and contracts signed. Sadly, for aboriginal people, too many promises have been broken and treaty rights continue to be ignored.
Aboriginal people have suffered tremendous abuses at the hands of the Canadian government. Inadequate housing, decreased life expectancy, astronomical levels of incarceration and suicide are the tragic results of oppressive governance. The cacophony of industry, racism and dictatorial politics has all too often muted the voice of the aboriginal community. Yet, with the emergence of the Idle No More movement that is currently sweeping across the nation, aboriginal people are finding a powerful voice.
The movement was initiated by four women in Saskatchewan who were displeased with the recent passing of the federal government's Bill C-45. Jessica Gordon, Sheelah McLean, Sylvia McAdams and Nina Wilson had no idea their "Idle No More" Facebook page, created in early November, would ignite a social media frenzy and spark a movement that has thousands of people across Canada protesting in the streets, flash mobbing malls, blockading transportation thoroughfares and going on hunger strikes.
The use of social media and the overwhelming presence of young people have been fundamental to the unstoppable energy of the movement. Indigenous people from around the world have latched on to the guiding principles of Idle No More which are, at their roots, a defence against environmental degradation and human rights abuses. Though most people participating in the Idle No More actions are of aboriginal descent, it is in the best interests of all Canadians to support the movement and align themselves with the principles they represent.
Bill C-45, introduced in the House of Commons last May, faced thousands of amendments by opposition leaders. Every single proposed change to the bill was surreptitiously shot down by the Conservative majority in a highly undemocratic fashion. It was eventually passed into law on Dec. 14, 2012, to the dismay of Canadians who have grown suspicious of the recent trend in Conservative governance to compile massive omnibus bills that bury significant alterations to Canadian statutes in endless minutia.
The 400-page Bill introduces countless changes to federal legislation, like the Indian Act and the Navigable Waters Protection Act, all deemed to be for the good of the economy. The Navigable Waters Protection Act, which previously provided federal regulations for protecting Canada's water, has been modified by Bill C-45 to effectively remove federal protection from thousands of bodies of water and streams, save a few lakes which are ironically found in Tory constituencies
Today, it might seem like Aboriginal Peoples stand to profit from... [ Ссылка ]
